100+ SEO Facts You Need to Know

Even in the age of artificial intelligence and technology like ChatGPT, search engine optimization (SEO) remains a cornerstone for businesses aiming to enhance their online presence. SEO is the process of optimizing your website to increase its visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs), thereby driving organic traffic and potential customers to your site. As consumer behavior continues to shift towards online search for product discovery and decision-making, understanding and implementing effective SEO strategies is crucial for staying competitive.

SEO Statistics Provide Valuable Insights

This article explores ten compelling SEO statistics that provide valuable insights into how customers search for and find information about brands and competitors online. By incorporating these evidence-based strategies, businesses can not only improve their website’s visibility on Google but also increase website traffic and boost customer conversions. The statistics highlighted here will guide you in refining your SEO strategy to ensure it aligns with current trends and user behaviors.

1. 64% of marketers actively invest time in search engine optimization (SEO):
   • Context: This statistic highlights the widespread recognition of SEO’s importance among marketers. It indicates that the majority of marketing professionals consider SEO a crucial component of their strategies.
   • Implication: Investing in SEO is not just common but necessary to stay competitive. As most marketers are already prioritizing SEO, falling behind can significantly impact your visibility and traffic.
2. 49% of users say they use Google to discover or find a new item or product:
   • Context: Nearly half of internet users rely on Google as their primary tool for discovering new products and services.
   • Implication: Ensuring your products and services are easily discoverable on Google can directly influence consumer behavior. Optimize for search intent to capture these potential customers early in their buying journey.
3. 33% of searches on Google now end without a click on a result:
   • Context: This phenomenon, known as “zero-click searches,” occurs when users find their answers directly on the search results page without clicking further.
   • Implication: While this might reduce click-through rates, it underscores the importance of having your information displayed prominently in rich snippets, knowledge panels, and other SERP features.
4. 94% of internet searches happen on a Google property:
   • Context: Google’s dominance in the search engine market is overwhelming, with the vast majority of searches conducted on its platform.
   • Implication: Focusing your SEO efforts primarily on Google will yield the most significant benefits, given its market share. This includes optimizing for Google Search, Google Images, and other properties like YouTube.
5. 21% is the average CTR from image results on Google, but it differs widely by industry:
   • Context: Click-through rates (CTR) for image search results can be highly variable depending on the industry.
   • Implication: If visual content is crucial for your business, like in fashion or real estate, optimizing your images for search can drive significant traffic. Use high-quality images with proper alt text and metadata to enhance visibility.
6. 900% growth over a 2-year period in mobile searches for “___ near me today/tonight”:
   • Context: There has been a dramatic increase in mobile searches for immediate local information.
   • Implication: Local SEO and mobile optimization are critical. Ensure your business is listed on Google My Business and other local directories, and optimize your site for mobile users to capture this surge in “near me” searches.
7. 60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results, such as the “click to call” option:
   • Context: Mobile users often take direct actions from search results, such as calling a business.
   • Implication: Implement click-to-call buttons and ensure contact information is easily accessible in search results. This can drive direct customer interactions and conversions.
8. 200% growth over a 2-year period in mobile searches for “open” + “now” + “near me”:
   • Context: The growth in searches for businesses that are open immediately highlights the urgency of these queries.
   • Implication: Keeping your business hours up-to-date and accurately reflecting them on your website and Google My Business profile is essential. This helps capture traffic from users looking for immediate services.
9. 46% of shoppers surveyed confirm inventory online before going to a store:
   • Context: Almost half of consumers check online to ensure the availability of products before visiting a physical store.
   • Implication: Provide real-time inventory information on your website. This not only improves the user experience but also drives foot traffic to your physical stores.
10. 70% of shoppers surveyed say the ability to shop in-person/in a store is important when deciding which brand or retailer to buy from:
    • Context: Despite the rise of e-commerce, a significant portion of shoppers still values in-person shopping experiences.
    • Implication: Maintaining a strong online presence that complements your physical stores is key. Use SEO to drive online traffic and offer seamless online-to-offline experiences to meet customer expectations.

The statistics presented in this article underscore the critical role that SEO plays in digital marketing. With 64% of marketers actively investing in SEO, and 49% of users turning to Google to discover new products, it is clear that optimizing for search engines is not optional but essential for any business seeking growth and visibility. The rise of zero-click searches and the dominance of Google as the primary search engine further emphasize the need for businesses to adapt their SEO strategies to capture and engage potential customers effectively.

Moreover, the significant growth in mobile searches, particularly those with local intent, highlights the importance of local SEO and mobile optimization. As 60% of smartphone users contact businesses directly from search results, and 46% of shoppers confirm inventory online before visiting a store, businesses must ensure their online presence is robust, accurate, and user-friendly. Finally, despite the convenience of online shopping, 70% of shoppers still value the in-person shopping experience, making it essential for businesses to integrate their online and offline strategies seamlessly.

