43 Voice Search Statistics for 2024

Voice search has revolutionized the way we interact with smart devices. Be it with at-home voice assistants or our smartphones, voice search is becoming more common than ever. It has made it easier for individuals to make an online search without even typing anything. While the technology is incredibly convenient and life-changing, it can become a challenge for businesses if they fail to optimize their content for voice search. If you are still wondering what makes the technology so popular, here are some voice search statistics proving its effectiveness and explaining why adapting to the tech is the need of the hour.

Voice Search Statistics: Top Picks (2024)

1. At least 50% of people use voice search every day to make a search.
2. 62% of Americans use at least one type of voice assistant on any device.
3. Every month, over 1 billion voice searches are being made.
4. 70% of the results mentioned by the voice search are taken from rich snippets and the ‘People Also Ask’ section.
5. Google App registers 20% of voice searches, often made by people who are on the move or are looking for a problem they are currently facing.
6. 28% of consumers in the US and UK have reported using voice assistants on a regular basis.
7. The results for a voice search, on average, are only 29 words long.
8. 9th-grade level language is used by people when they make a voice search. This makes it crucial for marketers to use natural language and long-tail keywords.
9. 46% of Google searches on a monthly basis have a local intent, emphasizing the importance of local SEO optimization.

Siri (Apple’s voice search assistant) accounts for 46% of the mobile voice assistant market, which is one and a half times more than Google’s voice search assistant.

Voice Search Usage Statistics

1. An estimated 30% of people between the age group 16-64 worldwide use voice assistants each week.
2. 98 million US homes have a smart speaker at home as of 2024. The number is expected to grow as more households are starting to include smart devices in their homes.
3. Women tend to use voice search more than men on a weekly basis.
4. 61.9% of Millennials use voice assistants on any device per month, followed by 51.9% of Gen Z, and only 31.5% of Baby Boomers claim to have used voice assistants for search.
5. Google’s mobile voice search is supported by 70 languages, making it possible for businesses from any region to get seen by the algorithm.
6. Sales from voice searches reached a whopping $40 billion at the end of 2023, and these numbers are expected to be roof-smashing by the end of 2024. In fact, the revenue is expected to hit $26.8 billion by 2025.
7. 80% of voice searches are often in a conversational tone, emphasizing the need to create content following a natural flow of language.
8. Voice search queries with “near me” or “close by” have significantly surged in recent years. Google, in fact, noted a remarkable 900% increase over a 2-year period.
9. 25% of searches on Windows 10 desktops are made through Cortana’s voice search feature.

Voice Search SEO Statistics

1. Nearly 62% of people who use voice-activated search are likely to make a purchase in the next month.
2. Restaurants or cafes are often searched using voice search. 51% of the time, a voice search application or digital device is used to make these searches.
3. 4.6 seconds is the average time taken by voice search assistants to load a page with results.
4. Content that has high social engagement tends to perform better in search results.
5. A good number of times, the results and search query do not share the same title tag, making it crucial to focus on creating content that answers a question in one piece of content.
6. There’s a high possibility that Google’s voice search algorithm may use PageSpeed as a key ranking signal, making it crucial for businesses to optimize their website’s loading speed.

Voice Search and Consumer Behaviors

1. 33.2 million people have used voice search to make a purchase, and these numbers are expected to rise.
2. The local voice searches made on smartphones often lead to a purchase within a day by 18%.
3. 27% of people tend to check out a business’ website after doing a voice search about it.
4. 1 in 4 people are willing to try using voice search.
5. 62% of people use voice search to find local businesses while driving.
6. In 2024, voice commerce is expected to grow by 54%. Reviews are particular beneficial in case of local businesses as it helps the voice search algorithm understand more about the business and people are likely to spend as much as 31% more.

Purchasing Using Voice Search

1. 24% of shoppers have used voice search to shop online.
2. 43% of voice-enabled device owners have reported using their device to make a purchase.
3. People using voice search tend to use the technology 51% for research purposes.
4. 17% of people have used voice search to reorder for a previously bought item.
5. People with smart speakers are 11.5% more likely to make a purchase by using their voice.
6. 52% of people using smart voice speakers are interested in receiving info about deals, sales, and promotions from the businesses they have made a purchase from.

Google Voice Search Statistics

1. Asking a question without having to type is amongst the top 3 reasons people opt for voice search and, eventually, smart devices.
   
2. More than 35% of people are interested in making purchases by using voice search but haven’t started using it yet.
3. By 2027, it is estimated that 162.7 million people will be using voice search.
4. 4 in 10 people expect voice search to be as refined as talking to a human. 
5. 56% of voice search users have claimed that they have used voice search to find more information about a business or a brand they were interested in. These searches were often made on smartphones.

