9 Practical Tips to Optimize and Dominate Voice Search SEO

Voice search is no longer an SEO recommendation.

It’s a major shift in how people search for information online. Today, millions of users use voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant to answer questions, find businesses, and make purchasing decisions.

With traditional search, users type short phrases like “best WordPress voice search SEO plugins” in the search bar. This is because it is easier and more convenient to shorten phrases when typing.

But, voice searches are more natural and conversational.

Instead, users ask, “What’s the best voice search SEO plugin for WordPress?” in the same way they would talk to a friend.

You see, this shift means that websites that optimize for voice search will gain a clear advantage as Google tries to be more user-focused.

So, how can you take advantage of this growing SEO strategy?

In this article, we will discuss 9 tips to improve your voice search SEO. If you do not have time to go through the entire article, check out the key takeaways below.

Key Takeaways:

• Voice search is growing fast: Millions of people use it daily on devices like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
• Google favors conversational queries: Content optimized for natural, spoken language ranks better.
• Optimizing for voice search boosts visibility: Sites that provide clear, structured answers perform well.
• Local SEO is critical: Many voice searches are location-based, so businesses should focus on “near me” queries.
• Featured snippets matter: Voice assistants often pull responses from Google’s featured answer boxes.
• Long-tail, question-based keywords are key: Users ask full questions rather than typing short phrases.

If you need an example of how to structure a post for voice search SEO, just take a look at how this article is organized.

We follow all the SEO voice search tips we discuss below in this article so that it can act as a template for you.

Now, if you want to skip to the voice search SEO tips directly:

Click this link.

With that said, let us get started.

What the Data Says About SEO Voice Search

According to NPR & Edison Research, over 62% of Americans use voice assistance on their devices. On top of that, 35% of Americans own a smart speaker.

As devices like Alexa become popular and cheaper, businesses that ignore voice search risk falling behind as search engines prioritize voice-friendly content.

On top of that, search engines like Google are adopting the voice search trend.

Their AI SEO algorithms now favor content that matches spoken language, direct answers, and structured information.

This means that WordPress sites that align with this SEO shift are more likely to appear in voice search results, driving more organic traffic and improving user engagement.

So, how can you stay ahead in this evolving SEO landscape?

At IsItWP, we closely follow changes in SEO. We have a large network of WordPress websites. So, to stay ahead of everyone, we have to test emerging SEO trends ourselves to see what works best for us and our clients.

As a result, we have experimented with different voice search optimization techniques firsthand.

For example, we looked at how long-tail keywords affected voice search results. This is because long tail keywords sound more natural and closely match how people speak.

This makes it more likely for voice assistant devices to pick up content in the search results with long tail phrases.

Apart from that, we also optimized our content for featured snippets like FAQs, People Also Asked section, AI overview, and Knowledge Panels.

This increases the chances of our content being selected as a direct answer for voice search queries, making it more accessible to users relying on voice assistants.

From this, we have seen how small changes can significantly improve search visibility.

With our research done, we are finally ready to share our findings and tips on improving voice search for SEO with you.

Let’s get started!

Understanding Voice Search Basics

Voice search optimization is about making your website easier for voice assistants to find and understand.

Remember, search engines try to deliver the best and most relevant answer when someone asks a question. To do this, they prioritize clear, structured, and conversational content.

As a result, optimizing for voice search means focusing on conversational keywords, structuring content for easy reading, and ensuring your website loads quickly.

Why Optimize for Voice Search?

As mentioned, more people are using voice search every day. If your site isn’t optimized for it, you lose potential visitors.

The good news? Making small adjustments can help you tap into this traffic.

So, what are the SEO advantages of voice search optimization?

• One major benefit is increased visibility. Voice search results often pull from featured snippets, AI Overviews, or top-ranking pages. If your content is structured properly, you have a better chance of appearing in these results.
• Local businesses benefit the most. A huge portion of voice searches are local, like “Where’s the nearest pizza place?” If you optimize your content for local SEO, you can attract more customers searching for businesses in your area.
• User experience also improves. Voice search is faster and more convenient than typing. Visitors are more likely to stay on your site when your content is easy to understand and provides direct answers.

As voice technology continues to evolve, optimizing for it now will keep you ahead of the competition.

But to understand where voice SEO is heading, we need to know where it comes from.

The Evolution of Voice Search

We have to appreciate how voice search has come a long way since the early days of clunky voice recognition software.

Today’s AI-powered assistants understand accents, dialects, and even the context of a conversation. This improvement is due to major advancements in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning.

In the past, search engines relied heavily on keywords.

