If you’re not already waltzing through your house or apartment gleefully barking orders (and sometimes genuinely chatting with) a smart speaker or voice assistant, not only are you missing out on one of the most surprisingly entertaining revolutions in communications technology, but also one of the most useful.

The impact of voice search and smart speakers has somewhat snuck up on the SEO world, with many surprised by the technology’s proliferation. But if the below statistics tell you anything, it’s that voice search is not only here to stay, it’s also becoming critical to local business. (For more compelling figures like these, take a look at our unique research, BrightLocal’s Voice Search for Local Business Study.)

So, if you’re finding it hard to communicate the value of optimizing local business website content for voice search, try using some of these unbranded stat graphics in your next pitch (and let us know how you got on in the comments below).

30% of searches will be done without a screen by 2020

30% of searches will be done without a screen by 2020 (Source: Gartner, 2016)

46% of voice search users look for a local business via voice search on a daily basis

46% of voice search users look for a local business via voice search on a daily basis (Source: Voice Search for Local Business Study, BrightLocal, 2018)

There were over one billion voice searches made in January 2018

There were one billion voice searches made in January 2018 (Source: Alpine.AI, 2018)

58% of consumers have used voice search to find local business information in the last 12 months

58% of consumers have used voice search to find local business information in the last 12 months (Source: Voice Search for Local Business Study, BrightLocal, 2018)

72% of people who own a voice-activated speaker say that their devices are often used as part of their daily routine

72% of voice-activated speaker owners say their devices are often used as part of their daily routine (Source: Google, 2018)

28% of consumers call the business after making a voice search for a local business

28% of consumers call the business after making a local voice search (Source: Voice Search for Local Business Study, BrightLocal, 2018)

By the end of 2017, the combined install base for Google Home and Amazon Alexa was 45 million

At the start of 2018, the combined install base for Google Home and Amazon Alexa was 45 million (Source: CIRP, 2018)

Almost twice as many men (46%) use a smart speaker on a monthly basis than women (26%)

Nearly twice as many men (46%) use smart speakers on a monthly basis than women (26%) (Source: Voice Search for Local Business Study, BrightLocal, 2018)

45% of smart speaker owners plan to purchase another smart speaker

45% of smart speaker owners plan to purchase another (Source: NPR, 2017)

33% of consumers have called a local business using their smart speaker

33% of consumers have called a local business using their smart speaker (Source: Voice Search for Local Business Study, BrightLocal, 2018)

Google Assistant is now available on more than 400 million devices

Google Assistant is now available on more than 400 million devices (Source: Google, 2018)

25% of consumers haven’t yet tried using voice search for local businesses, but would consider it

25% of consumers haven’t yet tried using voice search for local businesses, but would consider it (Source: Voice Search for Local Business Study, BrightLocal, 2018)

The number of millennials who use voice-enabled digital assistants will climb to 39.3% in 2019

By 2019, 39% of millennials will use voice-enabled digital assistants (Source: eMarketer, 2017)

37% of consumers over 55 have tried using voice search for local business

37% of over-55’s have used voice search for local business (Source: Voice Search for Local Business Study, BrightLocal, 2018)

42% of smart speaker owners says that their smart speakers are essential to their daily lives

42% of owners say that their smart speakers are essential to their daily lives (Source: NPR, 2017)