This guide outlines how voice search is changing the buyer journey and offers practical steps to help you adjust your product listings to meet the needs of voice-driven shoppers.
The Rise of Voice-Led Commerce
Consider that the voice commerce market was valued at approximately $42.75 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $186.28 billion by 2030. This means that it's growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.6%
That means that about half of all adults now use voice search daily, and a growing number of these queries are transactional. From “find me running shoes for flat feet” to “buy dishwasher tablets again,” customers are speaking to their devices the way they speak to people.
This has two major implications:
- Queries are longer, more conversational, and more specific.
- Shoppers expect direct, accurate responses—often with only one or two suggestions read aloud.
If your product is not the one selected by the platform, it may not be seen or considered at all.
Voice Platforms Are Becoming Gatekeepers
Unlike traditional e-commerce where users scroll through results, voice platforms often deliver a single answer. This shifts the power from the shopper to the system. Algorithms are making the decision about what product is offered in response to a query.
That means:
- There is no second page. If you're not the answer, you're invisible.
- Winning listings need to match both the user’s spoken intent and the assistant’s internal ranking logic.
- Factors like clarity, consistency, structured data, and high trust signals (e.g. reviews) carry even more weight.
How to Optimise Your Listings for Voice Search
- Write Descriptions That Sound Natural
Voice assistants read your product information out loud. If your descriptions are stiff or overloaded with keywords, they will sound unnatural and confuse buyers.
- Use short, clear sentences.
- Choose plain, conversational vocabulary.
- Prioritise readability over keyword density.
- Use Long-Tail, Conversational Phrases
Think about how people speak, not how they type. Incorporate common spoken phrases into your product titles, descriptions and metadata.
Examples:
- “Best winter coat for teenagers”
- “Affordable ergonomic chair for home office”
Use these phrases where they naturally fit.
- Structure Your Product Data
Voice search platforms depend on structured attributes. If your data is inconsistent or incomplete, your product is less likely to be matched to a voice query.
Make sure fields like:
- Size
- Colour
- Material
- Age range
- Use case
…are standardised and correctly formatted.
- Answer Specific Questions
People ask questions like:
- “What’s the best vegan protein powder?”
- “Which Bluetooth speaker lasts the longest?”
Your listing should answer these questions with specific, fact-based language:
- “This speaker has a 20-hour battery life and water-resistant casing.”
- “Gluten-free and high in fibre, made from organic peas.”
These phrases are more likely to be surfaced by voice assistants.
- Keep Listings Fresh and Accurate
Voice commerce platforms tend to favour listings that are:
- Frequently updated
- Well reviewed
- Complete and free of errors
Ensure your listings are current, accurate, and reflect real-time availability and pricing.
- Use Schema Markup Where Possible
If your platform allows it, use structured data like schema.org to tag your listings. This makes it easier for search engines and voice systems to parse your content.
Focus on fields like:
- Product name
- Price
- Availability
- Brand
- Reviews
TLDR;
Voice search is fundamentally changing how customers find and choose products. Platforms are no longer just showing options—they're choosing them.
That means your content must be optimised not just for human readers, but for the systems that now act as curators. By adjusting your product listings to align with how voice assistants select and present products, you improve your chances of being surfaced, recommended, and ultimately purchased.
The time to adapt is now.