Think about your last online search. Did you snap a photo, type it out, or just ask your device the way you’d ask a friend? From voice commands to image recognition, consumers are embracing faster and easier ways to get the answers they want. And the data backs it up.
As of 2025, around 1 in 5 people worldwide use voice search (DemandSage, 2025). In the U.S., there were 149 million voice assistant users in 2024, and that number is expected to grow to 163 million by 2027 (Yaguara, 2025). It’s clear that voice search is here to stay, and it’s changing how consumers are finding brands, products, and services.
These trends reflect a shift away from typing rigid, incomplete searches like “small business cookies near me” toward more conversational questions such as “Hey Siri, what locally owned store sells the best cookies?” The move from text to voice searches and visual queries makes sense: it’s easier, faster, and often as simple as tapping a button or snapping a photo. Then, behind the scenes, AI-powered systems analyze past searches, preferences, and context to deliver results that feel more relevant and personalized.
As voice and image search continue to reshape how people find, interact with, and buy from brands, marketers need to evolve their SEO strategies so they work not just for typed keywords, but also for conversational language and visual discovery.
An Opportunity for Marketers
Voice and visual search aren’t just here today, gone tomorrow trends; they represent a change in consumer behavior. Voice search thrives on conversational, natural questions and context, whereas visual search relies on high-resolution images and recognition. This can be as casual as snapping a photo of someone’s jacket or as direct as uploading a photo of a storefront to identify or shop it instantly. Both shorten the buying journey and make discovery feel more natural and easy.
For brands and marketers, this creates an opportunity to optimize content and position their brand as a top search result match.
How to Optimize
Marketers need to approach content with intent. Start by asking: What questions are my consumers asking? Then, provide clear, direct, and helpful responses.
- Use conversational keywords: Align your content with natural language processing (NLP) by focusing on conversational phrases, question-based queries, and long-tail keywords that mirror how people speak. Pay attention to how customers actually talk about your products and services and incorporate long-tail, natural-sounding phrases into your site copy. This also includes updating your FAQ section with common queries used in both type and voice search to help them find your page. (Level343, 2024)
- High-quality images matter: Treating your visuals as searchable assets by adding descriptive, keyword-rich metadata is just as important as sharp visuals when optimizing product images for visual search. Accurate and descriptive alt-text, along with smart keyword placement, helps with product discoverability. (Medium, 2024)
- Local SEO: Many voice searches are location-based, which requires keeping your Google Business profile updated with correct hours, addresses, and contact details to ensure your brand shows up when customers ask “near me queries” like “Where can I find the best marketing consultant near me?” (Keywords Everywhere, 2025)
Top of Page
Optimizing for voice and visual search isn’t only about showing up in search results—it’s about making it easier for people to find what they need. Clear, conversational, and well-optimized content and visuals create an enhanced, user-friendly experience that helps customers find your brand, products, and services online.
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