Voice search didn’t fizzle out—it just went hyper-local. In 2025, three out of four voice queries are now looking for something “near me,” and that shift is reshaping everything from keyword research to Google Business Profile (GBP) hygiene. Below is a deep-dive your 360G clients can use to turn those spoken “Where’s the best…?” moments into customers at the door.
The State of Voice Search in 2025
Consumers issued over 1 billion voice searches each month in 2024, and usage continues to tick upward.
There are 8.4 billion voice-assistant-enabled devices in circulation—more than people on earth.
In the U.S. alone, 153.5 million adults are expected to use voice assistants in 2025, up 3 % year-over-year.
Still wondering if that matters for brick-and-mortar? 58 % of users say they’ve used voice search to find local business information such as hours or directions.
Key Local Indicators
- “Near me” or geo-modified phrases appear in 76 % of voice queries.
- Mobile dominates: 27 % of people conduct voice search on their phones while on the go.
- 51 % of voice users research restaurants specifically, making food service the most searched local vertical.
Why Local Intent Rules the Mic
Local voice searches solve urgent, hands-free needs—think steering-wheel moments or smart-speaker shout-outs. 88 % of consumers who perform a local search on mobile visit or call that business within 24 hours.
Popular “car dealerships near me” queries have grown 200 % since 2022—evidence that high-ticket verticals are in play too.
Voice isn’t only mobile: 38.8 million Americans now use smart speakers to shop, blurring online-to-offline funnels.
How the Algorithms Decide Who Gets Read Aloud
- Conversational context – Assistants favor Q&A-style answers containing question words (“how,” “what,” “best”), which trigger nearly 20 % of all voice queries.
- Structured data & proximity – Google pulls from GBPs, local packs, and pages tagged with
schema.orgproperties likeLocalBusinessand theSpeakablemarkup that flags passages for TTS playback. - Reputation signals – High star ratings and fresh reviews are read out loud; assistants suppress listings with low averages or spam indicators.
Your 5-Step Local Voice SEO Playbook
1. Polish the Google Business Profile
- Keep NAP, hours, and categories spotless; 70 % of complete GBPs attract more voice traffic.
2. Rewrite for Questions & Answers
- Add FAQ sections that mirror spoken syntax (“Where can I get same-day roofing repairs on the North Side?”). Question-rich pages increase voice visibility by 2.7×.
3. Use Long-Tail, Location-Based Phrases
- Integrate city + neighborhood modifiers naturally; “best vegan tacos in Oak Cliff” beats generic “best tacos.” “Near me” searches are growing 136 % year-over-year.
4. Implement Speakable & LocalBusiness Schema
- Mark up concise answer blocks (20–30 words) with the
Speakableschema so assistants know what to read.
5. Optimize for Speed & Mobile UX
- Voice results skew toward pages that load in under 3 seconds and pass Core Web Vitals.
Pro tip for 360G clients: Pair these steps with call-tracking on GBP and site click-to-call buttons; voice search often ends in a phone conversion you can measure.
Privacy Push: The Rise of On-Device Voice
A new wave of privacy-first hardware—like Home Assistant’s $59 Voice Preview Edition—runs commands locally without sending data to the cloud, supports 50+ languages, and is aimed squarely at home-automation “near me” moments. Expect Google and Apple to follow with more on-device processing, making hyper-local accuracy even more critical.
Metrics to Watch
| KPI | Why It Matters | Benchmarks (Local) |
|---|---|---|
| Voice Impressions in GBP | Shows how often assistants surface your listing | Aim for 10 % MoM growth |
| Click-to-Call Rate | Primary conversion from voice results | 25–40 % for services |
| Direction Requests | Proxy for foot traffic | Track weekly spikes after campaigns |
Final Takeaways for 360G Clients
Voice search isn’t a fading fad—it’s evolving into the default interface for local discovery. Brands that:
- Answer real questions clearly,
- Tag content for speakability, and
- Keep local citations pristine
will dominate the spoken SERP while competitors chase outdated keyword tactics. Start implementing the 5-step playbook now, measure the KPIs above, and let every “near me” become “right here.”
