Voice & Visual Search: Being Seen and Heard in 2025

Search isn’t just typed anymore. In 2025, people are increasingly asking voice assistants and snapping images to find what they need. From asking Alexa for the nearest coffee shop to using Google Lens to identify and shop for clothing, voice and visual search are transforming how consumers discover brands.

For businesses, this means one thing: traditional SEO alone is no longer enough. To stay visible, brands must ensure they can be both heard through voice queries and seen through images. At Atlas MKT, we’re helping companies embrace this shift so they show up no matter how customers are searching.

Why Voice Search Is Surging

Voice search has grown as devices like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri become embedded in daily routines. According to Juniper Research (2024), 55% of households globally now use a smart speaker daily, with voice queries often replacing typed searches for convenience.

The big difference? Voice searches are more conversational and often longer than text-based searches. Instead of typing “best Italian restaurant London,” users ask, “What’s the best Italian restaurant near me open right now?” This shift in phrasing means brands need to optimise for natural language, local SEO, and question-based content to remain discoverable.

Atlas insight: if your content doesn’t sound like how people talk, it won’t surface in voice results.

The Rise of Visual Search

While voice is about convenience, visual search is about immediacy. Platforms like Pinterest Lens, Google Lens, and even TikTok’s new image-based search tools allow users to shop by snapping a photo. For example, a user can photograph a pair of trainers they like and instantly find similar options online.

A Statista 2024 report revealed that over 30% of Gen Z shoppers use visual search tools monthly when browsing online. This shows a clear behavioural shift: younger consumers want search to be fast, visual, and frictionless. Brands that don’t optimise product images and metadata risk being invisible in this new discovery journey.

How Businesses Can Optimise for Voice & Visual Search

Voice and visual search require a different approach than traditional SEO:

• For voice: focus on natural, conversational content. Use FAQs, long-tail keywords, and location-specific optimisation to match how people ask questions out loud.

• For visual: ensure high-quality, descriptive product images with alt-text and structured metadata. Optimise images not just for human eyes but for machine recognition.

At Atlas MKT, we integrate both into wider SEO strategies, because it’s no longer about just ranking in Google, but appearing wherever people are asking, searching, or snapping. For examples of how we’ve done this, explore our Portfolio.

Why This Matters for User Behaviour

The growth of voice and visual search isn’t just technological; it’s behavioural. Consumers want faster, more intuitive search experiences. They don’t want to type if they can ask. They don’t want to scroll if they can snap a picture.

According to PwC (2024), 71% of consumers prefer using voice to search when multitasking, while Google reports visual searches are growing 4x faster than text-based searches. This shows that adapting to these modes isn’t optional, it’s the only way to remain aligned with how users actually behave across devices.

The Trust and Relevance Factor

Being visible in voice and visual search isn’t just about traffic - it’s about trust. When Alexa or Google Assistant recommends your brand, that carries authority. Similarly, when your product appears in visual results alongside top competitors, it reinforces credibility.

Atlas insight: visibility in these channels doesn’t just generate clicks, it creates implied endorsement from the platforms users trust most.

Final Thoughts: Optimisation Beyond Text

In 2025, search is multi-sensory. Brands must prepare for a world where being typed into a search bar is only one piece of the puzzle. If you want to be discovered by the next generation of consumers, your brand needs to be both heard in conversations and seen in images.

At Atlas MKT, we build marketing systems that adapt to these changes, ensuring our clients aren’t left behind. To future-proof your strategy, explore more insights on our Blog, review results in our Portfolio, or Book a Call today.