More and more searches are done by voice. Smart speakers, in-car assistants, mobile searches without typing. Voice searches have very different characteristics to written searches: they are longer, they are complete natural questions, and they tend to have high local or transactional intent.
The technical differences that matter
Voice searches are more conversational. “Restaurante japonés cerca” vs “japonés Bilbao”. Voice SEO requires optimising for queries in natural full-question format.
They return a single result. Whilst on written Google you see ten results, voice assistants typically return just one. Position Zero (featured snippet) is the only thing that matters for voice search.
High local intent: “plumber nearby”, “24-hour pharmacy in Indautxu”. Well-executed local SEO captures practically all relevant local voice search.
Another key distinction is device context. Someone asking Alexa at home typically wants a quick factual answer or a local recommendation. Someone using Siri while driving wants a nearby destination without complicated steps. Mapping your content to the specific context of each assistant helps you write answers that actually get read aloud in a useful way. A small business in Bilbao, for instance, gains far more from a well-structured local FAQ page than from a generic article written only for desktop readers.
Voice queries also tend to carry stronger purchase intent than their typed equivalents. When someone types “cheap electrician Bilbao” they may still be comparing options; when they ask aloud “who is the nearest electrician open right now in Bilbao” they almost certainly want to call immediately. Structuring content around that urgency — direct answers, opening hours and a phone number visible early on the page — is one of the most concrete improvements a local business can make without touching a line of code.
What needs to be optimised
Structured FAQ pages: questions and answers in a direct format. Schema FAQPage so Google understands it. The questions the audience asks in natural speech.
Short phrases with direct answers: the format Google extracts for featured snippets is phrases of 40-60 words that answer the question directly. Structure content so that those phrases exist on the page.
Complete schema markup: especially FAQPage, HowTo, LocalBusiness, Speakable. Schema gives Google additional context about which parts of the content may work for voice.
Perfect Core Web Vitals: voice searches prioritise fast websites because the context of use (mobile, smart speaker) requires quick responses.
How to write a voice-ready FAQ section
The most common mistake small businesses make is phrasing FAQ questions the way a brand would write them, not the way a customer would speak them. “What are your opening hours?” is far more voice-friendly than “Our timetable and schedule”. Write every FAQ heading as a full spoken question, then answer it in one or two short, direct sentences — including the business name, location and the specific detail within the answer itself, so the assistant can read it aloud and make complete sense without surrounding context.
A practical source for these questions: your customer service inbox, WhatsApp messages and the queries that appear in Google Search Console under “Queries”. These are the exact phrases people use when they speak naturally. Organise them by intent — informational, local, transactional — and build a dedicated FAQ block on your key service pages that addresses each one individually.
Schema markup: a realistic starting point
Many small businesses treat schema markup as a complex technical task and postpone it indefinitely. In practice, adding FAQPage schema to an existing FAQ section requires no structural rebuild of the site and is one of the most direct signals Google uses when selecting voice search answers. The Speakable schema specifically tells Google Assistant which paragraphs of a page are well-suited for audio playback — useful for informational pages and local guides.
For local businesses, the LocalBusiness schema should include the full address, telephone number, opening hours and the specific business category. This information overlaps directly with what Google Business Profile displays, so keeping both sources consistent is essential: conflicting data between schema and GBP creates uncertainty for the assistant and can push your result lower.
Voice SEO as part of a broader local strategy
Voice search optimisation does not exist in isolation. It works best when combined with a well-maintained Google Business Profile, fast mobile page loading and content that genuinely answers the questions your local audience asks out loud. For most SMEs, the practical starting point is not technical complexity but content clarity: plain language, specific answers and the location woven naturally into the text.
A useful exercise is to search for your own business using voice on a mobile device and listen carefully to what Google returns. If the result is a competitor, that tells you exactly which gap to fill. If nothing appears, your pages need more direct question-and-answer structure before an assistant can extract a coherent response from them.
- Audit your existing service pages and identify which ones answer specific customer questions directly.
- Add a FAQ section to your most important landing pages and implement FAQPage schema markup.
- Verify that your Google Business Profile has complete, current information consistent with your website.
- Check your Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console and prioritise any pages flagged as poor.
- Identify the three or four questions customers ask most often before contacting you and build short, direct content around those exact phrasings.
The SEO work that captures voice search is, in many respects, the same disciplined content and technical work that improves overall organic rankings. The difference is the format required: shorter, cleaner, more direct answers structured so that a machine can extract and read them aloud without ambiguity or missing context.