41 Voice Search Stats to Help You Rethink Your Strategy in 2020

Think voice search is just a fad? Think again!

These voice search stats prove just the opposite.

Voice Search Stats You’ll Love

• 20% of all internet searches are voice-based.
• Voice-based searches will account for 50% of all searches by 2020.
• 58% of consumers used voice search to find local business information.
• 40% of adults use voice search daily.
• 1 billion voice searches take place every month.
• 1 out of every 4 people aged 16-24 uses voice search on mobile.
• 30% of searches will take place on devices without a screen by 2020.

It’s clear as day — voice search is here for the long haul. But what are people using voice search for?  

Everything!

From finding information on the internet to making a hotel reservation and even shopping.

To find out more about its usage and latest trends, check out these voice-search stats for 2019/2020.

Fascinating Stats

More and more people getting used to searching the web with voice commands. And it works just fine!

1. 40% of adults use voice search daily.

(Source: WordStream)

If there ever was a doubt about the popularity of voice search — this settles it. Millions of people can vouch for its usefulness!

2. 58% of consumers took advantage of voice search to find local business information.

(Source: SEO Expert Brad)

When it comes to performing “near me’ searches,” most people would rather ask than type.

3. 20% of the total number of google searches on mobile are voice.

(Source: Search Engine Land)

When you’re on-the-go (like driving to work), it’s much more convenient to do a hands- or eyes-free search than to stop and type a query.  

4. By 2020, users will do 30% of their web browsing on devices without a screen.

(Source: Econsultancy)

Browsing on devices without a screen is the future. The rise of artificial intelligence makes sure of that. Conversational user interfaces like Alexa and Siri are more popular than ever.

5. 50% of all searches will be voice-based by 2020.

(Source: Campaign)

Latest voice-search statistics show by 2020 there’ll be as many voice-powered searches as text-based ones.

6. 3 out of every 4 smart-speaker owners use local voice searches.

(Source: Search Engine Land)

75% of smart-speaker owners use voice search to find information on local business at least once a week.

7. Nearly 20% of all voice searches are triggered by a set of 25 keywords.

(Source: seoClarity)

People frequently use question words like “how” or “what” when they use a voice-search assistant to search the internet. Adjectives like “easy” or “best” are also prominent among voice searchers.

Now let’s look at some voice search usage stats!

8. 1 billion voice searches are done per month.

(Source: SEMRush)

This is hardly surprising. Voice search is easier, quicker, and more convenient than typing.

9. 52% of Americans use their voice-activated assistant devices in their living rooms.

(Source: Google)

Recent voice-search stats show most people keep their voice search devices in their living rooms. Considering this is where people spend most of their time, this makes sense. What’s a little surprising is 1 out of every 5 Americans uses a voice-activated device in their kitchen.

10. 72% of people who own a voice search device say it has became a part of their daily routine.

(Source: Google)

There’s so much a virtual assistant can do. It can find information on the internet, play music, set reminders, check commute times, and even help you shop online. No wonder then nearly 3 out of 4 owners have gotten so used to it.

11. 46% of consumers use voice search for finding local business information daily.

(Source: BrightLocal)

Nearly 1 out of 2 people search for local business information via voice daily.

12. 28% of people contact the business after doing a voice search.

(Source: BrightLocal)

Business owners will prick up their ears at this stat. It proves those who invest in voice SEO have a huge advantage over those who don’t.

13. 51% of people use voice search to research restaurants.

(Source: BrightLocal)

1 in every 2 consumer uses voice search to find restaurants. Other things people commonly search by voice include grocery stores (41%), food delivery (35%), and clothing stores (32%).

14. Mobile voice searches are 3 times more likely to be local-based than text searches.

(Source: Search Engine Watch)

When you’re on the go, you’re more likely to do a local search and use voice to do it. It’s the easiest way to find the nearest subway station or Chinese restaurant.  

15. 65% of people who own a Google Home or an Amazon Echo don’t want to go back to keyboard searches.

(Source: GeoMarketing)

Once you search by voice, there’s no turning back! It’s easier, convenient, and more fun. Plus, it makes multitasking easy. After all, you can’t paint your toenails and also type — can you?

16. 25% of those who haven’t yet tried voice search plan to do so in the future.

(Source: BrightLocal)

The average human can say 150 words in a single minute, but type only 40 for the same time. Given this, it’s no surprise more people want to use their voice instead of their hands.

17. 61% of consumers do a voice-activated search when their hands and attention are required elsewhere.

(Source: SEO Expert Brad)

6 out of 10 individuals turn to voice when their hands and eyes are occupied. A quarter use it to avoid typing long phrases.

18. 43% of people use voice search because it’s faster.

(Source: Go-Gulf)

Online users don’t just want answers — they want them fast. As searching with voice is over 3 times faster than typing, many use it to save time.

Some Voice Search More Than Others

Everyone loves voice search — but not equally. To get the whole picture, check out these voice search demographic statistics!

19. 25% of people aged 16-24 search by voice on their smartphones.

(Source: GlobalWebIndex)

While a quarter of Gen Z has done a mobile voice-search in the last month, only 9% of the older generations have done the same. This is not surprising. Technology comes natural to teens, and they embrace change more readily.  

20. 61% of individuals aged 25-64 plan to use their voice assistants more in the future.

(Source: PwC)

There are two reasons for this. Voice assistants are getting smarter and people are more comfortable using them.

