The future of voice search technology 

What is voice search?

Voice search allows users to perform activities on their cellular devices or connected home assistants,  simply by speaking commands. Why use voice search? According to Tech Funnel, part of the appeal includes that using voice search is 3.7 times faster than typing. The faster you search, the faster you find the answers you’re looking for. Voice search also uses natural languages that are more conversational. You can speak as if the device were a human and it’s meant to be able to identify your speech. 

Common uses of voice search include making a phone call, sending a text, checking the weather, and playing music. People will use voice search to get directions while driving, for information on local business, or for a product or service. Virtual assistants have risen in popularity over the past few years, and the market is dominated by Microsoft Cortana, Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.

In Canada, we use voice search to ask questions, set alarms, and make phone calls, and some of the most common commands or questions are “How”, “What”, and “Best.”

So, how popular is voice search going to be?

Here are some stats from Quoracreative to help put things in perspective: 

By the end of 2020:

• 50% of all searches across the internet will be voice-based.

• 30% of all searches will be done using a device without a screen.

In 2022:

• Voice-based shopping is expected to jump to $40 billion in 2022

• In market share, this means consumer spending via voice assistants is expected to reach 18% 

By 2024:

• the global voice-based smart speaker market could be worth $30 billion

What’s the latest research say?

According to WordStream, voice search devices are continuing to grow in use:

• 76% of Americans who use a voice-enabled speaker once a month used an Amazon Echo while 23.8% used a Google Home, as per eMarketer.

• Google Assistant is available on more than 400 million devices according to Google

• The Echo Dot was the best-selling product on Amazon during the 2018 holiday season, according to Techcrunch.

Haven’t given voice search a try?

It’s going to start becoming more prominent and more possibilities will be introduced. According to CNET, and CES 2020, Amazon Alexa hopes to begin letting you pay for gas via voice search. There’s no telling what’s to come with what these tech companies will offer their customers, but it’ll be exciting to see what’s next!