Voice search is changing how people find businesses online. Instead of typing, users now ask questions out loud using their phones, smart speakers, and cars.
If your business depends on local customers, voice search is even more important. People often use voice to find nearby shops, services, or places to visit.
To appear in those results, your website needs to follow voice search SEO best practices. Through this guide, you’ll learn how to make your site easier to find through voice, using voice search optimization in Australia and practical voice search optimization tips that actually work!
Key strategies involve, using the right keywords, making your site mobile-friendly, and structuring your content so voice assistants can understand it.
Let’s start with what SEO for voice search actually means.
What Is Voice Search SEO?
Voice search SEO is the process of optimizing your website to show up in voice-based searches. These searches happen through tools like Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa when people speak their questions instead of typing them.
Voice queries are longer and more detailed than typed searches. For example, instead of simply searching “Weather Sydney,” users are more likely to ask, “What’s the weather like in Sydney today?”
Your website’s content must sound like someone speaking if you want to show up in these kinds of results. Not only do you want to include natural phrases, but you want question-based headings and answers that are easy for voice assistants to read aloud.
Voice search SEO also focuses on featured snippets—those short answers Google pulls to the top. Optimizing for these gives you a higher chance of being chosen by voice assistants.
This approach works best when paired with strong mobile performance, fast loading speeds, and structured content.
Why Voice Search Matters for Local SEO in Australia
Voice search usage in Australia is rising faster than the global average. In 2019, only 15% of Australians used voice search regularly. By 2025, that number is expected to exceed 32%. The global average, in contrast, is projected to remain under 21%.
This growth signals that voice assistants are now a key tool for discovering services, shops, and professionals—especially on mobile.
Local intent drives most of these queries. People ask, “Where’s the best Thai restaurant near me?” or “Is there a dentist open now in Perth?” These searches happen when users are ready to take action.
If your website isn’t built for voice search, you’re missing a huge opportunity to reach local customers.
Voice search and local SEO ensure your site appears when these high-intent, local queries are made. It helps you capture users who are already looking for what you offer—often in your area and ready to buy.
Key Benefits of Voice Search Optimization
Voice search optimization enhances what local SEO already does—by making your business easier to find through spoken queries. Optimizing your site for voice search in Australia can help:
1. Reach More Local Customers
Voice search is built for local intent. People use it to find services near them. Optimizing helps your business appear when someone nearby is searching for what you offer.
2. Get Found in High-Intent Moments
Voice queries are direct. Users asking, “Where’s the nearest dentist open now?” are ready to take action. Voice search puts your business in front of people who want fast answers.
3. Win More Mobile Searches
Most voice searches happen on phones. A voice-optimized site performs better on mobile, loads faster, and ranks higher in search results.
4. Appear in Featured Snippets
Voice assistants often pull answers from featured snippets. Structured content increases your chance of being the chosen answer.
5. Improve Your Local SEO Performance
Voice optimization works hand-in-hand with local SEO. Clear business details, accurate location info, and local keywords help boost visibility across both search types.
6. Stay Ahead of Competitors
Many local websites still aren’t voice-ready. Optimizing now gives you a lead before this space gets more crowded.
How to Do Voice Search Optimization
Want better visibility in voice results? These tips to improve voice search ranking focus on real user behavior, mobile-first SEO, and structured content. Here’s how to optimise your site for voice search effectively starting with the essentials that actually move the needle.
1. Research Voice-Friendly Keywords
Voice search users don’t speak like they type. They ask full questions, use natural language, and often include location details. That’s why your keyword research must shift from short phrases to more conversational queries.
Voice search keywords usually follow three patterns:
- They are long-tail phrases. These are longer than three or four words and often describe very specific intent.
- They sound natural. For example, instead of saying “coffee shops near me,” a voice user might say, “Where’s the nearest coffee shop open right now?”
- They are question-based. Words like “how,” “what,” “where,” “can I,” or “best way to” signal spoken intent.
