How Voice Search is Changing Digital Marketing & What Your Business Can Do About It
Optimising content for voice search and smart assistants
“Hey Siri, where’s the best dosa place near me?”
“Ok Google, what are the latest marketing trends for small businesses?”
“Alexa, find a nearby pet groomer.”
This is not the future. This is now.
Voice search is rapidly reshaping how people interact with the internet. And if you’re not optimising for it, your business is missing out on customers who are literally talking about you, but not finding you.
In this blog, we’ll break down:
- Why voice search matters
- How it’s changing user behavior
- And what you can do to make sure your business shows up in these spoken searches
🎙️ Voice Search Is Booming – And It’s Here to Stay
Voice search is growing fast. Why?
Because it’s faster, easier, and hands-free.
- Over 50% of smartphone users use voice search daily
- 71% of consumers prefer voice search for quick queries
- It’s built into everyday devices – smartphones, smart speakers, TVs, even cars
For small businesses, this shift is a golden opportunity to connect with local, intent-driven customers.
Imagine someone asking:
“Hey Google, which bakery is open now near me?”
If your bakery isn’t optimised for voice search, you’re invisible.
🧠 How Voice Search Is Changing User Behavior
Voice search isn’t just typed search with a microphone. People speak differently from they type.
Here’s how voice queries differ:
- More conversational & natural:
Instead of typing “best Italian restaurant Bangalore,” people ask:
“What’s the best Italian restaurant in Bangalore right now?” - Longer and more specific:
Voice queries average 29 words vs. 3-5 in text search - Location-based & immediate:
“Coffee shop near me open now”
“Where can I get tyre repair in JP Nagar?” - Question-based:
Starts with how, what, when, where, why
This means your content must change from keyword-stuffed phrases to human, helpful answers.
🚀 Why Small Businesses Should Care
- Local searches dominate voice
Over 58% of people use voice search to find local business information
76% of smart speaker users do weekly local searches - High buying intent
Voice searches often signal immediate action:
“Find a plumber near me” = potential lead
“Where can I buy organic dog food?” = ready-to-buy customer - First result wins big
Smart assistants usually give one answer only – the top result. That’s high-value digital real estate.
✅ How to Optimise Your Business for Voice Search
You don’t need to be a tech giant to show up. You just need to be smart and local-focused.
Here’s your action plan:
1. Think Like Your Customer Speaks
Write content that answers real, spoken questions.
Use tools like:
- Answer the Public
- Google’s People Also Ask section
- Or simply listen to your own customers
🎯 Instead of “Digital Marketing Bangalore,” write content answering:
“How can a digital marketing agency help a small business grow online?”
2. Target Long-Tail, Conversational Keywords
Voice search thrives on long, natural phrases. Use tools like Uber suggest or Semrush to find:
- “How to get more customers online for a small business”
- “Best cafes near Indiranagar for breakfast”
- “Affordable interior designer in Hyderabad”
🛠 Add these in FAQs, blog titles, meta descriptions, and subheadings.
3. Create an FAQ Section on Your Website
This is low-effort, high-impact.
FAQs let you:
- Use question-based voice keywords naturally
- Build trust and relevance
- Get featured in voice answers and snippets
🧠 Example:
“What are Bhutha’s core values as a sustainable architecture firm?”
Write that exact Q&A on the Bhutha website.
4. Optimise Your Google My Business (GMB) Listing
Voice search LOVES local listings.
✅ Make sure your GMB is:
- Complete and verified
- Includes accurate address, hours, and categories
- Has regular photos, reviews, and updates
📍People often ask:
“Where’s the best yoga studio near me?”
If you’re not optimised on GMB, you’re out of the game.
5. Focus on Page Speed and Mobile Friendliness
Most voice searches happen on mobile.
Slow, clunky websites = poor rankings.
🔧 Use Google PageSpeed Insights to:
- Minify code
- Compress images
- Ensure mobile responsiveness
Your site should load in 3 seconds or less.
6. Use Schema Markup (Structured Data)
Schema helps search engines understand your content better, which increases your chances of being the voice answer.
Add schema for:
- Business type
- FAQs
- Products
- Reviews
- Events
🛠 You can use free tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper
7. Create Audio-Friendly Content
Podcast? Explainer video with voice over? These not only engage better but also help voice search crawl more human-like content.
🗣 Pro tip: Add transcripts. Google can index them.
🔮 Bonus: Think Beyond Search – Think Voice Commerce
Smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home now let people order products, book appointments, and interact with brands by voice.
If your business is e-commerce or appointment-based, start exploring:
- Voice-activated bookings
- Product ordering via voice-enabled platforms
- Skills/actions for Alexa or Google Assistant
Final Thoughts: Voice Search = Human Search
Voice search is growing because it’s more natural. And that means your marketing needs to become more human, too.
If your brand:
- Speaks your customer’s language
- Shows up where they are (locally)
- Answers their real questions
- And makes life easy…
You don’t just win the voice search game.
You win trust. You win visibility. You win business.
Need Help Optimising for Voice Search?
We help small businesses like yours create content and campaigns that talk back – literally. From local SEO to conversational content, we make sure your brand is heard loud and clear.
Let’s get your business found – by voice.
