Focusing on optimizing for voice search vs visual search if you have limited resources

Summary

Podcast Summary: Voices of Search

Episode: Focusing on Optimizing for Voice Search vs Visual Search if You Have Limited Resources
Host: Jordan Cooney
Guest: Amy Jarenka (SEO Sustainable)
Date: August 28, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this concise but insightful episode, Jordan Cooney and guest Amy Jarenka tackle a pressing question for marketers and SEO professionals: If you have limited resources, should you prioritize optimizing for voice search or visual search? Drawing from personal experiences and industry trends, the conversation breaks down user behaviors, platform developments, and practical considerations for SEO strategy in today’s evolving landscape.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The Central Dilemma: Voice vs. Visual Search

[00:43]

• Jordan opens the discussion:
  "Would you choose to focus on optimizing for voice search or visual search if you had limited resources?"

2. Behavioral Insights: Why Voice Search Resonates

[00:51]

• Amy shares her hands-on perspective:

  • Amy describes her background from a “blue collar family” and observes that many in her community use voice input exclusively:
    "Those people do not type anything. By those people I mean my people, blue collar people, my brother, right? My uncles, all my friends, they don’t type into their phones, they talk into it."
    (Amy Jarenka, 00:51)
  • Ease of use: Voice is far more natural and accessible for users who might avoid typing, signaling a broader trend among the general public.

• Prediction for broader adoption:
  "When we’re talking about generalized public and we’re talking about going over to the masses, we’re probably going to see more voice search over visual search."
  (Amy Jarenka, 01:13)

3. Industry Signals and Platform Focus

[03:06]

• Jordan highlights Google’s marketing:
  "There’s a reason why all the Google commercials show people talking into their phone... They chose voice. I think there’s going to be a huge push on voice over the next six to 12 months."

• User Experience Advantage:
  "I think it’s easier. It’s an easier way to search. It’s an easier way to discover if you can just say what you want versus having to type it in..."
  (Jordan Cooney, 03:20)

4. Advancements in Voice Search Technology

[03:34]

• Conversational queries are now possible:
  "Especially that we can do it in complete sentences now. We can ask a complete question and..."
  (Amy Jarenka, 03:34)
• Jordan underscores immediate, relevant answers:
  "Get an answer now and get an answer. It’s not confused. Exactly."
  (Jordan Cooney, 03:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Amy Jarenka at [00:51]:
  "They don’t type into their phones, they talk into it... By those people I mean my people, blue collar people, my brother, right? My uncles, all my friends."

• Amy Jarenka at [01:13]:
  "We’re probably going to see more voice search over visual search... when we’re talking about going over to the masses."

• Jordan Cooney at [03:06]:
  "There’s a reason why all the Google commercials show people talking into their phone..."

• Amy Jarenka and Jordan Cooney at [03:34] – [03:39]:
  "We can ask a complete question and?" (Amy)
  "Get an answer now and get an answer. It’s not confused." (Jordan)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:43 – The big question: Voice or visual search with limited resources?
• 00:51 – Amy argues for voice search based on personal/family experience.
• 01:13 – Voice expected to win at a mass adoption level.
• 03:06 – Jordan points to Google’s emphasis on voice in commercials, predicting industry direction.
• 03:34 – The natural language benefit in modern voice search.

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Conclusion & Takeaways

• Voice search is the standout winner for resource-constrained teams needing to prioritize, largely due to its widespread adoption, ease of use, and clear platform signals from companies like Google.
• People are increasingly comfortable speaking in full sentences, and rapidly improving AI capabilities make voice queries more reliable and useful.
• Visual search has its place, but voice is currently gaining faster and broader uptake—especially among non-technical users and the general public.

In the words of Jordan Cooney at [03:20]: "It’s an easier way to search. It’s an easier way to discover if you can just say what you want..."

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For more from Amy Jarenka, visit amyjarenka.com or check the show notes for her LinkedIn profile.

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If you want accessible, daily SEO wisdom, be sure to subscribe to the Voices of Search Podcast. And remember—the answers are always in the data.

Transcript

[Jordan Cooney]

The Voices of Search Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice? Then visit iheareverything.com welcome to the Voices of Search Podcast. A member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network, ready to expedite your company's organic growth efforts. Sit back, relax, and get ready for your daily dose of search engine optimization wisdom. Here's today's host of the Voices of Search podcast, Jordan Cooney.

Toss up Would you choose to focus on optimizing for voice search or visual search if you had limited resources?

[Amy Jarenka]

Right. So hard. Because I'll tell you that that Google AI mode where you take a picture and then you talk at it though. Because if you're taking a picture, you just talk at it and ask it a question. See, I'm so torn. I'm so torn between visual search and voice search. Okay, now I'm this right now and I'll tell you what I'm basing this off of. I come from a blue collar family. I have a huge all my friends are blue collar. You know a lot of that. And I will tell you, those people do not type anything. By those people I mean my people, blue collar people, my brother, right? My uncles, all my friends, they don't type into their phones, they talk into it. They talk to Google because it's just way easier for them. And so I have a feeling, you know, when we're talking about generalized public and we're talking about going over to the masses, we're probably going to see more voice search over visual search. Come in.

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[Jordan Cooney]

Yeah, I mean, I think there's a reason why all the Google commercials show people talking into their phone, right? They could have very easily chosen people looking at videos or, or doing some sort of visual comparisons, but no, they chose voice. And so I think there's going to be a huge push on voice over the next six to 12 months and we're going to. I think it's easier. It's an easier way to search. It's an easier way to discover if you can just say what you want versus having to type it in or visually refine your expectations.

[Amy Jarenka]

Yeah, especially that we can do it in complete sentences now. We can ask a complete question and.

[Jordan Cooney]

Get an answer now and get an answer. It's not confused. Exactly.

[Amy Jarenka]

Yeah.

[Jordan Cooney]

And that's a great place for us to wrap up this episode of the Voice of Search podcast. Thank you to Amy Jarenka from SEO Sustainable for joining us. If you'd like to connect with Amy, you can find a link to her LinkedIn profile in our show notes [e-mail] for more information about Amy and SEO Sustainable, visit amyjarenka.com if you haven't subscribed yet and want a daily stream of SEO and content marketing knowledge in your podcast feedback, hit the subscribe button in your podcast app or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed soon. Okay, that's all for today, but until next time, remember, the answers are always in the data.