Voice Search Challenges

While voice search is revolutionizing the way people shop or use the internet, there are stil many challenges with the technology that cannot be overlooked. They are:

Privacy concerns: Many people have reported seeing ads for products or services they had discussed with their family or friends. Due to this, 79% of people have privacy concerns surrounding the use of voice search. In fact, the younger generation is more concerned about voice search devices (including smartphones) overhearing their conversations to show them ads related to their current interests or needs. There have been instances where the voice search home devices were activated even when they weren’t being assigned a task.

Limited availability: Voice search is extensively available on mobile devices but is not readily accessible on desktop devices. While Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana can do the work, they are not accessible through web browsers.

Voice search can be easily accessed on Google Chrome (desktop) by clicking on the mic icon.

To enable voice search on Microsoft Edge, Copilot (a generative artificial intelligence chatbot) must be enabled.

In the case of Apple Safari, voice search is not available on MacBooks (Air and Pro) as of now but can be accessed on iPhones.

Accent limitations: While voice search works well with American and British accents, it may not yield satisfactory results. It can be frustrating, eventually pushing the individual to type in what they are looking for. Aside from the inconvenience caused by this, specific languages like Icelandic are facing the dearth of digital extinction. In addition, if there is background noise (like TV running), there’s a chance the voice searcher may pick words.

Occasional misunderstandings: Despite their accuracy, sometimes voice searches can struggle to understand what you are trying to say, requiring frequent corrections or eventually typing in the search terms. While Google has managed to achieve more than 90% accuracy (human-like), other voice search software providers are continuously working to achieve higher accuracy; the struggle cannot be shrugged off completely.

Voice Search Forecasts & Predictions

Voice search is here to stay, and with the changing times, technology is adapting. As a result, it is becoming important for businesses to create content that aligns with the search intent of users who are searching using the technology.

These are some forecasts and predictions about voice searches to keep an eye on include:

Voice Search Will Benefit Local Searches 

With more people owning a smartphone than ever, they are more actively making searches on the go. Be it to find a grocery store selling their favorite brand of coffee or looking up a doctor nearby for a quick checkup. Due to this, it is becoming increasingly crucial for local businesses to optimize their keyword strategy to start showing up whenever these searches are made.

Using long-tail keywords, getting more reviews from your customers, and keeping your NAP (business name, address, and phone number) updated can be incredibly valuable pieces of information that can increase your business visibility in these search engines.

Smart Search Devices Are Going To Become a Norm

As more households adopt smart speakers, the number is expected to reach 200 million in 2024, making it crucial to continuously optimize your business listing and website to be seen by these devices.

Aside from focusing on the listing and website, improving the presence on websites like Yelp, etc, can be helpful as well. Know that voice search software is designed to scan the internet for information within seconds, making it important to pay close attention to what’s being said about your business online.

Voice Search Comes From Mobile Locations

There’s always a possibility that your target audience is using their mobile phones when using voice search to find what they want. This makes mobile optimization of the website crucial. Making sure that your website loads fast on mobile devices and contains long-tail keywords is the key to ensuring your website shows up whenever a relevant search is made.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Integrations

The advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning have stunned the world, and its use in voice search is no secret. For instance, Google’s RankBrain is responsible for understanding all the searches that are being done online and using the data to train and improve its voice search algorithms. The AI and ML tools are continuously learning and can now recognize words and phrases.

These are some ways AI and ML help in voice recognition and supporting voice search:

AI algorithms are capable of analyzing a vast amount of data, making it possible for these models to understand how human interactions occur and adequately adapt their language models accordingly.

AI models can understand the context of what’s being said, making it easier for them to scan the internet for answers and generated response that satisfies the intent.

Advanced AI models can also process information while searching the internet for responses. This ensures the responses are quick and latest.

Machine learning, on the other hand, is responsible for training AI language models by analyzing large datasets. Due to this, it becomes easier to predict patterns and give out accurate responses.

The combination of machine learning and natural language processing guarantees responses that are human-like, making it possible for users to have extended conversations with voice search models while getting the information they need.

Conclusion

Voice search is rapidly integrating into our lives. From finding the nearest gas station while commuting to a new location or learning a new recipe, the possibilities are endless. Due to this, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to create content that is voice search-friendly and human-like. 

Aside from this, creating a brand presence on platforms like Yelp, Trustpilot, and Facebook to receive customer reviews can further increase your website’s chances of ranking high whenever a voice search is made. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning is undeniably going to turn the present face of voice search into a more advanced and comprehensive way to find information.