If you want your business to be found in voice search results, you need to write the way people speak, not the way they type. That means building your content around the questions your target audience asks, and answering them directly and concisely in conversational language.
Today, more than one in five consumers globally (22.8%) uses a voice assistant such as Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant at least weekly to find information online and make purchases. As this technology evolves, it’s getting better at grasping context, intent and natural language to create a genuine conversational experience.
The same shift is happening in AI search. Whether users are speaking or typing, they are increasingly phrasing their queries in full, conversational sentences. In response, AI systems prioritise content that directly mirrors this language; clear, natural and structured as an answer rather than a collection of keywords.
In other words, the requirement is the same across both voice and AI search. If your content sounds like a helpful human response, it is far more likely to be surfaced.
Here’s how to write content that reflects how people actually search – and responds in kind.
Ask questions like you’re chatting to a friend
When people speak to a voice-enabled device, they tend to ask a complete question as opposed to the two or three keywords they might type into a search bar.
The tone is personal and informal (using pronouns such as “me” and “I”), and the language flows naturally, the way it might in a conversation between friends.
Typed search example
Renting rules pets
Voice search example
Can my landlord stop me from keeping a pet in my flat?
Your content needs to match this relaxed, conversational tone without sacrificing authority or accuracy. This might mean turning your title or H2 and H3 headings into questions your audiences would naturally ask. Use question words such as ‘What’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ and don’t be afraid to use contractions such as ‘where’s’ and ‘can’t’ just as people do in everyday speech.
Platforms such as AnswerThePublic and Google’s People Also Ask feature can help you identify the questions people are asking and long-tail keywords you could target.
Get straight to the point, then go deeper
Voice search rewards content that answers questions as directly, quickly and concisely as possible. By getting straight to the point with a self-contained answer of 50 words or fewer, your answer is more likely to be found and quoted back to the user.
Scene-setting still matters, but don’t make readers or search engines wade through 300 words to get answers. Once you’ve answered the question in a nutshell, you can then go deeper in anticipation of follow-up questions. Provide up-to-date context, examples and unique insights as well as links to credible sources and related information.
Traditional SEO intro
Employee wellbeing programmes: A complete guide
Employee wellbeing has become one of the defining challenges of modern business. In recent years, organisations of all sizes have grappled with rising levels of stress, burnout and disengagement. Leaders are under pressure to respond, and many are turning to workplace wellness programmes as part of the answer. But what actually works – and where should you start?
Voice SEO intro
What actually works in a workplace wellness programme?
Workplace wellness programmes are most effective when they address the real causes of stress rather than just offering quick fixes. Flexible working arrangements, mental health support and regular manager check-ins tend to work well whereas perks such as mindfulness apps often fall short. Here’s what the evidence actually says, and what’s worth prioritising first.
Write clearly and concisely
Avoid jargon and complex sentence structures when optimising for voice search. Keep sentences short, focusing on one idea at a time. Group ideas into short paragraphs on a distinct theme with a descriptive heading. This is important because most voice searches are done on mobile phones where long passages of text filling the screen could put off readers.
You want to make it as easy as possible for voice assistants to find, scan and lift your self-contained answers.
Structures that work well include:
- Definitions that neatly answer “what is” questions
- Bullet point lists that break up complex information
- A list of key takeaways at the top of long articles
- FAQs with question headings and short answers
- How-to guides with step-by-step queries that answer ‘how do I’ questions
- Comparisons of ‘X’ vs ‘Y’ to help users make decisions
Traditional SEO example
MACH architecture solutions
MACH architecture is a modern technology framework that enables organisations to accelerate digital transformation through the implementation of microservices, API-first, cloud-native and headless technologies. By adopting MACH principles, businesses can achieve greater agility, scalability and flexibility across their digital ecosystem.
Voice search SEO example
What is MACH architecture?
MACH architecture is a technology approach built on four principles:
- Microservices – applications are made up of smaller, independent services
- API-first – systems communicate through APIs
- Cloud-native – software is designed to run in the cloud
- Headless – the front-end experience is separated from the back-end systems
Businesses use MACH architecture to launch digital experiences faster, scale more easily and adapt to changing customer needs.
Show you’re local
Voice searches often have strong local intent, with people using phrases such as “near me” and “open now” in their queries.
Typed search example
Sushi bar Manchester
Voice search example
Hey Siri, can you recommend a sushi bar near me that’s open now?
To stay locally relevant, it’s essential to optimise your Google Business Profile, use LocalBusiness schema markup and keep your name, address and phone number (NAP) consistent across directories.
In the content itself, you can strengthen local signals by incorporating the names of cities, towns and neighbourhoods you serve. You could even create localised pages where you talk about your community activities such as support for local events. Responding to customer reviews is another way to improve local voice search visibility.
Should I prioritise voice search SEO or GEO?
The good news is that the tactics of voice search SEO significantly overlap those of generative engine optimisation (GEO), the practice of structuring digital content so that AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity can find and cite your brand. In both disciplines, there is no prize for second best as the user gets only one definitive answer, not a list of results to choose from. But if you optimise for voice search SEO you should perform strongly in GEO and vice versa.
Although it’s no longer enough to show up on page one of Google Search, many traditional SEO best practices still matter too. Does useful, relevant writing that showcases experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness work for all types of search? You said it!
For help with getting your content optimised for voice search, get in touch with us, or have a look at our GEO/SEO services.
