Voice assistants are becoming better and smarter by the day, fully transforming the way people interact with their digital devices. If you’ve missed the hype and have not optimized your website for voice search yet, you are losing a fair share of your online marketing potential. To help you navigate the voice revolution, we took the time to digest the numbers. Check out our list of useful voice search statistics and dive into the digital future.
Voice Search Stats 101 (Editor’s Pick)
- It all started back in 2010 with the introduction of Google Voice Search.
- 71% of consumers today prefer voice search to traditional typing.
- Voice search has already generated sales worth over $2 billion.
- 50% of all smartphone owners in the US use voice assistants.
- Google’s speech recognition technology boasts an accuracy rate of 95% in English.
- In Q1 2019, China accounted for 51% of all smart speaker shipments globally.
- 93% of digital device owners are satisfied with the performance of their voice assistants.
Voice Search Statistics Rundown
1. In Q3 2018, global smart speaker shipments grew by 200% year-on-year.
Consumers are growingly beginning to realize the value of voice technologies. Q3 2018 alone saw a staggering 200% increase in year-on-year shipments of smart speakers worldwide, There were a total of 22.7 million units shipped, with Amazon holding the #1 position followed by Google, Alibaba, Baidu, Xiaomi, and Apple.
(Strategy Analytics)
2. 72% of parents who own voice-activated speakers have thought about using them for shopping.
This is compared to 51% of non-parents, according to smart speaker statistics. And it gets even more interesting: of the total people who own voice-activated speakers, 44% use their devices to order products almost weekly. The numbers highlight the growing popularity of voice activation and hands-free methods of getting information that make your life easier.
(Quoracreative)
3. 65% of 25-49-year-olds admit they speak to their devices at least once daily.
A report from PwC reveals that the most likely group to perform voice searches once every day are people between the ages of 25 and 49 (65%). In the group of 50+ year-olds, 57% are likely to use voice searches, voice search demographics show. Their share is slightly higher (59%) in the 18-24 age group. The youngest are credited with driving the early adoption of the technology.
(Dialogtech)
4. Over 66 million Americans own some sort of smart speaker.
More than 66 million citizens of the US own a smart speaker, meaning that the desktop’s territory is massively invaded by Apple Homepod, OK Google, and Alexa. The number of Americans investing in smart speakers will continue to rise, setting the trend for the rest of the world, experts predict.
(Brafton)
5. 65% of Google Home, Amazon Echo owners can't imagine living without a smart speaker.
Voice search stats from a recent report by GeoMarketing reveal that 65% of people who own a Google Home or an Amazon Echo cannot imagine going back to the days before they owned a smart speaker. Furthermore, owning a voice-activated speaker feels like talking to another person or a friend for 41% of owners, according to Google.
(WordStream)
6. In 2017, 58% of users looking for local businesses online used voice search.
Voice search statistics tell us that voice search users increasingly look for local results. In fact, this search method was preferred by 58% of users interested in local businesses in 2017. Data also shows that, of the 58% who searched for local businesses, 46% continued to use voice search daily.
(DBS Interactive)
7. 71% of consumers today prefer voice search to traditional typing.
Voice search trends show that the days of typing in a search query are coming to an end. A PricewaterhouseCoopers study from 2018 found that 71% of consumers prefer to use voice search. Most of the time, they use their voice to perform basic tasks such as setting a reminder, playing music or checking on the weather, even though there are much more advanced features, including controlling other smart home gadgets or shopping online.
(Oberlo)
8. 52% of Americans keep their voice search devices in their living rooms.
According to voice search technology statistics, more than half of Americans (52%) conduct voice search queries from their living rooms. This is not surprising, considering that this is where folks choose to spend most of the day. Interestingly, stats also show that in 25% of US homes voice searches happen in the bedroom, and nearly a quarter (22%) keep their voice search devices in the kitchen.
(Think With Google)
9. In Q1 2019, China accounted for 51% of all smart speaker shipments globally.
Global voice search statistics reveal that China was the biggest shipper of smart speakers in Q1 2019 with a share of 51% of the global market. The US came second with a share of 24%. Experts agree that the global smart speaker market will continue to grow dramatically, particularly in Japan and Singapore.
