Voice search continues to mature as a mainstream search channel. Recent data show roughly 1 in 5 internet users worldwide now use voice commands to search online. The number of voice assistants (smartphones, smart speakers, etc.) has surged – about 8.4 billion devices by 2024 (more than the global population). In the US alone, over 153.5 million adults will use voice assistants in 2025 (a figure climbing ~3% per year).
Voice search is most common on mobile – roughly 27% of people report using it on their phones – and smart speakers are ubiquitous, being owned by 100 million U.S. owners, representing ~35% of adults. Notably, about 3/4ths of voice queries have “near me” intent; people want to use voice for quick, local answers. These trends – billions of devices, growing user bases, and heavy local usage – mean voice search is shaping consumer behavior across industries.
Figure: Worldwide voice search usage (≈22% of internet users) has been steady through 2022–2024. DataReportal trends show a 22.5% peak in Q2 2022 and ~20–21% usage by 2024.
Voice search is already a major factor in a number of fields, like ecommerce, healthcare, automotive, IoT, and even B2B SaaS. Below we explore the top trends and statistics for 2024–25 in these industries, followed by strategies for optimizing your content and marketing for voice.
Voice Search in Ecommerce
Voice-driven shopping is booming. Nearly 50% of U.S. consumers have used voice search for shopping, and global voice shopping spend is projected to reach nearly $82 billion by 2025 (up from ~$4.6B in just 2021). Research forecasts voice commerce revenues growing at ~25% CAGR, with voice-driven sales expected to hit 30% of total ecommerce by 2030. Major retailers (e.g., Amazon, Walmart) now support hands-free ordering via Alexa or Google Assistant, and many shoppers rely on voice for tasks like searching products, checking prices, and completing purchases.
Key ecommerce voice stats:
- 49% of Americans use voice search when shopping.
- $81.8 billion in global voice shopping spend estimated for 2025.
- Voice-assisted sales have risen ~322% since 2021
- 30% of ecommerce revenue is expected to be done over voice by 2030.
- 38.8 million U.S. people (13.6% of the population) use smart speakers for shopping-related tasks.
In practical terms, ecommerce brands must ensure products and FAQ pages are voice-friendly.
This means answering common purchase-related questions clearly, listing long-tail keywords (e.g. “best [product] under $X”), and enabling one-shot ordering. Optimizing product search to match conversational queries (“Find me a red running shoe, size 8”) and supporting voice checkout (via smart speaker apps or phone voice assistants) can capture this voice-driven commerce.
Voice Search in SaaS (B2B)
Although less publicized, voice is influencing B2B/SaaS too. Many modern SaaS products integrate voice assistants for support and productivity (e.g., voice-enabled dashboards, chatbots, or documentation search). Business users often use voice for quick tasks (scheduling meetings, asking technical questions). Marketers in SaaS should optimize content in question-and-answer format, focusing on conversational long-tail keywords (e.g., “How do I integrate SalesForce API?”) and ensure documentation is concise and mobile-friendly.
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Even without exact stats for SaaS, general voice adoption trends we discussed above apply: U.S. voice assistant users are expected to reach 157 million by 2026. As enterprise users increasingly rely on voice-activated assistants, SaaS companies can gain visibility by creating “voice skills” (e.g., Alexa skills for their platforms) and by having their blog/FAQ answer specific user queries aloud.
In summary, SaaS marketers should treat voice as a growth channel by integrating voice features and optimizing content for natural speech queries.
Voice Search in Healthcare
Healthcare is adopting voice AI rapidly. Around 44% of healthcare organizations already use voice technology, and another 39% plan to within 2 years. The voice assistants market in healthcare is projected to reach nearly $6 billion by 2024.
Clinicians and patients both find voice useful: ~65% of physicians believe voice AI improves their workflow, and 72% of patients are comfortable using voice assistants for healthcare tasks (scheduling appointments, refilling prescriptions, and so on). Voice-driven clinical documentation is also on the rise – one estimate projects $12 billion in annual cost savings for U.S. providers by 2027 through voice-enabled records.
