Voice Search Optimisation: How Agencies Help Businesses Stay Ahead of the Curve

In recent years, voice search has rapidly transformed from a niche technology to a mainstream tool for accessing information, performing searches, and interacting with devices. Voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, and Cortana have made it easier for users to search the internet, control their smart homes, and access services hands-free. As a result, businesses must adapt to stay competitive in this evolving landscape.

The growing prevalence of voice search presents both challenges and opportunities, especially in the context of digital marketing. This is where digital agencies play a crucial role, helping businesses optimise their online presence for voice queries and remain ahead of the curve.

The Growth of Voice Search

Voice search usage has surged over the past few years, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) technologies. Voice-activated smart speakers and mobile voice assistants have become an integral part of everyday life. According to research by Juniper, voice search queries are expected to exceed 8 billion by 2024. This growth is fueled by users’ desire for convenience and speed, particularly in an increasingly mobile and hands-free world.

The way people interact with technology is fundamentally changing. With voice search, users no longer need to type out queries on a keyboard or screen. Instead, they can speak naturally, using conversational phrases. This shift in behaviour has significant implications for businesses seeking to optimise their content for search engines.

Understanding Voice Search Queries

Unlike traditional text-based searches, voice queries tend to be more conversational and longer in nature. When typing, users often input short, fragmented phrases such as “best Italian restaurant London.” However, with voice search, they are more likely to ask a complete question like, “What’s the best Italian restaurant in London?”

This distinction is essential for optimising content because it changes the structure of search queries. Voice searches often include more natural language keywords and frequently begin with question words like “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how.” Additionally, since voice search is predominantly used on mobile devices and smart speakers, it often includes location-based searches, with users asking for nearby services or directions.

For businesses, this shift requires a new approach to search engine optimisation (SEO). Agencies that specialise in voice search optimisation (VSO) can help companies refine their digital strategies by focusing on natural language processing, featured snippets, and local SEO tactics to capture voice search traffic.

The Role of Agencies in Voice Search Optimisation

1. Identifying Long-Tail and Conversational Keywords

One of the first steps agencies take in optimising content for voice search is identifying relevant long-tail and conversational keywords. These are the more natural, question-like phrases that people use when speaking rather than typing. Since voice search queries are typically longer, agencies focus on incorporating phrases that reflect how real people talk.

For instance, instead of targeting short, competitive keywords like “solar installation,” agencies might target more conversational, longer-tail keywords such as “How much does it cost to install solar panels on a home?” This approach is critical because voice assistants prioritise content that directly answers users’ questions.

By conducting thorough keyword research using tools such as Google’s Keyword Planner, AnswerThePublic, or other NLP-focused software, agencies help businesses discover the most relevant and valuable queries for voice search. Optimising content around these keywords can significantly boost a brand’s chances of appearing in voice search results.

2. Optimising for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets, often called “position zero” in search engine results pages (SERPs), are concise answers that Google pulls from websites to directly answer a user’s question. These snippets are particularly valuable in voice search because voice assistants often rely on them to provide spoken answers.

Agencies skilled in voice search optimisation understand the importance of structuring content to maximise the chances of appearing in featured snippets. This involves creating clear, concise, and well-structured answers to common questions, formatted in ways that search engines can easily digest. Lists, bullet points, tables, and direct question-and-answer formats are particularly effective.

For example, if a business operates in the financial sector, an agency might create a page that answers questions like “How can I improve my credit score?” with a list of actionable tips. By optimising for snippets, businesses not only improve their visibility in voice search but also enhance their credibility as authoritative sources of information.

3. Ensuring Mobile-Friendliness and Site Speed

Since the majority of voice searches occur on mobile devices, ensuring that a website is mobile-friendly is a crucial aspect of voice search optimisation. Agencies work to optimise websites for mobile responsiveness, ensuring that pages load quickly and display correctly on smartphones and tablets.

Google has made mobile-friendliness a key ranking factor in its algorithm, and this is even more critical for voice search, where users expect fast, accurate answers. Agencies also focus on optimising site speed, as slow-loading pages can negatively impact both user experience and search engine rankings. Using tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights, agencies identify areas for improvement, such as reducing image sizes, leveraging browser caching, and optimising JavaScript, to enhance overall site performance.

4. Enhancing Local SEO for Voice Search

Voice search is often used for local queries, with users asking for nearby services or locations. Questions like “Where’s the nearest coffee shop?” or “What time does the pharmacy close?” are common voice searches that involve location-specific information.

Agencies can help businesses optimise for local voice search by focusing on local SEO tactics. This includes claiming and optimising Google My Business (GMB) listings, ensuring NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency across directories, and encouraging customer reviews. For example, businesses that include a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section that addresses local concerns can see a boost in their visibility for voice searches in their area.

5. Structured Data and Schema Markup

Another crucial element in voice search optimisation is the use of structured data and schema markup. These are forms of microdata that help search engines better understand the context of the content on a page. By implementing schema, agencies can provide search engines with more detailed information about a website’s content, improving the chances that it will be selected as a voice search result.

For instance, local businesses can use schema markup to highlight important information like their operating hours, address, and services. This helps voice assistants accurately pull the right information for users’ queries. Agencies work to integrate the appropriate schema markup for each client, ensuring that their content is optimised for both traditional search engines and voice search.

6. Crafting Conversational Content

Since voice search queries are more conversational in tone, the content on a business’s website must reflect this natural language approach. Agencies assist businesses in creating content that mirrors the way people speak, rather than the way they write. This involves avoiding overly formal or jargon-heavy language and instead focusing on clear, simple, and conversational tones.

For example, a business in the home improvement industry might have traditionally used formal language like “request a consultation for roof repair services.” However, to optimise for voice search, the content might be reworded to reflect more natural language, such as “How do I schedule a roof repair consultation?”

Agencies also recommend incorporating questions directly into content, such as headers and subheadings framed as questions. By doing so, businesses align their content with the exact phrases people are likely to ask via voice search.

7. Tracking and Analysing Voice Search Metrics

Tracking the success of voice search optimisation requires a slightly different approach from traditional SEO. Agencies help businesses set up metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that track voice search queries and how their content is performing in voice results. By analysing data on which voice queries are driving traffic, agencies can refine strategies and further optimise content.

This is particularly useful for businesses looking to maintain a competitive edge, as voice search trends and user behaviour are continually evolving. Agencies that specialise in data analytics can identify new opportunities for optimisation, ensuring that businesses stay ahead of the competition.

The Future of Voice Search and Business

As voice search continues to grow, businesses that fail to optimise their digital presence for this technology risk falling behind. Voice search is becoming an integral part of the customer journey, and users are increasingly turning to their voice assistants for immediate answers, particularly when they’re on the go. This shift means that businesses must not only consider how they rank in traditional search but also how they appear in voice search results.

The rise of AI-powered virtual assistants and smart speakers presents exciting opportunities for businesses that can effectively leverage voice search optimisation. Agencies are well-positioned to guide companies through this transition, ensuring that their content is optimised for voice queries, and their websites are mobile-friendly, fast, and easily discoverable.

Voice search optimisation represents a new frontier in the world of digital marketing. As more users adopt voice assistants and smart speakers to perform searches, businesses must adapt their SEO strategies to remain visible. Agencies that specialise in voice search optimisation help businesses stay ahead of the curve by focusing on conversational keywords, mobile-friendliness, local SEO, structured data, and creating content that aligns with natural language search.

By partnering with an experienced digital marketing agency, businesses can ensure that they remain competitive in the voice search era, capturing valuable traffic, enhancing their brand’s visibility, and meeting the evolving needs of their customers.