(Finances Online)
10. For one out of every four shoppers, voice assistants make holiday shopping easier.
Voice search mobile statistics also reveal that voice assistants are particularly handy during the season of holiday shopping. A report from WordStream shows that this holiday season, one in every four shoppers used their very own voice assistant in their pocket to pick presents for their friends and family.
(WordStream)
11. Voice search has already generated sales worth over $2 billion.
Voice search marketing statistics show that voice search optimization can be insanely lucrative. So much so, that it has already driven more than $2 billion in sales worldwide. Voice search optimization is vital for revenue, sales and leads alike. Voice searches are conducted not just for research, but people also use them to buy products. You can make more sales and capture valuable leads if you optimize your website and overall business for voice search.
(Web FX)
12. By 2021, 40% of users will turn to a voice assistant instead of using a website or mobile app.
Voice search mobile statistics suggest that 24% of consumers today already use voice assistant rather than a traditional website or smartphone app to conduct internet searches. In a recent report, Amazon forecasts this share is set to grow significantly by 2021 up to 40% of consumers. Millions of marketers around the world are convinced that voice search is where the future of marketing campaigns lies. This is further confirmed by findings in the same report, showing that 81% of users who have used voice assistants have done so through their smartphones.
(Voicify)
13. 48.4% of voice assistant users prefer Apple's Siri.
Siri voice search statistics show that this voice assistant is favored by nearly half of all users. This is probably due to the long-time presence of iPhone on the smartphone market, although many think Siri is less capable than other voice assistants available today. Meanwhile, millions of Android devices feature Google Assistant (28.7% market share); however, the capabilities and availability of this option are yet to be fully adopted by Android users.
(Voicebot)
14. Google Home is the best performing voice search device with 81% of correct answers.
Google voice search usage statistics reveal that Google Home gets more than eight in every 10 answers to queries right, earning it the winning position by number of accurate answers. For comparison, Amazon Echo’s score is 64%. Other entries on the list include Harman Kardon Invoke with just under six in 10 correct answers, as well as Siri with just over five in 10 accurate answers. A particular upside for Apple’s Siri/HomePod is its superior listening skills when stacked against other smart speakers, enabling it to understand 99.4% of all queries correctly.
(Quoracreative)
15. 93% of voice assistant users are happy with their devices' overall performance.
Google voice search statistics bring to light a somewhat unexpected fact – the overall performance of nearly all voice assistants available to consumers today result in no less than 93% of users being satisfied overall with using them. Among the top benefits users state as the greatest help to their daily lives are making their lives easier overall, as well as getting instant answers to queries and questions, and the ability to multitask, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
(Dialogtech)
16. Google's speech recognition technology boasts an accuracy rate of 95% in US English.
Voice search statistics show an impressive accuracy rate of 95% for Google’s speech recognition technology in US English. Google’s mobile voice search is currently available in over 100 languages. Google’s service uses machine learning algorithms, used to detect speech and return meaningful results. It is developing rapidly with the advancement of technologies. Since 2013, Google’s speech recognition has improved by almost 20%.
(DBS Interactive)
17. In 2018 alone, internet users made over 250 billion voice searches.
2018 alone saw consumers seek the help of voice search more than 250 billion times, according to a 2019 report from Voicebot. Voice search growth data is impressive. Take that: in early Q4 2018, the percentage of US adults that used voice search at least once monthly was around 25%. Just four months later, in early January 2019, that percentage went up to 33%. Additionally, 47% of users said they expected to further increase their voice search usage in the coming years.
(Oberlo)
18. People aged 26-35 are most likely to become smart speaker owners.
Voice search SEO statistics tell you know exactly where you should target your next marketing campaign. Millennials are increasingly becoming more adoptive of new technologies, one of which are smart speakers with their voice search capabilities. We know that smart speakers make any search not just more accessible, but also easier. And as we mentioned previously, Americans tend to use them in all rooms of their home, meaning that learning while moving is yet another added benefit of these products.
