I watched something remarkable happen last month. A local plumber started getting calls from customers saying “I asked my phone for an emergency plumber near me” instead of “I found you on Google.”
The language shift tells the whole story. People aren’t typing keywords anymore. They’re speaking in full questions.
With voice search now used by 20.5% of people worldwide, I’m seeing small businesses accidentally stumble into a massive competitive advantage. While corporate giants optimise for traditional search terms, local companies are capturing the questions people actually ask their phones.
The Winner Takes Everything
Voice search changed the game completely. When someone asks “who can fix my boiler tonight,” the voice assistant gives ONE answer, not ten options.
My plumber client became THE answer for emergency repairs in Alfreton. His competitors don’t even get mentioned.
I restructured his service pages around specific questions. Instead of generic “Boiler Repairs,” he now has pages titled “Who can fix my boiler tonight in Alfreton?” Each page starts with that exact question, then delivers a 50-word direct answer.
The results were immediate. Within three weeks, he went from one emergency call per week to 4-5 calls from people whose voice assistants recommended him specifically.
The Momentum Effect
What makes voice search positions sticky is the AI learning loop. Once Google’s algorithm decides you’re the best answer for a specific question, it keeps recommending you.
Every time someone calls my plumber and gets their problem solved, it reinforces that choice. The voice assistant learns from success.
His competitors face an uphill battle. They’re still optimising for “boiler repair” while people ask “who fixes boilers at midnight.” Even if they wanted to compete now, they’d need to rebuild their entire content strategy and convince Google’s AI that they’re better than the proven performer.
Finding Your Niche
The most valuable voice search opportunities fall into three categories I keep seeing across my client base.
First is urgency. Anything with “tonight,” “today,” “emergency,” or “now” converts at nearly 100% because people are desperate. My electrician dominates “electrician available Sunday.”
Second is hyper-local specificity. Instead of competing for “dentist,” target “dentist who takes NHS patients in Alfreton.” Big chains can’t own every local variation.
Third is the beginner-friendly angle. I have a driving instructor who owns “easiest driving instructor for nervous learners.” People use voice search when they feel vulnerable and want someone who won’t make them feel stupid.
A local bakery I work with discovered their goldmine was last-minute custom cakes. We created pages for “Who can make a wedding cake by this weekend” and “What bakery does same-day birthday cakes.”
She went from one emergency cake order per month to 3-4 per week. Those customers pay premium prices because they’re desperate.
The Window Is Closing
The businesses ready to make this shift are the ones already feeling pain. They need more customers calling them right now.
I’ve learned to spot the ones who’ll waste my time. They ask about guarantees, want proof it works for someone exactly like them, or keep saying “maybe we should wait and see.”
With local searches making up 76% of all voice queries and featured snippetsaccounting for 40% of voice results, the opportunity is massive.
But it won’t last forever. When big companies finally understand this shift, they’ll throw resources at voice optimisation that small businesses can’t match.
Right now, David has the advantage over Goliath. The question is whether small businesses will act fast enough to claim their position before the giants wake up.
