Voice Search Is Here – And It’s Bigger Than Expected
Welcome to 2020, the year when – according to a Forbes feature in 2018 – half of all the online searches in the world will be made through voice. Remarkably, that is one of the few predictions about this most unpredictable of years which is looking accurate. A survey conducted by Adobe in the middle of last year found that the figure was at 48%, so by now we will almost certainly have broken through the 50% barrier, and the implications for all of us who work in digital marketing are enormous.
The Rise of Voice Assistants
We certainly can’t say we didn’t see this one coming. While voice recognition software has been around since the dawn of the Internet, it was often hapless and a source of public ridicule until the introduction of IBM’s Watson in 2010. Watson gained fame when it competed on the TV show Jeopardy and won.
Soon after, Apple launched Siri in 2011, followed by Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa in 2014, and Google Assistant in 2016. As competition among these tech giants grew, so did the quality of results – with Google Assistant now hitting 90% accuracy in responses.
What Voice Search Means for Marketers
With voice search rising and 5G speeding it up even more, marketers need to focus on its impact now. The most obvious – and important – change is how people phrase searches when they speak instead of type.
Humans speak differently than they type. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is how Google handles this shift, but marketers must do it intuitively. You need to know how your audience thinks, speaks, and asks questions.
Why Voice Searches Sound Different
Voice searches tend to be full questions, not keyword fragments. While someone typing might search “24-hour pharmacy central Sydney,” a voice search is more likely to be “Where can I buy painkillers in Sydney now?”
How to Optimise Your Site for Voice Search
Bring Back the FAQ Page
FAQ sections are making a comeback. Benu Aggarwal of Milestone recommends including FAQs across major sections of your site. These help you match and answer real questions consumers ask aloud.
Keep Answers Short and Clear
Backlinko found that the average featured snippet answer for voice searches is just 29 words long. That’s all you usually get – one spot, one answer. You have to keep it concise, clear, and complete.
Use Your Blog Strategically
If you need to go longer, use your blog. It’s ideal for tackling multi-part questions and building topical authority. Tools like Answer The Public can help you find exactly what people are asking so you can address it directly.
Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are more aligned with natural language and conversational searches. SEO expert Neil Patel calls them “your path to overtaking the competition.” With voice search, they’re more relevant than ever.
Identify and Optimise for Intent
Longer voice searches often reveal stronger intent. “24-hour pharmacy central Sydney” is vague. “Where can I buy painkillers in Sydney now?” shows urgency and buying intent. Smart marketers will include specific terms like “painkillers,” “open now,” or the location to match this.
Local SEO Matters More Than Ever
According to Search Engine Watch, people are three times more likely to search locally via voice. In the U.S., Small Biz Trends found that 58% of consumers found local businesses using voice search – and Australia is following suit.
To stay competitive, your marketing must prioritise local SEO. At the very least, set up and optimise your Google My Business profile. If you have multiple locations, create dedicated landing pages with accurate addresses, hours, and contact info.
The Future of Voice Search Is Fast-Moving
Voice search is still evolving rapidly. As more people grow comfortable using it, they’ll start forming hybrid queries that blend conversational questions with short-form text search habits.
Meanwhile, big tech players will continue to push out new tools and features. That means staying ahead of the curve takes work — but the rewards are worth it.
Final Thoughts
Voice search isn’t just a trend – it’s a fundamental shift in how people access information. If you move fast and optimise now, you can still get ahead of your competitors. But you’ll need to stay agile to keep your edge. And we’ll be right here to help you do it.