Voice search: conversational queries for brands
Search is changing shape: fewer short, rigid keywords, and more full questions, context, and follow-ups.
Google is making this explicit with experiences like Search Live, pushing a dialogue-style search where people use voice, ask follow-up questions, and get answers that adapt as their intent becomes clearer.
That means it’s no longer enough to simply "rank".
You need to understand the intent behind the question, anticipate the next question, and publish answers that still hold up when the user changes direction halfway through.
Is your website ready to be found in a search that works like a conversation? Let’s find out.
What conversational queries are
A conversational query is a search phrased like a natural sentence, usually with intent, constraints (budget, timing, preferences), and context (situation, location), plus an implicit request: “help me choose better”.
Example: not “running shoes”, but “what running shoes would you recommend for a beginner, £100 budget, I run 3 times a week”.
For brands, it means something very practical: these searches are often closer to a decision. If you answer well, you don’t just win traffic.
You win trust (and conversions).
Where “voice-style” queries come from: the intents that always show up
You don’t need to invent 300 new keywords.
You need to map intent.
- Informational: “how does… work”, “what does… mean”, “how long does… take”
- Comparison: “X vs Y”, “difference between…”
- Transactional: “how much is…”, “where to buy…”, “delivery to…”
- Local: “near me”, “open now”, “how to get to…”
- Support: “returns”, “warranty”, “customer support”, “exchange size”
f you want a clue that answering well matters, Google has been pretty clear about it.
Featured snippets are selected based on how well a page answers the query and how helpful it is.
What conversational queries sound like for eCommerce, services, and B2B
This isn’t about creative brainstorming. It’s about reusable patterns you can turn into pages and sections.
For eCommerce, conversational queries often look like: “what’s the best X for Y under Z”, “what’s the difference between A and B”, “when will it arrive if I order today”, “how does the return work in this case”.
For services (lead gen), the structure is similar but the uncertainty shifts: “how much does it cost for my situation”, “how long until I see results”, “what do I need to get started”, “what mistakes should I avoid”.
In B2B they become even more decision-heavy: constraints + integrations + alternatives.
Examples: “what solution fits if I have a small team and compliance requirements”, “does it integrate with X”, “alternatives to Y for this use case”.
How to find conversational queries without making them up (a method that actually works)
The fastest way to get this wrong is to "imagine the questions".
The right way is to extract them from real data and real language.
Start with Google Search Console and filter queries with conversational triggers like “how”, “what”, “how much”, “where”, “best”, “difference”, “near”, “open”.
You won’t see “voice” labelled anywhere, but you’ll clearly see question-style searches.
Then cross-check with:
- People Also Ask and related searches (they give you intent clusters, not just keywords).
- On-site search (if you have it): it’s often the unfiltered version of what users actually want.
- Customer care / chat / tickets: the gold standard, because it’s real language + real problems.
Close the loop with one simple rule: if a question keeps coming up, it deserves an indexable answer (not a one-off chat reply).
How to write “voice-ready” content that works even without voice
The goal isn’t "write like you speak".
The goal is write to answer.
A structure that tends to work (and get extracted):
- Clear question (as a title or subheading).
- Short answer first (2–3 sentences): direct, no warm-up.
- Depth: examples, edge cases, pros/cons, decision criteria.
- Next step: what to do now (a soft CTA inside the article).
This is also exactly the kind of content that performs well for featured snippets and “People Also Ask” boxes.
Schema and technical SEO: what’s worth doing (and what isn’t)
This space is full of “creative advice”.
Keep it simple.
If you have real questions and real answers, FAQ Page can help discovery, but Google explicitly says it doesn’t guarantee rich results will show.
If you publish informational articles and want to flag parts suited to audio, there’s Speakable (beta) to identify sections best suited for text-to-speech playback.
Use it with realistic expectations, not as a shortcut.
In general, structured data helps Google understand content and can support richer features, but it doesn’t replace usefulness, clarity, and solid page structure.
Measurement: how to know you’re winning conversational queries
Measuring “voice” directly is hard.
Measuring conversational queries isn’t.
Look at:
- growth in impressions/clicks for question-style queries (how/what/how much/where, “best”, “difference”) in GSC
- CTR changes on pages with short answers above the fold
- more long-tail keywords entering the top 10
- assisted conversions: question-driven visitors often convert after 1–2 touches (not always immediately)
And most importantly: update.
Conversational queries evolve fast because constraints, products, preferences, and context change quickly.
Common mistakes (that waste time and rankings)
Decorative FAQs with vague answers.
Duplicate content competing for the same question (cannibalisation).
Writing “in a conversational tone” without giving a clear, direct answer.
Ignoring local intent when the query is obviously “near me” or “open now”.
What really changes with voice search and conversational queries
If you want to turn voice search and conversational queries into a real advantage, you need focused work.
You start from the questions that are already generating impressions, identify where you’re losing featured snippets and visibility, then build a pillar page + supporting content plan with an answer-first approach, ready to write and measure.
If the goal is to move from keywords to real visibility on the questions that matter, this is the right place to start.
Giovanni Coppola
