Voice Search Optimization: SEO Strategies to Stand Out in 2024

How to adapt your SEO content to the era of voice assistants?

Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Google Assistant, etc., voice assistants are everywhere. They execute our commands like turning off lights, playing our favorite music, or turning on the heating. They even answer our simplest questions about the weather.

So, how to stand out online in the age of voice search? How to adapt your content to meet this new way of searching online?

Internet in the era of voice search: implications for SEO

Voice search is becoming the norm for searching on the Internet. By saying a few words, one can find anything they want.

Convenient, fast, efficient!

Voice assistants, a revolution in online searching

Today, no need to type on our phones to find information. We only need to talk to our devices. Thanks to advancements in voice recognition, search engines instantly understand what we are asking.

SEO can no longer focus solely on short text queries. It must now rely on complete, natural phrases, often formulated as questions.

Proof in numbers: 36% of French people use a voice assistant at least once a day (LinkedIn statistics).

In 2022, voice commerce represented over 40 million dollars in the United States and the United Kingdom. Even more revealing: in 2024, a Google study highlights that 55% of teenagers and 41% of adults use voice search daily (58% of 25-40 year-olds use it regularly).

Blooming voice commerce

So, what do people ask their smart speakers? According to Comscore, consumers use voice assistants to help them find health and beauty products, electronics, and household items.

And not just a little! The numbers speak for themselves: 

• 8.9 million health and beauty references
• 8.8 million electronic devices
• 8.5 million household products
• 7 million home and garden items
• 5.9 million arts, crafts, and party supplies

To conclude the statistics, DataM Intelligence revealed that the voice commerce market could reach 82 billion dollars between 2024 and 2028, with an annual growth of 24.7%. Pretty good, right?

How voice command changes SEO and content strategy?

By not optimizing your content for voice search, you risk losing part of your audience. Why? Because a voice search engine will only provide a limited number of results (sometimes even just one).

If you are not well-positioned, you will not appear in voice search results. Therefore, you need to do what it takes to be among the top results for a given query!

How to optimize content for voice search? Your information, your content, must be structured to match the way people speak.

Queries should be longer and in the form of questions ("What is the best Italian restaurant in Dijon?" instead of "Italian restaurant Dijon"). Your keywords should sound natural and answer users' questions directly.

5 optimization techniques for voice search

To stand out in the ocean of the web, you need to learn how to ride the voice search wave. Here are some tips to optimize your site:

1. Use long-tail keywords and speak clearly and naturally

When speaking, people express themselves with longer and more precise sentences. Think about how someone speaks.

Examples of long-tail keywords: 

• "Where to find a good creperie near me?" rather than "creperie"
• "What time does the Post Office open?" instead of "Post Office hours".

To answer these questions, write as you speak. Choose short and simple sentences that directly address the questions people are asking. 

2. Structure content in a question-answer format

FAQs are very handy for this. A plumber could, for example, answer questions such as:

• "What is the cost to unblock a sink?"
• "How to detect a leak in the pipes?"
• "What is the response time for a water heater repair?"

This format improves user experience. It saves time. This question-answer structure is also simpler for voice assistants, which can more easily understand and extract information.

Since they are programmed to answer specific questions, a well-structured FAQ helps them provide the most relevant answer.

3. Optimize for featured snippets and use structured data

What are featured snippets? You know, they are those answer excerpts that appear at the top of Google search results. These are often the snippets read by voice assistants in response to a question. You understand why optimizing for featured snippets is essential!

How to optimize for featured snippets? 

• Directly answer users' questions right at the beginning of your text.
• Use header tags (H2, H3) to clearly structure your content.
• Focus on structured data, like the FAQ Page tag to mark your questions and answers.

These techniques enhance readability and allow search engines to better understand what the article is about. Google, Bing, Ecosia, Qwant, etc., will know where to find the best answer to the questions asked.