Do you remember how you had to type exact phrases to get relevant results? Now, voice search platforms like Google focus on search intent. Instead of just matching words, they try to understand what you are really asking.

You see, voice assistants are also getting smarter.

They can now handle follow-up questions without needing the user to repeat the original query.

For example, if you ask, “Who won the Super Bowl?” and then say, “How many championships have they won?” the assistant knows you’re still talking about the same team.

On top of that, trust in voice search is growing as well.

It would not be farfetched to assume you recently used the voice assistant option on your smartphone to shop online, get local recommendations, or book appointments.

Looking ahead, we expect voice search to become even more precise.

As AI improves, search engines will better understand complex queries and offer even more personalized results.

But before this change, you should place yourself at the forefront of this SEO evolution.

A good starting point is to check out the best SEO strategies for optimizing your site for voice search below.

Best Voice Search SEO Tips

Now that you understand what voice search SEO is and how it has evolved, you’re in a great position to apply these tips effectively.

The next step?

Optimizing your site so it actually ranks when people use voice assistants.

The tips below will help you fine-tune your voice search SEO strategy, ensuring your site speaks the language of voice search and stays ahead in this fast-changing landscape.

1. Optimize for Conversational and Natural Language

As mentioned, voice search has changed how people ask questions online. We no longer type short, fragmented keywords. Instead, we now ask complete questions.

One of the first discoveries we made on SEO voice strategies was that search engines now prioritize results that sound more natural. That is content that mirrors everyday speech.

This means we need to optimize for conversational keywords that align with how people actually talk.

So, how do we do that?

The first step is targeting long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific phrases that match natural speech patterns.

For example, instead of “WordPress SEO plugin,” a voice search user might say, “What’s the best SEO plugin for a small business website?”

But that is not enough.

After all, Google still uses crawling bots, which need clear, structured content to understand and rank your page effectively.

Simply using long-tail keywords helps with relevance, but if your content isn’t formatted in a way that search engines can easily process, it might still get overlooked.

So, on top of long-tail keywords, you need to structure your content in a way that’s easy for Google to crawl.

To achieve this, your content needs to be clear and well-organized.

You need to use:

• Short paragraphs
• Bullet points
• Direct answers

This makes it easier for search engines to process and display your content.

2. Target Long-Tail and Question-Based Keywords

To piggyback on the last point, one thing we’ve learned about voice search is that question-based queries dominate.

People naturally phrase their searches as questions, using words like “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how.”

For example, instead of typing “best laptop for gaming,” as a voice search user, you might ask, “What’s the best gaming laptop for under $1,500?”

To optimize our WordPress website for voice search, we use tools like Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ and AnswerThePublic apart from LowFruits.

These tools reveal common questions people ask about a specific topic, helping us structure our content to answer those queries directly.

An approach we have seen to work is to create dedicated blog posts that answer specific user questions.

For clarity, you can check out the isItWP blog to see how many “how to” and “what is” tutorials we write, targeting question base search queries.

So, instead of just listing short answers in the FAQ section of an article, these posts dive deeper into the topic. These question-based articles provide valuable insights while naturally incorporating conversational keywords.

But, you still need to sound natural to execute the question-based article strategy.

That is why we recommend SEOBoost. (Expand to learn more)

SEOBoost has a unique SEO tool called Topic Reports that allows you to create a detailed article brief from insights of posts ranking for the query.

One of the main areas it focuses on is analyzing question-based keywords in-depth. At the same time, it makes it easy for you to add it to your content brief.

It lists all the questions and sources of a question-based query, allowing you to select the best ones to add to your content.

Apart from question-based keywords, you can also add long tail keywords to your content brief with a click of a button.

This allows you to add both question base keywords and follow them up with long tail keywords in the answers. This way, you optimize the entire article for voice search, not just the questions.

All you have to do is select “Add to Brief,” and you can add long tail questions, headlines, and anchor texts to your content draft.

3. Optimize for Featured Snippets and FAQs Using Structured Data

As you can see above, if there’s one thing we know about voice search, it’s that featured snippets matter.

On this SEO voice search tip, we want to focus more on the execution of optimizing your content for the featured snippets themselves.

So, as mentioned, voice assistants often pull their responses directly from Google’s featured snippets when you ask questions. These answer boxes appear at the top of search results, providing quick, direct responses.

If your content appears in featured snippets, it is more likely to be selected as a voice search result.

But how do you actually get your content on featured snippets?

It’s all about formatting.

