How to Optimise for Voice Search and Visual Discovery
Imagine: A customer walks into your store and says, “I found you because I asked Alexa where to find freshly baked rolls nearby.” Or a DIY enthusiast stumbles upon your Etsy shop after snapping a photo of a cosy blanket they saw at a café and using Pinterest Lens to search for similar patterns.
This isn’t sci-fi—it’s 2025. Voice and visual search are reshaping how people discover brands. And the good news? You don’t need a coding degree to optimise for them. Let’s break it down.
Step 1: Voice Search—Talk Like Your Customer
Voice searches are *conversational*. People don’t say, “Find a bakery that sells freshly made rolls.” They ask, “Where can I get gluten-free rolls near me right now?”
How to Optimise:
Answer Questions Naturally
Create an FAQ page (or blog posts) that answers phrases like:
“How do I fix a leaky faucet?”
“Where’s the best pizza downtown?”
"What's the nearest 24-hour pharmacy?”
Example: A plumber could write: “How to Fix a Leaky Faucet in 5 Minutes (No Tools Needed!)!”
Use Long-Tail Keywords
Target phrases people speak, not type:
“best gluten-free pizza near me.”
“affordable electrician in North Street”
Tools like AnswerThePublic show popular voice-search questions.
Claim Your Local Listings
Alexa and Siri pull data from Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Apple Maps. Ensure your name, address, hours, and phone number are **identical** everywhere.
Step 2: Visual Search—Make Your Images Do the Talking
Visual search lets users snap a photo (or screenshot) to find products, recipes, or styles. Pinterest Lens, Google Lens, and Instagram’s visual search drive billions of queries.
How to Optimise:
Write Descriptive Alt Text
Don’t just label an image “sofa.jpg.” Use:
“midcentury-modern-green-velvet-sofa-with-gold-legs.jpg”
Alt text helps Pinterest and Google “see” your images.
Optimise Pinterest Like a Pro
Pinterest is a visual search engine. For pins:
Use keyword-rich descriptions: “Easy DIY floating shelves for small spaces.”
Add text overlays to images (e.g., “10-Minute Shelf Hack").
Tag products with prices (Pinners love shoppable posts!).
Test Google Lens
Snap a photo of your product and see what Google Lens suggests. If it doesn’t pull up your site, tweak your image filenames and alt text.
Step 3: Stay Ready for Smart Speakers
42% of smart speaker owners use them to shop. To rank for voice shopping queries:
Structure Content for Featured Snippets
Voice assistants read these aloud. Use bullet points, numbered lists, and clear headers (e.g., “3 Best Budget-Friendly Blenders").
Add Schema Markup (Don’t Panic—It’s Easy!)
Use free tools like Merkle’s Schema Markup Generator to tag your products, recipes, or FAQS. This helps search engines “understand” your content.
Real-World Example: Sweet Peach Bakery* in Northern Lands added an FAQ page answering, “Where can I find gluten-free birthday cakes near me?” Within weeks, they saw a 30% uptick in voice-search-driven orders via Yelp and Alexa.
Final Takeaway: Voice and visual search aren’t about chasing shiny tech—they’re about meeting customers where they already are. Start small: Answer one common question on your site, optimise 10 product images, or claim your Google profile—little tweaks = big wins.
But I’m just a small business!” * Exactly. You’re nimble—use that to your advantage.