4. Adapt your site for mobile devices

Many voice searches are conducted on mobile phones and other tablets. Ensure that your site is perfectly optimized in this regard: responsive design, fast loading times, smooth navigation.

Also think about optimizing your multimedia content (podcasts and videos). Voice assistants should be able to understand and find them easily. How to do it? Focus on transcription, use subtitles, add structured video tags or even optimize the titles, descriptions, and metadata of your files.

5. Focus on local SEO

Many voice searches involve local queries, such as "find an Indian restaurant near me." Your site is more likely to appear in local results from Siri and other voice assistants if your Yelp rating is 4.5/5 and your reviews are good. The same applies to your Google business listing.

The algorithms of Google Assistant and Siri, for example, place importance on the following elements (in order): distance, number of reviews, star rating, pricing. So take the time to: 

• thoroughly fill out and optimize your Yelp listing;
• add photos and keywords that feel natural to you;
• update your information on Google My Business;
• integrate local keywords into your descriptions and titles;
• encourage customers to leave reviews on Yelp and other platforms,
• and respond to customer reviews.

Note: while they do rely on the criterion of distance when asked "restaurant nearby," they seem to favor a high star count for the query "best restaurant near me." So, do some testing!

How user behavior changes with voice search?

Since the arrival of voice assistants, our way of interacting with online content seems quite different. Let's take stock to understand the implications of behavioral changes on web strategies.

Voice search, a further step towards accessibility and inclusivity

Voice search does not just make internet use more convenient. It also makes life easier for people with disabilities or those who struggle with traditional interfaces.

A Microsoft study reveals that 40% of users feel more autonomous thanks to voice assistants. Here, there is an opportunity for companies to reach a broader and more inclusive audience.

Moreover, consumers can make purchases from their car, living room, or even while cooking. This flexibility saves time and even helps people be more spontaneous since they no longer have to manipulate their screens.

The added bonus: voice assistants can remember users' previous purchases. They then personalize the shopping experience and recommend products that might interest them. E-commerce platforms therefore have every interest in adding a voice shopping option to their site, or integrating said site directly on Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, and others.

The voice redefines interaction with the web

Voice search has changed the way we navigate the Internet. Now, we can have an oral conversation with our devices. Users are increasingly surfing without using their screens.

To illustrate this trend, according to BrightLocal, in 2023, 58% of people used voice search to obtain information about local businesses.

And 46% of smart speaker users search for local information every day.  

Moreover, according to Google, 20% of mobile searches are done by voice, and 41% of adults use it daily.

Examples of voice commerce strategies from French companies

In France, several large groups have understood the importance of integrating voice assistants into their e-commerce strategies.

Ok Google, I want to shop at… Carrefour, Fnac, Auchan, Boulanger, or Sephora

Voice assistants make life easier for customers who only need to list the items on their shopping list via voice command. They can also check stock availability and ask for product recommendations.

Fnac, for example, has even optimized its content so that consumers can find some very specific items. Sephora, in addition to selling beauty products, allows customers to receive beauty advice.

Smarter homes with TotalEnergies, EDF, or Engie

Energy companies use voice assistants to enhance their customers' comfort. Customers can ask Alexa to adjust the heating temperature, check the energy consumption of their devices, or turn off lights. They can also request details about their bills and get tips on reducing their carbon footprint.

Cdiscount, Vente-privée, or La Redoute and the more intuitive user experience

E-commerce, of course, is no exception. They have understood the importance of voice assistants to meet the expectations of internet users. In addition to basic features like product search or order management, these platforms are betting on voice commerce strategies to simplify the online shopping experience.

Shoppers can search for products, add items to their cart, track their orders, and receive personalized recommendations, all through voice command.

You understood it, voice search is transforming our interaction with the web.

To stay relevant, companies must rethink their content and SEO strategy. Keep in mind that optimizing your site for voice search also means anticipating changes in consumer habits.

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