Start with tools that highlight real voice-style searches. Ubersuggest has a filter for questions, helping you find phrases that mimic how people talk. AnswerThePublic breaks results into categories like “how,” “when,” “where,” and “why,” making it ideal for voice search research.
Use location-focused terms wherever possible. Add cities, suburbs, or terms like “near me” to your base keyword. Examples include:
- “How do I renew my driver’s license in NSW?”
- “Best Italian restaurants near Bondi Beach”
- “Is there a mechanic open now near me?”
If you’re still wondering “how to rank in local search in Australia”, focus on intent—not volume. Focus on a list of high-quality, voice-friendly phrases that match what real users would ask in your area.
2. Optimize Existing Content for Voice Queries
Wait! You don’t need to rewrite your entire website. Instead, start by reviewing what’s already working. Focus on high-traffic pages and key service pages. These pages are your strongest assets for how to rank in voice search in Australia without starting from scratch.
When users perform a voice search, they often ask direct, question-based queries. Voice assistants prefer clear answers. Format them in one to two sentences just below the heading. This increases the chance of your content being pulled into a featured snippet—prime real estate for voice search.
Example:
Q: How much does a plumber cost in Sydney?
Answer: A plumber in Sydney typically charges between $90 and $150 per hour, depending on the job and location.
This format helps your content match the way people actually speak—and the way voice assistants process answers.
Also, add those voice-friendly phrases into subheadings, rework a few sections in a conversational tone, and include clear, one-sentence answers where possible. This improves your chance of ranking for multiple voice-based queries—without starting from zero.
To identify optimization opportunities:
- Use Surfer SEO to find content gaps, missing topics, or voice-friendly terms your competitors already rank for.
- Use Google Search Console to find pages with high impressions but low clicks—these might already be visible in voice results but need refinement.
You can also use Google Search Console to spot pages getting impressions but few clicks. These may already be appearing in voice search results—just not winning them yet.
Once identified:
- Update the page’s structure to include voice-friendly questions and answers
- Insert keywords naturally in subheadings and intro lines
- Use schema markup to enhance visibility in featured snippets
- Run the copy through Hemingway Editor to simplify it to Grade 8 or below
3. Structure Content for Featured Snippets and Quick Answers
Voice assistants pull answers from featured snippets more often than any other source. If your content isn’t structured for that format, you’re less likely to be chosen—even if you’re already ranking. If you want your content read aloud by voice assistants, this is what you need to do.
Start by targeting pages that already rank in top 3 for queries with a featured snippet. These are the closest to winning that top spot—your quickest win for voice search visibility.
To find them:
- Open Ahrefs Site Explorer and enter your domain.
- Navigate to the Organic Keywords tab.
- Apply the “SERP Features” filter to find keywords that trigger featured snippets.
- Use the Position filter to find keywords where your pages rank just below the snippet
- Then, examine pages ranking above positions 4.
Once you’ve identified these pages, rework them using a snippet-ready structure:
- Start with a clear, question-style heading: Use actual queries users speak into devices: “What is digital marketing for small businesses?”
- Place a direct answer directly below: Keep it under 50 words, plain and factual.
- Use bullet points, tables, or numbered lists: where relevant. Google pulls structured formats more frequently for voice responses.
- Avoid filler, intros, or brand-specific phrasing: The cleaner and more neutral your copy, the easier it is to extract and voice.
Here’s a simple structure:
Q: How does Google My Business help local SEO?
A: Google My Business improves your visibility in local search by showing your business details in Google Maps, local packs, and voice search results.
Then support this content with schema markup:
- FAQ Page for grouped questions
- How To for step-by-step content
- List or Paragraph schema for instructional answers
Finally, compare your layout to competitors already holding the snippet. Match the format, sentence length, and structure—but do it better. Simplify. Clarify. Add local intent if the query justifies it.
4. Technical SEO for Voice Visibility
Voice search success starts with a strong technical foundation. If your site loads slowly, isn’t mobile-ready, or lacks structured data, voice assistants will skip over it—no matter how good the content is.
