Remember when asking a question meant typing it into a search bar like a robot? Something like “best roofing company New Orleans cheap.” Today, that same question is more likely to come out of someone’s mouth mid-coffee while yelling at their smart speaker: “Hey Siri, who can fix my roof before the next monsoon?” Welcome to the age of voice search—where Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant are the new gatekeepers of online information, and websites that don’t speak their language might as well be whispering into a hurricane.
I run a web design and digital strategy company in New Orleans, and let me tell you—voice search is not just some passing fad like QR codes or Myspace profiles. This is real, it’s growing, and it’s changing how people interact with websites (assuming they can even find them). If a business’s website isn’t optimized for voice, it’s missing a large—and very talkative—segment of the audience.
Let’s break this down. Voice search is all about how people actually talk. Not how they type when they’re pretending to be efficient. Real people say things like “What’s the best seafood place near the Quarter?” not “seafood restaurant French Quarter ratings.” If the content on a website doesn’t reflect natural, conversational language, then voice assistants won’t know what to do with it. They’ll ignore it like a dad ignores a blinking check engine light.
That’s where conversational keywords come into play. Long-tail, question-based phrases are the secret sauce of voice SEO. People ask full questions now. “How do I get rid of termites?” “Is it safe to eat oysters in June?” “Why does my air conditioner smell like feet?” These are all real search queries—probably asked while someone was standing in their kitchen holding a shrimp po’ boy in one hand and a bottle of bug spray in the other. The point is: the internet is full of real people talking like, well… people. Websites need to answer like humans, not instruction manuals.
That means ditching the robotic tone and embracing a more conversational structure. One of the most effective ways to do that is by adding FAQ sections to the website. Not only do they help with voice search, but they’re also a fantastic place to channel that inner smart-aleck and answer the questions customers didn’t even know they had. Like: “Can I power wash my roof?” (Sure, if you’re looking for a quick way to introduce your attic to the sky.)
But voice search isn’t just about how a site talks. It’s also about how it thinks. And by that, I mean the technical setup behind the scenes—structured data, schema markup, page speed, mobile responsiveness, and all the nerdy stuff that makes a website run like a well-oiled beignet fryer.
Structured data, in particular, is crucial. It’s how a website tells search engines what its content means instead of just what it says. Think of it like a label on a gumbo pot: without it, Google might think it’s just a bowl of random stuff. But with structured data, it understands that there are shrimp, sausage, rice, and yes, even that one okra chunk no one asked for. The point is, schema helps machines get context—so they can deliver better voice results.
And let’s talk speed. Voice search demands fast answers. If a page loads slower than a Mardi Gras float stuck behind a broken-down pickup, it’s not getting served. That means compressing images, cleaning up bloated code, and making sure the site works just as smoothly on a phone as it does on a desktop. Voice assistants don’t have time for spinning wheels and broken links—and neither do the people yelling at them in traffic.
Mobile-friendliness is also non-negotiable. Voice searches are mostly done on mobile devices or smart speakers, and if the website falls apart on a phone screen, it’s game over. No one’s going to zoom in, scroll sideways, or decipher a navigation menu that looks like it was built in 1998. Clean design, big buttons, and responsive layouts make all the difference.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting: voice search is heavily tied to local results. Most voice searches include some form of “near me” or location-specific intent. That means local SEO is more important than ever. Claiming and updating Google Business Profiles, keeping NAP (Name, Address, Phone) info consistent, and including content tailored to neighborhoods or regions makes a website more likely to show up when someone asks, “Where can I get my brakes fixed in Metairie?”
Another thing to keep in mind: voice assistants love clear, structured answers. When someone asks a question, the voice assistant is looking for one thing—a fast, confident response. That’s why featured snippets (aka “position zero”) are so powerful. They’re the answers that voice assistants pull from and read aloud. To get there, websites need to give quick, digestible responses at the top of their content. Think: Question. One-sentence answer.
Look, voice search isn’t replacing traditional SEO—it’s just adding another layer to it. A layer that talks, listens, and expects websites to be just as smart as the devices people carry around. For businesses that want to stay relevant (and audible), voice search optimization is no longer optional. It’s necessary.
And if a website isn’t speaking the same language as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant? It might as well be whispering into the wind on Bourbon Street at 2 a.m.—completely drowned out by the noise.
