With the rise of smart speakers and advanced AI assistants like Gemini Live and ChatGPT Voice, search is becoming a conversation. Users don’t type keywords; they talk to their devices. Optimizing for voice search requires a fundamental shift in how we write content.
Keywords vs. Conversations
Typing: “pizza near me”
Speaking: “Hey Google, where can I get a good gluten-free pizza that’s open right now?”
Voice queries are longer, more specific, and usually phrased as questions. To rank, you need to target Long-Tail Conversational Keywords.
The FAQ Strategy
The easiest way to capture voice traffic is to build dedicated FAQ pages or FAQ sections at the bottom of your articles.
- Q: Write the question exactly how a human would ask it.
- A: Answer it immediately in the first sentence. Be concise (approx. 40-50 words). This makes your answer “speakable.”
Speakable Schema
Google has a specific schema type called Speakable. This tells Assistant and Alexa which parts of your content are best suited for text-to-speech playback. Implementing this is a massive advantage for news publishers and informational blogs.
Local Intent dominates Voice
Over 50% of voice searches have local intent. “Where is…”, “Open now…”, “Near me…”. If your Google Business Profile isn’t optimized with accurate hours, services, and attributes (like “wheelchair accessible”), you effectively don’t exist in the voice ecosystem.
Conclusion
Write for the ear, not just the eye. Read your content out loud. If it sounds robotic, rewrite it. The future of search is spoken.
