As the digital world becomes more globalized, the way people search for information online is rapidly evolving. Voice search is one of the most significant trends transforming the search landscape, driven by the popularity of voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa. However, while the majority of voice search optimizations have been developed with English in mind, the growing use of non-English languages in voice queries presents unique challenges and opportunities for global markets.

In this article, we will explore how businesses can optimize their websites and content for voice search in non-English languages, offering practical tactics for improving SEO performance and user experience across different linguistic and cultural contexts.

The Rise of Voice Search

Before diving into the strategies, it’s important to understand why voice search has become such a significant part of SEO. According to Statista, the number of voice-enabled devices worldwide is projected to reach 8 billion by 2023, with Google and Amazon dominating the market. With voice search, users can speak queries instead of typing them, making it more convenient, especially in mobile and smart home contexts.

In 2020, Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, stated that “over 20% of searches on mobile devices were voice searches.” This is a number that has only continued to grow, especially with the rise of virtual assistants in non-English speaking regions. As more people turn to voice search, optimizing for this growing trend has become a top priority for businesses aiming to reach global markets.

Why Voice Search Optimization for Non-English Languages Matters

While much of the early research and development in voice search has been centered around English-speaking regions, the global spread of voice-enabled devices has shifted the focus to other languages, especially those in non-English markets. In fact, Google Assistant is available in over 30 languages, and Alexa supports multiple languages for different regions.

According to a report by Comscore, non-English voice searches account for over 50% of all voice searches worldwide. This highlights the growing need for businesses to optimize for voice search across diverse linguistic and cultural settings.

If you’re a global business aiming to expand your digital presence, you can’t afford to overlook the importance of non-English voice search. Here’s how to adapt your SEO strategy to succeed in global markets with multilingual voice search optimization.

Tactics for Optimizing SEO for Voice Search in Non-English Languages

• Understand Regional Variations in Language and Accents

When optimizing for voice search in non-English languages, one of the first steps is understanding regional language variations. For example, Spanish is spoken in multiple countries, including Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia. Each country has distinct dialects, slang, and phrasing. This is important when developing content because voice search queries tend to use natural language, which differs from written queries.

• Actionable Tip: Research and identify the specific language variations, regional slang, and accents in the countries you want to target. Use tools like Google Trends to understand the search behaviors of users in different regions. 

• Focus on Long-Tail Keywords and Conversational Phrases

One of the key characteristics of voice search is its conversational nature. People tend to ask complete questions when using voice search, unlike text-based queries that are often short and keyword-focused. For example, a person may say, “How do I get to the nearest restaurant in Paris?” instead of typing “nearest restaurant Paris.”

In non-English languages, this trend is even more pronounced as different cultures have different communication styles. By focusing on long-tail keywords and optimizing for conversational phrases in multiple languages, you can better match the way users phrase their voice queries.

• Actionable Tip: Optimize your content for question-based long-tail keywords in the language of your target audience. For example, in French, you could target keywords like “où est le restaurant le plus proche?” (“Where is the nearest restaurant?”). 

• Implement Schema Markup for Multilingual Content

One of the most effective ways to optimize for voice search is by using schema markup. Schema helps search engines understand the context of your content, making it more likely to be featured in rich snippets or directly in voice search results. For multilingual sites, you need to implement hreflang tags alongside schema markup to ensure the right language version of your content is served to users based on their location and language preference.

• Actionable Tip: Use JSON-LD schema markup to specify the language and region of your content. Additionally, implement hreflang tags to ensure that search engines serve the correct content in voice search for each target language. 

• Optimize for Local Search

Voice search is often used for local queries, such as asking for nearby restaurants, stores, or services. As non-English-speaking users increasingly rely on voice search to find businesses and services around them, local SEO optimization is crucial.

• Actionable Tip: Make sure your business is listed in Google My Business and other local directories in each target country. Ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) is consistent across platforms and that your website is optimized for local search terms in the target language.

• Use Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Multilingual Content Creation

Artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP) are key players in voice search. Google’s BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) algorithm focuses on understanding the meaning behind words in context, rather than just keywords. NLP is particularly important for non-English languages due to the syntactic differences between languages.

• Actionable Tip: Use NLP tools to analyze your content and ensure it matches natural language patterns in the target language. Optimize your content to mirror how native speakers phrase questions, using question words (who, what, where, when, how) and sentence structures that sound natural. 

• Improve Website Speed and Mobile-Friendliness

Since voice searches are often performed on mobile devices, ensuring that your website is fast and mobile-friendly is crucial. Google considers mobile-first indexing, which means it prioritizes the mobile version of your site when ranking it in search results. A slow-loading website could negatively affect both your traditional and voice search rankings.

• Actionable Tip: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze your website’s speed and make improvements. Ensure your website is responsive, meaning it adapts to all screen sizes, and that it loads quickly on mobile devices. 

• Optimize for Multi-Device Voice Search Experiences

Voice search is not limited to smartphones and smart speakers. It is now integrated into many other devices, including smart TVs, wearables, and smart cars. As more devices support voice search, businesses must ensure that their content is optimized for multi-device experiences.

• Actionable Tip: Ensure your content is accessible and easy to interact with on various devices. Test how your website performs on multiple platforms, and make sure it’s optimized for voice search queries on each one. 

Conclusion

Optimizing for voice search in non-English languages is no longer an option for businesses aiming to succeed in global markets—it’s a necessity. As voice assistants like Google Assistant and Siri grow in popularity, and as non-English-speaking regions increasingly adopt voice technology, businesses must adapt their SEO strategies to meet the evolving needs of their multilingual audiences.

By focusing on regional language variations, long-tail conversational keywords, schema markup, local SEO, and mobile optimization, you can effectively optimize your content for voice search across non-English languages. These strategies will not only improve your visibility in global markets but also provide a better user experience, driving more organic traffic and improving conversions.

The future of voice search is multilingual, and businesses that act now to optimize for voice queries in non-English languages will have a competitive edge in the global digital landscape.