Here are some key strategies to optimize your content for featured snippets and voice searches:

• Provide concise answers: Voice search relies on direct responses. A one- or two-sentence summary followed by a more detailed explanation works best.
• Use lists, tables, and bullet points: Google favors structured formats because they are easier for voice assistants to extract.
• Organize content with clear subheadings: Using H2 and H3 headings in a question-based format makes it easier for search engines to identify relevant answers.

Using these tips is exactly how we got IsItWP to appear in this List Featured Snippet and many other top-searched terms.

FAQs Are a Game-Changer for Voice Search

One of the main reasons we structure content like explained above is to get into the “People Also Asked” Section on Google by adding FAQs to our posts.

With this SEO Strategy, you compile the most frequently asked questions about your topic and provide clear, concise answers on a related blog.

This helps search engines easily extract relevant information on your article and improves your chances of appearing in voice search results.

Many voice search queries are direct questions. That’s why FAQ sections are one of the most effective ways to optimize your content.

Instead of waiting for search engines to piece together answers, you’re presenting the information in a way that’s already structured for voice search.

To make FAQs more voice-friendly:

• Keep answers short and conversational: Write in a natural, easy-to-understand style.
• Format with headings and bullet points: This makes it easier for search engines to extract relevant information.

Using this formula, IsItWP has been added to many People Also Asked sections in Google, as demonstrated by the screenshot below.

The Role of Diverse Schema Markups in Voice Search

But, apart from structuring your content better in the hopes of getting it on Google Featured Snippets and FAQs, you can give the search engine a technical SEO helping hand.

You can help Google identify sections of your content that are a good fit by using different types of Schema Markups.

Remember, search engines need help understanding your content, and that’s where Schema Markups come in. Schema Markup is a structured data type that categorizes content for search engines, making it more likely to appear in voice search results.

For example, you can add an FAQ schema to help Google recognize your content as a direct answer to voice queries.

Apart from an FAQ Schema, you can also add a HowTo Schema, which makes step-by-step guides easier to display in search results. Or use the LocalBusiness Schema to improve visibility for location-based searches.

Check out this article to learn how to add Schema Markups to your WordPress site.

But adding Schema Markups can be a little technical.

4. Strengthen Local SEO for Voice Search

Local searches make up a huge share of voice queries. Users often ask things like, “Where’s the best bakery near me?” or “What time does the hardware store close?”

We’ve seen this trend grow significantly. More people rely on voice search and SEO when looking for nearby businesses, which means local SEO is more important than ever.

Start by claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile to rank for local voice searches.

Your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) should be consistent across all directories. This is because SEO voice search engines prioritize businesses with accurate and complete listings.

To improve your local SEO, you also need to encourage customer reviews, which is another essential step.

Positive reviews boost credibility and improve rankings in local search results. Engaging with reviews, both positive and negative, also signals trustworthiness to search engines and potential customers.

Another key strategy is optimizing for location-based keywords.

If you’re running a local business, include city names, neighborhood references, and ‘near me’ phrases in your content. This helps voice assistants match your business with relevant searches.

But, as you can imagine, adding “near me” phrases in your content often doesn’t seem completely natural.

Most times, these local SEO keyphrases look forced if not used correctly.

5. Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly and Fast

Most voice searches happen on mobile devices. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you are missing out on a massive chunk of traffic.

Besides that, Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing, ranking mobile-friendly websites higher in search results. We’ve seen firsthand how slow, unresponsive sites struggle to rank, especially for voice searches for SEO queries.

You can use this free website speed checker from IsItWP to check your site’s performance.

So, how do you ensure you do not experience such setbacks?

To improve page speed and mobile usability:

• Optimize images to reduce file sizes.
• Enable caching to speed up load times.
• Use a lightweight, responsive theme that adjusts to different screen sizes.

A well-optimized mobile site not only improves rankings but also enhances user experience, keeping visitors engaged longer.

To help you with this, you can use WP Rocket.

WP Rocket can help you improve website speed because it is one of the best caching plugins available. It reduces load times by optimizing caching, compressing files, and minimizing unnecessary code.

6. Optimize for Video Content

Video content plays a crucial role in Voice SEO because search engines prioritize direct, easy-to-follow answers.

When you ask questions like “How do I fix a WordPress site?” or “What’s the best form builder?” Google often features video results, especially from YouTube.

This is because voice search queries tend to be conversational and question-based, making step-by-step video tutorials a perfect match for user intent.

For example, if you search “How to Make a WordPress Website for Beginners,” a WPBeginner YouTube video appears among the top results.

Google even highlights key moments in the video, allowing you to skip directly to the section that answers their specific question. This is particularly useful for voice search users, who typically want quick, precise responses.

This makes video content an effective way to rank for voice searches, as it delivers quick and relevant solutions.

