Voice search and SEO: prepare your website for “OK, Google”

“Okay, Google, where's the nearest coffee shop?” — this question is asked aloud more often than it is typed manually. Voice search, especially among smartphone owners, is steadily replacing traditional text input. People search quickly, on the go, and hands-free — and expect accurate results from the search engine. For businesses, this means one thing: it's time to adapt their websites to the new communication format. Read on to find out how to prepare your website for the new reality.

How many people use voice search

Before adapting your website for voice search, it's important to understand how actively it is used and by whom.

Voice search in 2025 is the trend of the season, as it is used by 20.5% of Internet users, and these figures are steadily growing. Smartphones remain the leader in terms of the number of voice queries, accounting for 56% of all search sessions.

Popular voice assistants

The use of voice assistants is also growing, with 8.4 billion devices offering this feature. Millennials are the most active users (34%), with Generation Z not far behind. Voice search trends such as the combination of voice search with AI functions and the development of smart speakers are only accelerating their popularity.

In 2025, the most popular virtual assistants are:

• Google Assistant — 92.4 million users;
• Siri — 87.0 million;
• Alexa — 77.6 million.

Popular voice assistants (Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa) have gained popularity due to:

• advanced speech recognition and natural language analysis;
• deep integration with various devices and services;
• support for third-party applications;
• the ability to use them for everyday needs (e.g., turning on music without distracting from other tasks).

When developing a website, special attention should be paid to Google Assistant. As the most popular virtual assistant in the world, it directly influences how users find information by voice through Google Search.

Features of SEO for voice queries

The transition to voice search is changing not only the ways of interacting with the website, but also the logic of selecting key phrases and individual words. Assistants primarily:

• focus on natural speech;
• take into account the context, intonation, and intentions of the user.

For these reasons, classic SEO techniques must be combined with new practices.

Long-tail and conversational style

Long-tail is a term used in SEO and marketing that refers to long key phrases for SEO consisting of 3–6 or more words. Their distinctive feature is that they reflect the user's complete questions, which begin with words such as “how much,” “how,” and “when.”

This means that instead of concise phrases, you need to adapt your content for SEO for conversational queries. To do this, you need to consider how and what people ask via voice search — and add subheadings and paragraphs with natural wording.

How to write for voice search:

• use simple but concise sentences;
• repeat key questions at the beginning of paragraphs;
• provide detailed answers immediately after them.

This optimization for long keywords helps the assistant select your content without delay.

FAQ structure and layout

When a user talks to an assistant, the dialogue is conducted in a question-and-answer style. This should be taken into account and an FAQ block should be created on each page. This will allow users to quickly find answers to their questions and assistants to interpret the content more accurately.

How to add a “question-answer” block so that it is as effective as possible:

• micro-markup for FAQs should be on every page;
• formulate questions in a conversational style;
• provide clear and detailed answers immediately after the question;
• update the block regularly, focusing on real user queries.

Use structured data for voice search to make it easier for assistants to find your answers. The more accurate and understandable the information, the higher the chances that the assistant will choose your content to voice.

With the right FAQ block settings, you will quickly notice an improvement in voice search visibility. Your site will appear more often in assistant responses and rank higher in search results.

Technical steps: mobile, speed, schema

Voice search and mobile optimization are closely related: most queries are made from smartphones. Therefore, in order for your website to meet search requirements, pay attention to three key aspects:

• Mobile — an adaptive version for voice SEO, convenient navigation, and correct display of content on smartphones and tablets;
• Speed — the website's loading speed for voice search must be high so that assistants can provide answers without delay;
• Schema — structured data helps search engines and assistants correctly interpret page content and provide accurate answers.

Technical optimization for voice search will improve your website's visibility, as voice assistants prioritize fast, mobile, and correctly marked-up pages.

Analysis and testing tools

To ensure high voice SEO effectiveness, it is important not only to set up your website correctly, but also to regularly test voice phrases and track the results. How to check voice search optimization:

• Google Search Console, Google Analytics — voice SEO analysis tools track traffic by query and help you find out which pages are getting impressions in search results;
• SEMrush Voice Search Sensor — analyzes the dynamics of voice queries in different regions and niches;
• SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool — analyzes keywords for voice queries, helps compile a list, and evaluate their frequency;
• Rich Results Test, Schema Markup Validator — tools for analyzing FAQ blocks that help ensure that your “Questions and Answers” section is marked up correctly and ready for virtual assistants.

For more information on how to adapt your website for voice search, contact the specialists at Megasite. We have been developing and promoting websites in Ukraine for over 10 years and implement solutions that work and bring results to businesses at an affordable price. Voice search is no longer a trend, but a reality, and we will help you be the first to embrace it!