How Voice Search is changing the PPC landscape

The future of search is becoming very conversational. Voice search has transformed how users interact with search engines, with growing implications for pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns.

In the last few years we’ve seen an explosion of popularity of the daily use of voice-activated devices like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. With the increasing adoption of smart speakers, voice assistants, and mobile devices, users are shifting towards more conversational and natural search queries.

For businesses relying on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, this evolution presents both opportunities and challenges. Voice search demands a fresh approach to keyword targeting, ad copy, and campaign optimisation. 

In this article, we’ll explore how voice search is changing the PPC landscape, and share actionable strategies to help you adapt and thrive in this space.

• What is Voice Search?
• How it differs from traditional text search
• Optimising PPC campaigns for voice search queries
• Local search and voice search
• Voice search-specific metrics
• Adapting to a mobile-first and voice-activated world

What is Voice Search?

Voice search is any method of using your voice, to search for content online. It’s estimated that around 8.4 billion digital voice assistants such as Alexa, Corta and Siri are currently in use in day to day life. That’s over 381 million households globally that use a smart speaker.

But it’s not just Siri and Cortana getting in on the conversation. At least 24% of people have voice-search enabled TVs or TV remotes. In short, voice search has become an everyday convenience to many users. It’s a trend that is set to increase in the coming years.

How it differs from traditional text search

Chatty searches
Voice search presents an alternative to your traditional typed search. Because users are speaking directly into their devices to search for something, the search questions become question-based and conversational. e.g “What’s the best pizza restaurant near me?”, rather than a typed “local pizza restaurant”.

Longer search phrases
As a result, your average voice queries are longer than text-based searches. These are like long-tail keywords, only even more lengthy and closer to natural human speech.

Mobile-first
The majority of voice searches occur on smartphones and other mobile devices, marking a shift from traditional search mediums.

Local intent
A high percentage of voice queries are local, such as “open shops near me”, which could mean there’s an untapped market for local businesses to thrive in.

Optimising PPC campaigns for voice search queries

Long-tail keywords
When creating PPC campaigns that are optimised for voice search, you need to focus on conversational, long-tail keywords that mimic natural speech patterns.

Example: Instead of “best coffee London,” target “Where is the best coffee shop in London?”

Of course, this is more challenging to target than a basic list of keywords, but through thorough research, you can build an accurate profile of the way your most engaged users communicate, and replicate this in your first campaign.

A sure-fire way to capture user intent is by addressing specific questions, queries and comments surrounding your brand, product or service.

Natural language and phrases
The most effectively targeted ads will use question-focused keywords, such as “how,” “what,” “why,” and “where.”

If you can, incorporate colloquial phrases that are relevant to your audience’s natural speaking habits. The closer you can be to human speech, the more likely your ads will be picked up by a voice search.

Know where your audience is in the funnel
Where your user falls into your marketing funnel will drastically change how they search for your brand, and specifically what sort of questions they are going to be asking.

Therefore, the best approach is to align voice search strategies with user intent:

• Top of funnel: Answer informational queries. E.g. “What’s the top rated BBQ in 2025?”

• Middle of funnel: Focus on comparative searches. E.g “What’s the best value BBQ, like the Big Green Egg?”

• Bottom of funnel: Use transactional keywords like “buy” or “order.” E.g. “WHere to buy Weber Original Kettle BBQ?”

Ad extensions
Use ad extensions for voice search optimisation:

• Call extensions for users wanting immediate assistance.

• Location extensions for local “near me” queries.

• Structured snippets for detailed information on services/products.

Local Search and Voice Search

58% of voice searches focus on local businesses and services. Some of the most popular queries include phrases like “near me,” “open now,” and “closest.”

If you’re a local business, this is clearly an untapped opportunity to bring in some new audiences of engaged and active users. These are users who are actively searching in a very modern and fast–paced way.

Tips on optimising local campaigns
Optimise your Google My Business profile for accurate location and service details.
Use geo-targeting in PPC campaigns to target voice search users in specific areas.
Include localised keywords in your ad copy and landing pages.
Highlight store hours, reviews, and directions to attract local customers. Make it super easy to find you!

Voice Search-specific metrics

So what are the most meaningful metrics to track when analysing your voice search results? Beyond the basics like CTR or impressions, here are some more niche metrics that are highly specific to voice search in particular.

Long-tail keyword performance

• Monitor performance of question-based keywords and natural language queries.

• Adjust bids and budgets for high-performing long-tail terms.

Percentage of local search conversions

• Track local conversion rates to evaluate the effectiveness of location-targeted ads.

• Optimise campaigns based on geographic performance data.

Featured snippet CTRs

• Aim for featured snippet placement to capture voice search queries.

• Use structured data and concise answers to rank in “position zero.”

Mobile device performance

• Analyse voice-related metrics for mobile devices specifically.

• Test ad copy and landing pages for optimal performance on smartphones.

Conversion rates from question-based queries

• Measure how question-based ads convert compared to traditional keyword ads.

• Adjust strategies to focus on high-conversion query types.

Adapting to a mobile-first and voice-activated world

If you take the data into consideration, mobile is rapidly becoming the most dependable device for engaged voice search users. If you’re looking to optimise your next campaign for voice search, you’ll need to ensure websites are mobile-friendly with fast load times and responsive design.

Create ad copy that is tailored to mobile user behaviours and preferences., and prioritise mobile-first indexing to align with Google’s algorithms.

Finally, optimise your landing pages for seamless navigation on mobile devices. Now is a vital time to be considering UI for mobile devices.

In Summary

As voice search gains popularity and becomes even more commonplace in our lives, you’ll need to adapt your PPC strategies to accommodate these changes. Embracing conversational, long-tail keywords is just the beginning.

By understanding the nuances of voice search and tailoring campaigns accordingly, you can meet the future of PPC right where your most engaged users are already searching, discovering new audiences in the process. It’s time to lead the conversation about voice search, fully prepared for your next marketing campaign.