Latest / Marketing Made Simple with Fexingo: Branding, SEO, and Digital Strategy for Beginners / How Brands Use Voice Search to Win in 2026
Transcript
- Lucas: So I was reading through some Comscore data the other day, and one number jumped out: by 2027, voice-enabled shopping is expected to hit eighty billion dollars in the US alone. And yet, if you look at most brand websites, they're still written for someone typing into a search bar, not for someone talking to a speaker. Luna: Yeah, I think that gap is huge. I've noticed that when I ask my Google Nest something like 'find a plumber near me,' the results are often just the same old local service ads — not really optimized for my spoken question. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the opportunity for brands right now. Voice search queries are typically longer and more conversational — people say 'what's the best Italian restaurant open now?' not 'Italian restaurant near me.' So if your content is built around short keyword phrases, you're missing the entire voice audience. Luna: Right. So how do you actually restructure content for voice? Is it just about adding question and answer sections? Lucas: That's a big part of it. Google pulls featured snippets — position zero — for most voice answers. So if you want to win that spot, you need to format your content in clear, direct question-answer pairs. Think of it like writing a FAQ, but also weaving those questions naturally into blog posts and product pages. Luna: And I've seen that Domino's does this really well with their voice ordering. You can say 'Hey Google, ask Domino's to reorder my usual' and it works because they've mapped the conversational flow. Lucas: Domino's is a great example. They were early to invest in voice, and they structured their entire ordering system around natural language. But you don't need to be a pizza giant. Even a local bakery can optimize for voice by having a clear schema markup on their site — things like 'opening hours' and 'menu items' marked up so Google can surface them in voice answers. Luna: What about brands that sell products that aren't typically voice-searched? Like, I don't think many people are asking their speaker 'buy me a new CRM software.' Lucas: That's a fair point. But voice isn't just about direct purchase — it's about brand discovery. Someone might ask 'what's the best project management tool for remote teams' and if your content answers that, you're in the consideration set. The key is to think about the questions your customer asks before they know your brand exists. Luna: So it's about being the answer, not just the ad. That feels more like good content marketing than a separate voice strategy. Lucas: Exactly. But there's a nuance — voice answers need to be concise. Google's algorithm tends to pull snippets that are around forty to fifty words. So you have to be really tight with your language. No fluff, no long introductions. Get straight to the answer, then elaborate later. Luna: I've also noticed that multimodal devices, like the Echo Show, add a visual layer. So now you can show an image or a short video alongside your voice answer. That changes the game for brands that rely on visual appeal. Lucas: That's a huge development. Walmart, for example, has optimized for multimodal voice shopping — you ask for 'paper towels' and the Echo Show displays a few options with prices and ratings. So your product images and pricing data need to be clean and structured for that format. Luna: And it's not just about shopping. Brands are using voice for customer service too. Sephora's chatbot on Google Assistant lets you book appointments and get product recommendations just by talking. Lucas: Right. And that builds a direct relationship — no app download needed. So companies that invest in voice skills or actions are creating a new touchpoint that feels personal. But I think the biggest mistake I see is brands treating voice as a separate silo. It should be integrated into your overall SEO and content strategy. Luna: Okay, so if someone's listening and wants to start optimizing for voice this week, what are three concrete steps? Lucas: First, audit your existing content for conversational queries. Use tools like AnswerThePublic or Google's 'People also ask' to find the questions people are asking in your space. Second, add structured data — specifically FAQ schema and HowTo schema — to your pages. That's what search engines use to pull into voice results. Luna: And the third? Lucas: Third, test your own brand on a voice assistant. Actually say the queries you think your customers use. If the device doesn't find your content, you have a problem. Then optimize the page that should have answered — maybe it needs a clearer headline or a bullet-point summary. Luna: That's so simple, but I bet most brand managers have never done it. I know I haven't for some of our past clients. Lucas: We're all guilty. But here's the thing — voice is still early enough that the brands who do this now will have a real advantage. By 2030, a lot of searches will be zero-click, meaning the answer is given without anyone visiting a website. If you're not in that answer, you're invisible. Luna: And it's not just about search engines. Smart speakers and in-car voice assistants are growing fast. Someone driving home might ask 'where can I grab dinner near me' and if your restaurant isn't optimized for that, you lose a customer. Lucas: Yeah. And you know, thinking about all this, it reminds me that these conversations we have on the show — they're only possible because of the people who support us directly. We don't run ads, no sponsors, no pop-ups. It's just listener funded. A handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that covers the hosting, research, and time we put into episodes like this one. Luna: And honestly, that support means we can focus on what's actually useful instead of chasing advertiser metrics. If you've gotten value from any of our episodes, you know where to find us. Lucas: Totally. So back to voice — I think one more area that's under-discussed is local voice search. A huge percentage of voice queries are local: 'coffee shop open now,' 'dentist accepting new patients.' If your Google My Business profile isn't fully filled out with updated hours and services, you're missing those searches. Luna: And location pages should have the same structured data. I've seen brands with beautiful websites but zero schema markup on their location pages, and they don't show up in voice results for 'near me' queries. Lucas: Exactly. So to tie it all together: voice search isn't a futuristic trend — it's happening now. The brands that treat it as a core part of their SEO and content strategy will capture that eighty billion dollar market. The ones that ignore it will get talked about, but not by the customer. Luna: And they'll be talking to their smart speaker instead. Lucas, this was a great breakdown. I'm going to start testing my own queries tonight. Lucas: Do it. And if you hear yourself, you'll know you're on the right track. See you next time.