Glossary
Voice Search
Searching the web by speaking rather than typing, typically using a conversational phrase.
Definition
Voice search is the process of using spoken language — rather than typed text — to search for information using a device's voice assistant or search engine. Voice queries tend to be more conversational and question-based than typed queries — 'What is the best word counter tool?' rather than 'word counter tool'.
Why It Matters
Voice search is growing rapidly, particularly for local queries and quick informational lookups. Voice results are often pulled directly from featured snippets — meaning content optimized for featured snippets is also optimized for voice search.
Examples
Voice query'Hey Google, what's the average reading speed for adults?'
Typed query equivalent'average adult reading speed'
Voice answer sourceGoogle reads aloud the featured snippet from a page that concisely answers the question
Common Mistakes
Ignoring voice search as a content format.
Writing overly formal content — voice search favors conversational answers.
Not optimizing for featured snippets.
Overlooking local intent in voice search.