(Walker Sands)
19. 35% of Americans use voice assistants daily to check the weather and the news.
Voice search traffic stats show that the biggest percentage of Americans use voice assistants daily to check the weather and the news, while 33% of them do that to play music. Another 31% of surveyed Americans interact with voice assistants daily to send emails or texts, while 16% do so to control other devices around their home. 19% of US citizens use voice assistants for navigation or to check traffic.
(Finances Online)
20. 50% of all smartphone owners in the US use voice assistants.
According to search engine statistics, half of US smartphone owners use the voice search capability. Considering that nearly 90% of US households own a smartphone, this is an impressive number. But, it doesn’t stop here: stats clearly show that nearly half of the US population that already uses voice search plan to continue to use this functionality to a greater extent in the future.
(Comscore)
21. 25% of smart speaker owners buy everyday items from the comfort of their homes.
Voice assistant statistics show that efficient choices help smart speaker owners be more practical in their everyday lives. According to a 2019 report by Search Engine Journal, a quarter of smart speaker owners purchase household items using their devices. The second place on the list belongs to items within the video gaming and entertainment industries. Making monthly transactions is a regular practice for 11.5% of smart speaker owners, according to Voicebot.
(Search Engine Journal)
22. 50% of voice searches display results from featured snippets.
One of the vital factors for voice search marketing is featured snippets, according to voice commerce statistics. Information from featured snippets is a source for 50% of voice search results. Snippets appear in a box on the top of the SERPs and contain direct and to-the-point answers that basically represent the main point of an answer the searchers are looking for. Most of the time, they contain a link to the source of info.
(Web FX)
23. For 82% of voice searchers fast and accurate replies is the priority when using voice assistants.
Voice search app statistics reveal that the top priority for 82% of voice assistant owners when opting between different options is providing fast and accurate replies. This is closely followed by understanding diction and accent (81%), with relevancy of recommendations taking third place with a 75% share of users.
(Voicify)
24. Further improvements in understanding natural language would drive 72% of users to engage more with their voice assistants.
According to Apple Siri statistics, 44% of voice assistant owners believe the technology can be improved further regardless of the enormous advances in voice recognition in recent years. 28% of users believe the greatest room for improvement is in natural language understanding, while 27% cite search accuracy as the top factor warranting further development.
(MindMeld)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is voice search?
Voice search combines search engine keyword queries with speech recognition technology to allow users not to type out questions but speak them. After a user speaks a question into the device, the device processes it with the help of the speech recognition technology, then queries either one or more search engines and presto – it brings back those answers that are relevant.
2. What percentage of searches are voice?
Unfortunately, there are no definitive statistics here, though we can give you an estimate. Way back in 2016 when Google Home was introduced to the world, the tech giant’s CEO Sundar Pichai said that one-fifth of all queries across Android devices and Google’s mobile app were voice searches. This is the only official data released by the company in this regard to date.
According to media analytics company Comscore, by 2020 more than half of all searches will be voice-based. Though we have officially reached this milestone, an official confirmation is yet to be issued.
3. How many people have a voice assistant?
Over 66 million Americans today own a smart speaker, meaning that the desktop’s territory is being massively invaded by Apple Homepod, OK Google, and Alexa. The home of the average American now offers many more opportunities for conducting voice searches, and the fact that the number of US citizens investing in smart speakers is only projected to rise means we’re definitely going to see a significant increase in voice searches in America. And the rest of the world won’t be far behind.
4. What percentage of iPhone users use Siri?
According to a report from September 2018, 44% of smartphone owners in the US use Siri. Some 98% say they have tried Apple’s voice assistant but most of them don’t use it. One reason for this may lie in the fact that 20% of iPhone owners don’t feel comfortable using the voice search feature in public.
Conclusion
Voice search obviously has a bright future. It is developing and improving at amazing rates, which means that very soon it will not be anything new, even for the least tech-savvy people on our planet. Will this optimize our work and our lives? Of course. As our list of voice search statistics demonstrates, companies will be able to better understand what people need, value and want, and this is a great opportunity to improve their market positioning, products, and services.
