The way people search for information is changing right under our noses. For years, marketers have been obsessed with keywords, but the game has evolved.
We’ve entered the age of questions, driven by the 8.4 billion digital voice assistants now in use worldwide. That’s more than one for every person on the planet.
With over half of the global population using voice search daily, the path to visibility in 2025 is no longer about winning a keyword auction It’s about becoming the single best answer to the questions your audience is actively asking their devices. This shift from short, typed phrases to longer, conversational queries is powered by the convenience of voice and the smarts of artificial intelligence.
Why “Know” Queries Are Your New Content Goldmine
At the heart of this shift are “I-want-to-know” moments. When someone asks their phone or smart speaker a question, they are looking for an immediate and accurate answer. This is where your content strategy begins.
The technology making this possible is Natural Language Processing (NLP), a field of AI that helps computers understand the intent and context behind human language, not just the words themselves . This is why the data presents such a clear opportunity for brands. A staggering 68% of people use digital assistants just to find quick facts. They expect speed, and search engines deliver; pages that rank in voice search results load 52% faster than average pages, proving that users want instant, reliable answers .
The Anatomy of a 2025 “Know” Query: What Are People Actually Asking?
To win, you need to understand the types of questions your audience is asking. They generally fall into four main categories:
- The “How-To” Questions (The DIY Mentality): Users are constantly seeking step-by-step instructions.
- Examples: “How do I fix a leaky faucet?” or “How to get rid of acne scars”.
- Actionable Tip: Create in-depth guides and tutorials that break down complex processes into simple, numbered steps.
- The “What Is/Are” Questions (The Quest for Clarity): These queries are all about getting concise definitions and direct explanations.
- Examples: “What’s the healthiest meal delivery option?” or “What are the best health benefits of green tea?”
- Actionable Tip: Start your content with a direct, succinct answer, ideally between 29 and 50 words, to target the all-important featured snippet.
- The “Where” Questions (The Local Powerhouse): A huge portion of voice searches have local intent, often using the phrase “near me.”
- Examples: “Find a vegetarian restaurant near me” or “Where can I get my oil changed nearby?”
- Data-Backed Insight: This is a dominant category. An overwhelming 76% of smart speaker owners perform local searches every week, and 58% of all consumers have used voice to find information on local businesses.
- The “Why” & “Best” Questions (The Need for Validation): Before making a decision, users seek expert opinions, comparisons, and trusted recommendations.
- Examples: “What’s the best pizza place near me?” or “Why is my car making that noise?”
- Actionable Tip: Develop content like “best of” lists, comparison guides, and detailed explainers that justify your recommendations and build trust.
The Marketer’s Playbook: How to Answer the Questions of 2025
Understanding the questions is the first step. Here’s how to create content that provides the answers.
1. Think in Questions, Write in Conversations
Your content needs to mirror how people actually talk. Evolve your keyword research to focus on long-tail, question-based phrases. Tools like AnswerThePublic can show you the exact questions your audience is asking. Then, write your content in a natural, conversational tone that a voice assistant can read aloud without sounding robotic.
2. Build an “Answer Engine” with Strategic FAQ Pages
One of the most effective tactics is to create dedicated, well-structured FAQ pages. This format is perfectly aligned with the question-and-answer nature of voice search. For best results, put each question in a header tag (like an H2 or H3) and provide the clear, concise answer directly below it.
3. Aim for “Position Zero” with Snippet-Ready Content
The featured snippet, that answer box at the top of Google, is the holy grail of voice search. Over 40% of voice search answers are pulled directly from this position. To get there, structure your content for easy scanning with bullet points, numbered lists, and short paragraphs of 40-50 words.
4. Use Schema Markup to Speak the Language of Search Engines
Schema markup is code that gives search engines explicit context about your content, making it easier for them to understand and serve up in voice results. For “know” queries, focus on these key types:
- FAQPage Schema: This clearly tells search engines your content is in a question-and-answer format, making it a prime candidate for voice answers .
- HowTo Schema: This is the perfect markup for all your step-by-step guides and tutorials .
- LocalBusiness Schema: This is absolutely essential for ranking in “where” and “near me” queries, feeding assistants your address, hours, and phone number .
The Future is Multimodal: When “Know” Leads to “See” and “Do”
An informational “know” query is often just the beginning of a customer’s journey. A voice search for “how to style a leather jacket” can quickly lead to a visual search for inspiration and, ultimately, a purchase.
Welcome to the world of multimodal search, where users blend text, voice, and image inputs to get answers to a single, complex query. Think of someone pointing their phone’s camera at a pair of shoes and asking, “Where can I find these in blue?” That’s the new reality of search.
The takeaway for marketers is that a holistic content strategy is no longer optional. A great text-based answer must be supported by high-quality, well-described images and videos to be truly competitive in the AI-driven search era.
Become the Answer, Not Just a Result
The future of content marketing is clear: it’s about answering specific, conversational questions with authority and clarity.
As you move forward, audit your content with a new perspective. For every page, ask yourself two simple questions: “What specific question does this page answer?” and “Can a voice assistant read this answer clearly and concisely?” This shift in thinking is the first and most important step to winning in the age of AI and voice search.