Patients clearly use voice for medical queries: One study found ~19 million Americans have used a voice assistant for healthcare questions, and ~2/3rd of those voice searches were local – that is to say, they were looking for nearby clinics, doctors, or pharmacies. In practice, healthcare providers must optimize for these voice queries by ensuring that clinic hours, services, and specialties are listed clearly with schema markup, and encouraging satisfied patients to leave online reviews.
Imagine a user asking, “Where is the nearest urgent care open now?” or “Which doctors in [city] treat asthma?” – voice-optimized sites will rank best.
Voice Search in Automotive
Automakers and dealerships are selling to increasingly voice-driven customers. In-car assistants are common – Google Assistant, Alexa Auto (aka Echo Auto), Siri in Car are the most prominent ones – and drivers frequently use them. Surveys show 62% of drivers with in-car voice assistants have used them to find nearby businesses or auto services. 41% of drivers have asked for directions to a dealership, and 44% have used voice search to check car prices. Even consumer voice queries reflect this trend: Google notes that searches for “car dealerships near me” spiked 200% year-over-year recently.
This means local SEO and voice optimization are increasingly critical for the automotive sector. Dealerships and parts retailers should claim or update their Google Business Profiles, include clear descriptions (with keywords like “car sales,” “auto repair,” etc.), and structure their FAQs so that voice assistants can surface them. In-vehicle voice systems continue to improve, so automotive marketers can also explore creating branded voice experiences, like a dealership using Alexa to schedule test drives. Overall, voice search in automotive is about being where drivers are listening – which is to say, on the road, hands-free.
Voice Search in Smart Home & IoT
The smart home is, perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the biggest drivers of voice search.
Smart speakers and IoT devices enable virtually ubiquitous voice control. As previously mentioned, roughly 100 million Americans own a smart speaker (nearly a third of all individuals 12+), and this number is rising globally.
Voice assistants now integrate with tens of thousands of smart devices: For example, Google Assistant can control over 50,000 different smart-home devices, and Alexa supports over 100,000 devices. Alexa, in particular, is connected to ~400 million smart-home devices worldwide! The IoT ecosystem continues to explode – about 16.6 billion IoT devices were online by end of 2023 , with projections of ~40 billion by 2030.
This means voice search and voice commands are now embedded in daily routines. Consumers use voice to control lights, set thermostats, check calendars, play music, and, yes – to search for information or services from home.
For marketers, this trend suggests making content home-friendly, e.g., providing voice-friendly recipes, smart home tutorials, or local business info that can be read out by an in-home assistant. The smart speaker market is booming: Revenues jumped from ~$11 billion in 2022 to an expected $17 billion in 2024, and analysts project smart-home speaker revenues to reach $57.5 billion by 2033.
In short, voice assistants in the home mean voice search is always “on,” and businesses that ensure that they are thoroughly integrated into smart home ecosystems stand to win.
Voice Search SEO & Marketing Strategies
To capitalize on these trends, businesses must optimize their online presence for voice search SEO. Compared to typed search, voice queries are significantly more conversational and question-based. Key strategies include:
- Use natural language and long-tail keywords. People ask full questions by voice (“How do I install my smart thermostat?”), so include those questions and answers in your content. For example, write FAQ sections in a Q&A format with clear, concise answers.
- Target featured snippets (Position Zero). Voice assistants typically read a single answer aloud. Content that ranks in a Featured Snippet is far more likely to be spoken by Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, or another voice agent. Structure one-sentence summaries of answers at the top of pages.
- Optimize local SEO. Since ~76% of voice searches have local intent, ensure your Google Business Profile and directories are up to date with address, phone, hours, and categories. Use location-based phrases (city, neighborhood, “near me”) in landing pages and FAQs. 58% of consumers use voice to find local businesses – that’s tons of traffic you could be missing out on!
- Implement structured data and other schema. Mark up FAQs, reviews, and business information with Schema.org. This gives voice assistants extra context to pull answers from, increasing chances your content is used.
- Optimize for mobile speed and usability. Voice searches are mostly mobile – ensure pages load fast and display well on phones. A slow page won’t rank.
