40 SEO Statistics and What They Mean For Your Company

When properly executed, search engine optimization (SEO) can help you get “found” online, drive traffic to your content, and increase your conversion and close rates.

Simple techniques like using keywords and phrases, regularly creating unique content, linking, and promoting content across channels are all best practices that can help you rank higher on Google. One thing is certain: SEO is essential for promoting your business online.

Here are 40 SEO statistics that show why building your company's SEO strategy is a smart investment:

The User Experience of Search

By focusing on creating content utilizing SEO best practices, users can find your site “organically.” These SEO statistics shed light on the behavior of searchers and how quality content impacts your SEO efforts. 

1. 93% of all online activities begin with search. (Search Engine Journal)

   Whether you're searching for a restaurant or a car, almost all online activities start with search.

2. 80.5% of those searches begin on Google! (Search Engine Journal)

   Google is still the king of search!

3. 81% of consumers begin their buying process online before making a major purchase. (imFORZA)

   Most consumers begin the buying cycle on search engines.

4. 72% of online marketers say that regular, relevant content creation is their most effective SEO tactic. (MarketingProfs)

   The best way to rank is regularly publishing unique content.

5. The SEO industry is projected to be worth $79 billion by 2020. (Search Engine Land) 

   More businesses are investing in search, thanks to the fact that more people are using search engines and SEO data is becoming far more sophisticated and informative. 

6. 70% of links clicked on by search users are organic. (imFORZA)

   Organic search results are driven by SEO best practices and carry more weight than paid opportunities.

7. 70 - 80% of searchers ignore paid ads and focus on organic search results. (imFORZA)

   SEO statistics show that consumers are more interested in relevant information, not sales pitches.

8. Improvements in content have been shown to increase blog traffic by up to 2000%! (Marketing Sherpa)

   One of the best ways to improve SEO is regular creation of unique content.

9. 93% of ALL of your traffic is generated by search engines. (Search Engine Journal)

   Search drives traffic to ALL of your online content.

10. 94% of mobile and tablet searches are performed using Google. (NetMarketshare)

As mobile use continues to grow, Google dominates the space.

Why SERP Ranking Is The Key To Success

Organic search is the best way to drive traffic online. That's why incorporating a solid SEO strategy is key. SEO statistics show the higher you rank, the more effective search becomes.

11. The average time spent on a search is less than one minute. (Moz)

The majority of users click on one of the first three results.

12. Businesses that use a strong keyword in their company name rank 1.5 spots higher in search results. (Local SEO Guide)

Using keywords throughout your content, including in your company name, increase SEO.

13. 75% of users do not click past the first page of search results. (imFORZA)

This is why using SEO best practices to improve page rank is crucial.

14. Inbound leads have a 14.6% close rate compared to only 1.7% for traditional methods like print advertising. (imFORZA)

Inbound marketing techniques far outperform traditional methods.

15. The first organic search result gets 33% of clicks. (Search Engine Journal)

Ranking on the first page of an organic search results greatly increases traffic.

16. 35% of clicks go to the first three listings on search engine results. (Search Engine Journal)

Positions one through three grab the lion's share of clicks. 

17. Search is the number one driver of traffic to content sites, beating social media and other inbound methods by more than 300%. (Ironpaper)

Search is the best driver of traffic, and optimizing content can maximize your page rank.

18. 61% of marketing professionals say improving SEO and growing organic presence is their top priority. (HubSpot)

Marketing professionals recognize the importance of SEO in today's competitive market.

19. There are at least two trillion Google searches worldwide in a year. (Internet Live Stats)

This breaks down to over 65,400 searches every second of every day!

20. SEO leads cost 61% less than those generated by outbound methods like direct mail or cold calls. (Search Engine Journal)

    SEO is an extremely cost effective marketing method compared to traditional advertising.

Local Search

As mobile use has grown, Google is focusing on local search. These SEO statistics show adding location as a part of your SEO efforts can increase online and offline traffic.

21. 50% of users who conduct a local search on their smartphone will visit the physical location of the store within one day. (Search Engine Watch)

    Make sure to optimize your site for mobile use, and use location information in your SEO strategy.

22. 18% of local mobile searches yield a sale within one day. (Search Engine Land)

    Local searchers are ready to make a purchase. Use local SEO best practices to get found. 

     

23. 80 - 90% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. (Forbes)

    Online reviews are a critical aspect for driving traffic. Include them in your SEO strategy.

     

24. Google “near-me” searches have doubled in the past year. (Search Engine Watch)

    Local search is one of the fastest growing categories on the internet.

     

25. As of 2016, 30% of mobile searches were location related. That number continues to increase every year. (HubSpot)

    Local search is a major feature driving mobile use.

SEO, Blogging, and Social Media

Using relevant keywords and phrases in your content can increase your ability to get found on both Google and social platforms. Linking back to your website helps increase traffic from these sources.

26. B2B marketers with blogs receive 67% more leads. (Inside View)

    Using SEO best practices like keywords and phrases can increase the effectiveness of your blog.

27. Businesses that maintain a blog receive 97% more site links than those who don't. (HubSpot)

    One factor Google considers when ranking pages is inbound links.

28. Updating and recycling old blog posts can increase traffic over 100%.  (Backlinko)

These tactics can make big improvements on your ranking. 

29. 1.5 billion searches are performed daily on Facebook. (WordStream)

    Always use SEO best practices when posting to your social sites.

30. YouTube is the world's 2^nd largest search engine. (Mushroom Networks)

Video use is growing rapidly. SEO best practices can also help your videos rank.

New Techniques and SEO Trends

The internet is evolving. Today, Siri and Alexa are increasingly popular. New techniques and technologies are changing the way we seek information.

31. Voice queries rose 3400% between 2008 and 2017. (HubSpot)

    Optimizing for new techniques like voice, image, and video search can increase your SEO rank.

32. The addition of a single image can increase search ranking. (Backlinko)

    Images can not only improve your design and define your brand; a single image can also improve your page rank.

33. A well-optimized video is 52X more likely to show up on the first page of a Google search than text. (Unbounce)

    Video not only provides a passive engagement medium for users; it can improve your search ranking too.

34. Bounce rates increase by 50% if your website takes two seconds extra to load. (Junto)

    Google will ding your ranking if your website takes too long to load. Optimize designs to facilitate fast load times.

35. Conversions fall by 12% for every extra second it takes for your site to load. (Junto)

    User experience is vital to your SEO efforts. If they're sick of waiting for loading, they won't convert. 

36. 50% of searchers are more likely to click on a result if your brand appears multiple times in search results. (Brafton)

    Proper SEO techniques can increase your ability to appear more than once on SERPs.

37. Google changes its algorithm approximately 500 – 600 times every year. (Moz)

    Because Google is constantly changing the playing field, it's important to use best practices in every piece of content you create.

38. Topically relevant content significantly outperformed content that didn’t cover a topic in-depth. (Backlinko)

    Create content that's focused on a specific topic and dives deep. 

39. Long form content tends to rank higher on Google. (Backlinko)

    Long form content (1000+ words) improves shares and links, both of which are favorably looked at by Google when ranking.

40. 47% of all websites use a content management system for website development. (3techs)

    A CMS is a great way to incorporate SEO techniques into all the content you create.

These statistics prove is that SEO is essential to online success. Carry best practices throughout your content. Understand these statistics and the techniques involved.

Having a smart, consistent, and persistent SEO strategy will help you to grow your business both online and off!