21. Men are 3 times more likely to do a mobile voice search than women.

(Source: Go-Gulf)

It’s clear men like to use voice search more. They are over 3 times more likely to search with voice on Google than women. Arguably, men are more used to giving orders, which might explain this.

22. Individuals aged 26-35 use smart speakers the most.

(Source: Walker Sands)

More and more millennials are weaving smart home devices into their daily lives — and for good reasons. It allows them to multitask more easily, do things faster, and get instant answers and information.

Breaking It down to Numbers 

Hey Siri, Alexa; OK Google… It’s time for the latest voice-search statistics!

23. More than two-thirds of Google Home owners plan to buy another Google speaker in the next 6 months.

(Source: TechRepublic)

This speaks volumes about the kind of success Google enjoys. With such a strong consumer interest, it’s no surprise the latest Google Home statistics suggest the revenue from this device will double by 2020.   

24. Nearly 1 in every 2 smart speaker owners wants to buy 1 more.

(Source: NPR)

Voice assistants are not only behavior changing, but also addictive! For 45% of owners, one is not enough.

25. Google and Amazon account for 94% of smart speakers in use.

(Source: TechRepublic)

These two entered the smart speaker niche much before others and had the advantage of being reputable brands. With that in mind, it’s no surprise they have taken over most of the market.

26. Global smart speaker sales will cross $30 billion by 2024.

(Source: Global Market Insights)

According to the latest voice-search stats, the smart speaker industry will be worth more than $30 billion by 2024.

27. China will have more smart speaker users than the US in 2019.

(Source: SEOExpert)

In 2019, China will have 85.5 million smart speaker users, while the US will have 74.2. However, the penetration rate in the US is considerably higher at 26% of internet users, compared to China’s 10%.

28. More than half of US homes will have a voice assistant by 2022.

(Source: OC&C Strategy Consultants)

The smart speaker penetration for US households will jump to 55% by 2022, up by 13% from 2018.

29. Google Home is the smartest of all smart speakers.

(Source: Loup Ventures)

The powerful voice-activated device from Google answers 81% of queries correctly. The same figure for Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod is at 64% and 52.3%, respectively.

Make Room for Voice Commerce

Voice commerce is the next big thing!

30. Voice shopping will grow to $40 billion by 2022.

(Source: invesp)

Voice shopping is the next big disruptive force in retail. It will grow to $40 billion by 2022, up from $2.1 billion in 2018.

31. 50% of consumers will be shopping via voice-enabled devices by 2020.

(Source: TheStreet)

Voice shopping will be ubiquitous in the near future!

32. 19% of customers have shopped via voice.

(Source: invesp)

Voice shopping is expanding the scope of online commerce. Nearly 1 out of every 5 people has made a purchase through voice assistants — and another 33% intend to do the same next year.

33. Grocery is the most commonly shopped category through voice.

(Source: PR Newswire)

Grocery make up for 20% of voice shopping, while entertainment is narrowly second with 19%. Electronics comes third with 17%.

34. Nearly 12% of US smart speaker owners do voice shopping monthly.

(Source: Voicebot)

According to the latest voice-search stats, 5.5 million consumers in the US shop via voice-activated devices every month.

35. 48% of owners of voice-activated speaker want to receive personalized tips and information from brands.

(Source: Google)

Nearly half of all smart speaker owners are willing to engage with brands. So if yours isn’t showing up in voice, you are missing a huge opportunity to make your brand popular and engage customers.

Smart Speakers Coming Through

Now let’s find out what’s new in the world of voice search and smart speakers!

36. In 3-5 years, Google Assistant will be able to learn from your signals and personalize its responses.

(Source: The Ambient)

A voice-activated search will yield a more personalized response in the future. Google Assistants will not only respond to your requests, but also analyze them to understand your preferences. This in turn will help it provide tailor-made answers.

37. In the near future, voice assistants will be able to gauge your mood and respond accordingly.

(Source: The Ambient)

Digital assistants can do so much, but they can’t yet understand human emotions. This will change, however. Voice assistants will become more ‘human’ and be able to guess how you feel from the way you speak. They will adjust their answer accordingly.

38. Alexa will have more natural conversations in the future.

(Source: TC)

Voice-enabled searches with Alexa will be even more fun. It will be able to have more natural conversations, recall your instructions, and automatically launch skills.

Fun Trivia

It’s time for some fun facts!

39. Who needs a wine sommelier when there’s Alexa?

(Source: Useless Daily)

Alexa can be your personal wine sommelier — all you’ve to do is ask. Just tell her what you’re having and she’ll recommend the best wine for you.  

40. 22% of teens use voice search in the bathroom.

(Search: PR Newswire)

People do voice activated searches on Google from everywhere — even if they’re answering the call of nature!

41. Siri can flip a coin for you.

(Source: iDownloadBlog)

Siri can do all sorts of cool things, like flipping a coin, calculating the tip for you — and even finding the planes that are above you right now!

Wrapping up

Voice search is not a passing trend — it’s here to stay.

In just a short time it has gained widespread acceptance.

This is because it’s easier to speak with a voice assistant than type. Plus, voice search is faster.

No wonder, then, that voice search stats show it accounts for 20% of all online searches nowadays.

But that’s not all…

Wait another year and 1 out of every 2 online searches will be done by voice.

In short, the future belongs to voice search. (Bye, bye typing)