Here’s how to align your technical SEO with voice-first expectations:
Run a Technical SEO Audit
Start with a full audit to identify issues like broken links, crawl errors, or duplicate content. Tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs Site Audit can surface technical gaps that may block your visibility in voice search.
Boost Page Load Speed
Speed is a direct ranking factor—and critical for mobile voice users. To improve it:
- Compress images and lazy-load media
- Minimize CSS, JavaScript, and third-party scripts
- Use browser caching and a fast, lightweight theme
- Test your site using Google PageSpeed Insights and prioritize fixes
Use HTTPS
Google prefers secure sites. A valid SSL certificate (HTTPS) not only protects users but also builds trust with voice platforms.
Implement Schema Markup
Structured data helps Google understand your content and makes it easier to feature in voice results.
Apply schema to:
- FAQs
- Business location, hours, contact info
- Products and services Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or plugins like Rank Math to simplify the process.
Optimizing your technical SEO makes your site faster, more accessible, and easier for search engines to interpret—exactly what voice assistants need to deliver clear, reliable answers.
5. Strengthen Local Signals with Google Business Profile and FAQs
When someone says, “Find a Thai restaurant near me with outdoor seating,” voice assistants rely on structured business listings, reviews, and FAQ content to deliver the answer.
To show up in those results, you need strong voice search and local SEO strategies across key platforms especially Google.
a. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
- Add a short, keyword-rich business description
- Upload clear, professional photos of your location, team, or services
- Use relevant attributes (e.g., “outdoor seating,” “wheelchair accessible,” “pet-friendly”)
Why it matters: These details help voice assistants filter results. If someone asks, “Where can I eat with my dog?”—these fields increase your chances of being mentioned.
Manage Customer Reviews
- Ask recent customers to leave reviews—especially positive, detailed ones
- Reply to every review (good or bad) to show engagement
- Avoid fake or incentivized reviews—Google filters these out
Reviews are a ranking factor for voice search.
Create FAQ Pages for Voice-Specific Queries
- Answer actual customer questions in natural, conversational language
- Use long-tail questions like “How long does pizza delivery take in Perth?”
- Keep answers short (under 50 words) and to the point
Mobile Voice Search Strategies to Reach On-the-Go Users
More than 60% of voice searches are made on smartphones, and the majority happen when users are away from their desks—looking for fast, local answers. This makes mobile voice search and SEO a critical part of your local SEO strategy. Users expect your site to load instantly, read clearly, and provide answers without friction.
According to Google, more than half of voice searches happen on mobile. To capture these users, your site must deliver fast answers, clean layouts, and location-specific relevance. Here’s how:
Focus on Local SEO
- Optimize your Google Business Profile with accurate hours, categories, and photos
- Add location-based keywords in titles, headings, and FAQs
- Encourage reviews—they help voice assistants rank and recommend your business
Improve Mobile Page Speed
- Compress images and reduce scripts
- Use browser caching and lazy loading
- Test with Google Page Speed Insights and aim for top scores
Prioritize Mobile-First Indexing
- Keep mobile and desktop content identical
- Use responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes
- Ensure buttons are tap-friendly and text is easy to read
Match Mobile User Intent
- Use natural, spoken-language questions as headers
- Place short, direct answers in the first sentence
- Keep content tight and scannable—voice users won’t scroll
Make Voice SEO Part of Your Long-Term Local SEO Strategy in Australia
Voice SEO strategy is evolving everyday. To stay competitive, your site must keep up with changes in user behavior, search engine updates, and mobile-first standards.
The rising adoption of voice search in recent years highlights the importance of voice search optimization in Australia for businesses that rely on local visibility, mobile users, and fast answers.
Continuous testing, improvement, and updates are key to keeping your business visible. Continue to audit your website, update your structured data, monitor your site performance and continue to optimize for voice search regularly.
Review your Google Business Profile, refresh outdated content, and add new FAQs as customer questions evolve. To stay ahead of local competitors, make optimization a regular part of your SEO strategy.