Anyone optimizing for smart speakers? Alexa and Google Home seem like forgotten channels

Smart speakers are absolutely worth optimizing for - and you’re right that they’re underserved compared to AI search hype.

The numbers:

• 8.4 billion voice assistants in use globally
• 1 billion+ voice searches monthly
• 58% of US residents have tried voice search
• Voice commerce projected to hit $80 billion by end of 2025

The key difference from text search:

The opportunity:

With text search, you compete for page 1. With voice, you compete to be THE answer. If you win, you own that query entirely.

Conversational keywords are everything for voice:

Text search: “best coffee shop NYC” Voice search: “What’s the best coffee shop near me that’s open right now and has outdoor seating?”

How to find conversational keywords:

1. AnswerThePublic - shows real questions
2. Google’s “People Also Ask” - natural language queries
3. Customer support tickets - how customers actually ask
4. Forum research - natural question phrasing

Optimize for question words:

• How do I…
• What is the best…
• Where can I find…
• When should I…
• Why does…

Content structure:

H2: “What’s the best coffee shop in NYC?”

Answer (first 40 words): “The best coffee shop in NYC depends on your needs. For artisanal espresso, Blue Bottle in Manhattan consistently ranks highest. For a quiet work environment, Birch Coffee offers the best atmosphere. For outdoor seating, Abraco has the top-rated patio.”

This structure gives voice assistants extractable answers.

The platform differences are helpful. We’ve been Google-focused but have a lot of customers who use Alexa.

Question: How important are featured snippets for voice?

Featured snippets are CRITICAL for voice:

Why snippets matter:

• Voice assistants often read featured snippets verbatim
• Winning snippet = winning voice answer
• Same content serves both channels

How to optimize for snippets:

1. Paragraph snippets (40-60 words)

   • Direct answer immediately after question heading
   • Concise, complete answer that stands alone

2. List snippets

   • Numbered steps for “how to” queries
   • Bullet points for “what are” queries

3. Table snippets

   • Comparison queries
   • “vs” questions
   • Feature breakdowns

Snippet-winning formula:

H2: [Question matching voice query]

[Direct 2-sentence answer] ← This gets read aloud

[Supporting details]
[Bullet points or list]
[Additional context]

Test your target queries - if you see a featured snippet, that’s what voice assistants use.

Local is HUGE for voice search:

76% of voice searches have local intent. “Near me” queries dominate.

Local voice optimization:

1. Google Business Profile

   • Complete every section
   • Accurate hours and services
   • Regular posts and updates
   • Active review management

2. NAP consistency

   • Same Name, Address, Phone everywhere
   • Google, Bing, Yelp, Apple Maps, etc.
   • Inconsistencies confuse voice assistants

3. LocalBusiness schema

   • Service area
   • Operating hours
   • Contact info
   • Menu/services list

4. Local content

   • “[Service] in [City]” pages
   • Location-specific FAQs
   • Local landmarks and context

When someone asks “Where can I get [service] near me?” - local signals determine the answer.

Technical requirements for voice optimization:

Page speed is critical:

• Voice users expect instant answers
• Slow pages get skipped
• Target sub-3-second load time

Mobile-first:

• Most voice searches start on mobile
• Responsive design essential
• Mobile Core Web Vitals matter

Schema markup:

• FAQPage for Q&A content
• HowTo for instructions
• LocalBusiness for location data
• Speakable schema (limited support)

Speakable schema example:

{
  "@type": "WebPage",
  "speakable": {
    "@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
    "cssSelector": [".voice-answer", ".summary"]
  }
}

This tells platforms which content is suitable for reading aloud.

Here’s my voice search strategy:

Immediate actions:

1. Audit Google Business Profile completeness
2. Check NAP consistency across directories
3. Identify top 20 conversational keyword opportunities
4. Implement FAQ schema on key pages

Content optimization:

1. Add question-based headings to service pages
2. Create direct-answer openings (40-60 words)
3. Build FAQ pages for common voice queries
4. Optimize for featured snippets

Local focus:

1. Create location-specific landing pages
2. Implement LocalBusiness schema
3. Build local citation network
4. Encourage Google reviews

Tracking:

1. Monitor featured snippet positions
2. Test voice queries weekly
3. Track local pack visibility

Voice is clearly part of the broader AI/voice trend - can’t ignore it.

Measuring voice search is tricky but possible:

Direct tracking challenges:

• Voice searches don’t show in analytics
• No click-through when answers are read
• Attribution is limited

Proxy metrics to track:

1. Featured snippet positions

   • If you win snippets, you likely win voice
   • Tools like SEMrush track snippet wins

2. Local pack visibility

   • Voice “near me” queries use local pack
   • Track with local SEO tools

3. Long-tail ranking patterns

   • Conversational query rankings
   • Question-based keyword performance

4. Brand awareness indicators

   • Branded search increases
   • Direct traffic patterns
   • Survey: “How did you hear about us?”

5. Manual testing

   • Regular voice query testing
   • Document what gets read
   • Compare to competitors

Voice success often shows as brand lift rather than direct traffic.

Future of voice + AI integration:

What’s happening:

• Voice assistants adding AI capabilities
• Conversational AI becoming more common
• Smart displays showing visual + voice results

The convergence:

• Same optimization principles apply
• Answer-first content wins everywhere
• Structured data helps all platforms
• Authority and trust matter more

Prepare for:

• Voice commerce growth ($80B+ projected)
• Multi-modal queries (voice + screen)
• AI-powered voice assistants
• Personalized voice results

Optimizing for voice now prepares you for the AI-powered voice future.