As a result, video content ranks well for instructional queries, and voice search for SEO often pulls step-by-step video responses.

So, how did we get this WPBeginner YouTube video at the top of this query:

• YouTube SEO: We used a descriptive, question-based title that matches spoken queries.
• Detailed descriptions: We summarized the main points of the video and included natural language keywords.
• Transcripts and captions: Search engines can’t watch videos but can read text. So, we provided transcripts to improve indexing, making the content more accessible for both users and search engines.
• Timestamps and playlists: Organizing video content makes navigating easier, increasing the chances that Google selects specific sections for voice search results.

To get on top of Video Search results, we use AIOSEO.

AIOSEO’s Video SEO Sitemaps ensure search engines properly index video content, making it more discoverable for voice search queries.

Since Google increasingly prioritizes video responses, having a well-optimized video sitemap increases our chances of ranking.

7. Improve Content Readability and Structure

Voice search favors content that is clear, concise, and well-structured. Since voice assistants read search results aloud, too complex or wordy content doesn’t perform as well.

We’ve experimented and worked with a variety of content formats.

This has helped us find that the best-performing pages share a few key characteristics:

• Short sentences: Keep information concise and digestible.
• Conversational tone: Write in a way that mirrors spoken language. Avoid jargon and overly technical phrases.
• Bullet points and subheadings: Breaking up content improves readability and makes extracting key information easier for voice assistants.
• Logical structure: Organize information clearly so users and search engines can find what they need quickly.

To help us with this, we use two tools for maximum results.

8. Use AI-powered SEO Tools for Optimization

AI is revolutionizing SEO, and voice search is one of the areas where AI-driven tools make a huge difference.

We use AI-powered SEO tools to:

• Analyze search trends: AI helps track which voice queries bring traffic to our site.
• Optimize content dynamically: AI-driven content optimization tools like SurferSEO and Clearscope suggest improvements based on real-time keyword data.
• Refine our strategy: AI insights allow us to continuously adapt based on how users interact with voice search.

By leveraging AI tools, we can identify new opportunities, optimize existing content, and stay ahead of search trends.

9. Test and Adapt Your Strategy Over Time

SEO is never a one-and-done effort, and voice search optimization is no different. To stay ahead, we need to track performance, analyze trends, and continuously refine our approach.

At IsItWP, we always emphasize data-driven improvements. The best way to know if our voice search SEO strategy is working is by analyzing performance regularly.

Here’s how we do it:

• Monitor search queries: Tools like Google Search Console help us track which voice search terms are driving traffic.
• Use voice analytics tools: These tools measure engagement, keyword rankings, and user interactions, helping us fine-tune our content.
• Identify user behavior patterns: We can optimize for future searches by looking at which queries bring visitors and how they interact with our site.
• Keep content fresh: Refreshing outdated content, optimizing for new voice queries, and aligning with evolving search patterns ensures long-term success.

To track and analyze the traffic that comes in through Voice search, we use MonsterInsights.

MonsterInsights turns complex Google Analytics data into simple and easy-to-read information.

But it also provides detailed insights into how users find our site, including traffic from voice searches. Its Traffic Source Reports allow us to analyze voice search effectiveness and adjust our strategy based on real data.

Congratulations! You now have all the tips you need to dominate voice search in your niche. If you have any more questions, check out the FAQs below.

FAQs: Tips to Dominate Voice Search SEO

Final Thoughts

Voice search is no longer a nice to have. It’s a must-have for websites that want to stay competitive. More people rely on voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant to find information.

This means optimizing for voice search is essential.

We’ve covered key strategies to help improve your rankings, from targeting conversational keywords and optimizing for featured snippets to improving site speed and local SEO.

Small changes, like adding structured data or improving readability, can make a big difference in voice search results.

The best part? You don’t need to do everything at once. You can start with a few high-impact changes, track your results, and adjust over time.

Voice search will continue to evolve, and the websites that adapt early will have the advantage. Now is the time to take action and future-proof your website for voice search.

Well done! You have all the tips to succeed in voice search SEO and optimization.

If you are still browsing for a WordPress SEO plugin, check out this comparison article on AIOSEO vs Yoast SEO: Which SEO Plugin is Better?

Apart from that, here are other articles you may be interested in reading.

• The Complete Beginner’s Guide to WordPress SEO
• 24 Best SEO Optimized WordPress Themes
• How to Remove Unused Files from Your WordPress Media Library

The first article is a beginner’s guide to WordPress SEO. The next article lists 24 of the best SEO-optimized WordPress themes. While the last article shows you how to remove unused files in your WordPress Media Library.