- Focus on user intent and readability. Content should directly address the user’s spoken question. Provide complete, authoritative answers at least 25 words long, followed by longer answers with more detail. Avoid jargon; use a friendly tone. Google’s studies show its voice recognition is ~95% accurate, so clarity matters.
- Stay platform-aware. As voice devices evolve, test your content across platforms. Consider building a custom voice “Action” or “Skill” (branded voice app) for Alexa or Google Assistant if it fits your brand strategy.
On the marketing side, voice search opens new opportunities. Voice commerce means branded ordering experiences; local voice queries make online reviews and local ads more powerful; and being “voice-search ready” boosts discoverability. For example, 62% of smart-speaker owners plan to make a purchase with voice in the next month, so ads or promotions tailored for voice purchase could pay off. Similarly, voice trends emphasize content marketing that converses with users: Think blog titles like “How to fix [product]” or “Top 5 healthy snacks near me” to match spoken queries.
In all cases, remember: voice search success often comes down to context and convenience. Ensure your brand is the succinct answer to the questions users want answered by voice.
Conclusion: The Future of Voice Search
Voice search is no longer a novelty – it’s a mature channel driving billions in commerce and daily tasks. The data show steady growth and widespread adoption: ~20% of users globally use voice search, with fast-growing device penetration. Looking ahead, expect AI advances (even better speech recognition and natural language understanding) and new devices (smart glasses, cars, IoT sensors) to make voice interactions even more seamless. As voice assistants become smarter, more voice queries will be made – from multi-step searches to voice-driven personalized shopping.
For businesses, the takeaway is clear: Invest in voice search now.
Optimize websites with voice search SEO best practices, leverage the growing market of voice commerce, and adapt marketing strategies to include voice, like local listings, Q&A content, and branded voice apps. Marketing professionals and tech leaders should watch voice analytics and AI closely: The “future of voice search” means conversational AI will play a central role in how customers discover products and information.
By staying ahead of these trends, companies can improve visibility in search and deliver more convenient, hands-free experiences – exactly what customers increasingly expect in a voice-first world.
Voice Search FAQs (2025 Trends)
What are the current global voice search trends for 2025?
In 2025, voice search is increasingly used on mobile devices and smart speakers. There is a growing trend toward multilingual voice support, making it more accessible worldwide. Voice commerce is on the rise, with more users shopping through voice assistants. Advances in conversational AI have made voice queries more natural and accurate. Additionally, local voice searches like “near me” continue to grow, and voice integration with IoT devices is becoming more common.
How is voice search transforming the e-commerce sector by 2025?
Voice-driven shopping is booming, with global voice shopping spend projected to reach nearly $82 billion by 2025. Voice-assisted sales have risen by approximately 322% since 2021, and voice commerce is expected to account for 30% of total e-commerce revenue by 2030.
How is voice search impacting the SaaS and B2B industries?
Voice is increasingly influencing SaaS and B2B, with many modern SaaS products integrating voice assistants for support and productivity. As US voice assistant users are expected to reach 157 million by 2026, SaaS companies can gain visibility by optimizing content in Q&A format for conversational long-tail keywords and considering branded voice skills.
How is voice search changing the automotive industry for drivers and businesses?
In-car assistants are common, with 62% of drivers using them to find nearby businesses or auto services. Google searches for "car dealerships near me" have spiked 200% year-over-year, making local SEO and voice optimization critical for automotive dealerships and parts retailers.
What are the key SEO strategies for optimizing content for voice search?
To get your website ready for voice search, start by speaking your audience’s language—literally—with natural, conversational phrases and long-tail keywords. Aim for the spotlight by targeting featured snippets (a.k.a. Position Zero). Since 76% of voice searches are looking for something nearby, strong local SEO is a must. Add structured data (schema markup) so search engines can better understand your content, and don’t forget a mobile-first design with lightning-fast load times to keep users (and search engines) happy.
How does AI enhance the accuracy and future of voice search?
AI drives significant advancements in voice search through natural language processing (NLP) and improved speech recognition, with Google's accuracy around 95%. This leads to more seamless, intuitive, and personalized voice interactions, enabling multi-step searches and voice-driven personalized shopping experiences.
