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Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an ever-evolving field – as technology changes, so do the best practices for achieving higher rankings on search engine results pages. Every day, businesses across the globe are competing to appear at the top of the list. A race to beat out their competition and become more visible online so that potential customers pick them first.
Coupled with Google’s notoriously secretive algorithms, this can make keeping up with SEO trends a challenge. However, there are numerous reliable facts and statistics that can give you an edge over your peers. For instance, between 50% to 60% of clicks go to the first three organic search results while 87% of consumers perform research online before deciding on what product or service they will purchase. Knowing such data points can be invaluable when constructing an effective SEO plan.
Therefore, it's crucial to stay informed about emerging SEO statistics. By using them, you can better understand how search engines work and ensure that your content marketing and SEO tactics match up with what users want — thus boosting your visibility online.
In this article, we'll share the most important and up-to-date, verified SEO statistics that you can use to guide your SEO strategy and gain a competitive advantage in SERPs.
SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the process of optimizing a website’s content and structure to increase its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
What to Keep in Mind for 2024 About SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important aspect of digital marketing. While the opportunities provided by advances in video and technology are increasingly impacting how consumers search and shop online, it is essential to remember that high-quality content remains a crucial strategy for organic search and link-building.
Recent SEO statistics show that pages with the highest number of total backlinks usually rank best in Google search results, while less than 1% of searchers click on the second page of results. Backlinko found that pages with the highest number of backlinks tend to rank better on Google. Organic search is the top source of traffic for all websites, according to HubSpot.
Semrush discovered that long-tail keywords account for the majority of Google searches. It's also interesting to note that over 70% of shoppers use their phones to make online purchases, and 36% of Americans own a smart speaker. Video has become an increasingly popular marketing tool, with 91% of companies now using it.
Additionally, a staggering 98% of people read online reviews for local businesses, while almost 70% of consumers head straight to the search bar when they land on an online retailer's site. However, 57% of B2B sellers feel that the content their marketing team produces is generic and unresponsive.
It's also worth mentioning that 88% of marketers who already invest in SEO plan to allocate more or maintain the same amount in 2023, according to HubSpot.
It is critical to arm yourself with key takeaways from SEO research conducted each year. For instance, understanding the impact of low-quality content across digital channels can help you put into place a more effective link-building strategy.
Considering how people use their devices for shopping lets you develop services that answer those needs and get ahead of the competition. Utilizing all available information, marketers can ensure they are making data-driven decisions for their business’s success now and in the future.
Key SEO Statistics You Should Know
Search engine optimization has become an increasingly important part of digital marketing in recent years as businesses have sought to improve their online visibility.
As such, it’s worth taking a look at some key stats regarding search engines, SEO, and the search engine optimization industry. According to Backlinko, Google uses over 200 factors in its algorithm for ranking websites. What’s more, Statista reveals that Google currently is responsible for 86.86% of the search engine market share.
With this kind of dominance, it’s unsurprising that SEO is essential for businesses that want to succeed in online environments but also critical on other fronts: according to Backlinko, the #1 result in Google gets approximately 32% of all clicks – meaning if your website isn’t amongst the top few results then chances are you won’t be competing effectively with those who are ranked higher than you.
Search engine journal reports that 49% of marketers say they get the highest return from organic search results. This shows just how important search engine optimization is for your business.
Did you know that the average word count for pages that appear on the first page of Google search results is 1,447? Over half of consumers in the US use search engines to research products before making a purchase decision. For those looking to venture into becoming SEO professionals, they can expect to earn a median salary of around $60.5k per year. It's interesting to note that almost 60% of the top 10 Google search results are at least three years old.
According to Andrey Lipattsev, a senior strategist for search quality at Google, the top three factors affecting Google search results are links, content, and RankBrain. It's also worth noting that Google organic search is responsible for 59.2% of the world's web traffic.
The Google Search Engine Usage Statistics
Google is the most frequently visited website in the world. Let's take a look at some statistics that reveal how people are using it:
Every day, more than 7 billion searches are conducted on Google, with people searching 81,000 times per second. In 2020, the number of searches conducted on Google exceeded 2.55 trillion.
According to BrightEdge, Organic web listings receive 73% of clicks.
Consumers are using search engines 20% more year-over-year.
In 2020, 64.82% of Google mobile and desktop searches resulted in "zero-click searches" (meaning users found the information they needed on the search results page without clicking through to another website).
Less than 1% of searchers click on the second page of Google results.
Search traffic for the Electronics, Beauty, Media, and Food industries all increased in 2022, while traffic for Service and Technology and Fashion dropped significantly.
Google holds over 90% of the global search engine market share, with Bing at less than 3% and Yahoo!, Yandex, and Baidu hovering around 1%.
Roughly 15% of all Google searches are new queries.
The "Computer and Video Games" category saw a 183% increase in web traffic in 2022.
"Wordle" was the most searched keyword on Google in 2022.
SEO Is Always Changing, Always Be Prepared
SEO is an ever-evolving landscape that requires constant optimization and thought in order to effectively compete on search engines. Consumer search behavior is always changing, creating new opportunities for digital marketers and SEO strategists alike to adjust their approach to better reflect the needs of searchers.
To help equip yourself with the knowledge you’ll need to stay ahead of these changes, it helps to review industry reports and statistics like the ones we shared with you today. Additionally, we provide our SEO blogs to further help you understand how search engines work and how the rankings have changed over time. Regardless of your approach, making sure you have the latest information will make sure you're not left behind when the market turns.
If you would like our team to help you grow your website traffic feel free to contact us today for an audit of your website.