General SEO Stats

• Less than 1% of searchers click on the second page of Google results (Semrush)
• Google possesses nearly 82% of the global search engine market (Statista)
• 68% of all website traffic is sourced from organic and paid search (BrightEdge)
• 65% of users who search on Google click at least one of the organic search results they’re presented with (Backlinko)
• 59% of online users go to just a single page during their searches, 6% go to four or more pages (Backlinko)
• 50% of users on Google will click a page within 9 seconds of starting their search (Backlinko)
• Google receives around 8.5 billion searches per day worldwide (AIOSEO)
• 21% of Google searches lead to more than one click on the results (Moz)
• 96.55% of content gets no traffic from Google (Ahrefs)
• Google uses over 200 ranking factors in its search algorithm (AIOSEO)
• 53% of people in the U.S. research products on search engines before purchasing (Google)
• SEO drives 1,000%+ more traffic than organic social media (BrightEdge)
• Page titles of 40–60 characters get an 8.9% better click-through rate (Backlinko)
• Positive wording in titles can lift CTR by 4.1% (Backlinko)
• 99% of Google AI Overviews are under 328 words (Surfer SEO)
• Only 3% of users interact with “People Also Ask” (13.6% on transactional searches) (Backlinko)
• 23% of users select one of Google’s autocomplete suggestions (Backlinko)
• 52% of searches in September 2024 were informational (SparkToro)
• Desktop users conduct 126 unique Google searches per month (SparkToro)
• 5.35 billion people are active online every month (GWI)
• 81% of consumers use search engines at least once a month (GWI)
• Google provides at least 492 billion search results every month (SparkToro)

Organic Search Statistics

• More than 25% of people click the first Google result (Search Engine Journal)
• Average CTR for positions 2 and 3 are 15% and 11% (Search Engine Journal)
• Top-ranking result gets 27.6% CTR; top 3 combine for 54.4% (Backlinko)
• Moving from #2 to #1 can boost CTR by 74.5% (Backlinko)
• A 3%+ CTR signals effective SEO (Backlinko)
• Only 9% of users go to the bottom of page 1 (Backlinko)
• Google drives 57.8% of global web traffic (SparkToro)
• First 5 organic results get 69.1% of clicks (Up Inc.)
• 17% revisit their results; only 5% more than once (Backlinko)
• Product schema had no impact on rankings (180 Marketing)
• 75% of users never go past page 1 (AIOSEO)
• #1 organic result is 10× likelier to be clicked than #10 (Backlinko)
• 84% use Google 3+ times daily (Oberlo)
• 15% alter their search terms and try again (Backlinko)
• First-page organic results average 1,447 words (Backlinko)
• 49% say organic search has the best ROI (Search Engine Journal)
• #1 results average age ≈3 years (Ahrefs)
• 60% of pages ranking 10+ are published 3+ years ago (Ahrefs)

Mobile Search Statistics

• 63% of US organic search traffic comes from mobile (Oberlo)
• Mobile CTR in the US is over 50% (Backlinko)
• 87% of smartphone owners search daily (Go-Globe)
• 55% of global organic traffic is mobile (Statista)
• 20% of mobile searches are voice (Search Engine Land)
• 51% discover new businesses via mobile search (Ahrefs)
• 60% contact a business via click-to-call (Google)
• 57% of local queries from mobile/tablet (Ahrefs)
• Short-query mobile CTR rose 1.94% in late 2024 (Advanced Web Ranking)

Local SEO Statistics

• 76% of mobile searches are location-related (Think with Google)
• Customers are 2.7× more likely to trust a complete Business Profile (Google)
• 46% of searches have local intent (LinkedIn)
• 58% of businesses don’t optimize for local search (ReviewTrackers)
• 72% of local searchers visit a nearby business within 5 miles (HubSpot)
• 18% of local mobile searches lead to a purchase same day (AIOSEO)
• 97% learn about local businesses online (SEO Tribunal)
• 76% visit within 1 day after mobile search (Think with Google)
• 72% desktop & 67% mobile users want area-tailored ads (Microsoft)
• 42% click on Map Pack results (AIOSEO)
• 19% of product searches lead to Shopping clicks (Backlinko)
• 80% use search engines to find local info (Think with Google)
• Google Profile posts with urgency get 2.68 clicks/post (Sterling Sky)
• Real photos on GBP posts get 5.6× more clicks (Sterling Sky)
• 88% visit a business within a week after mobile search (Think with Google)
• GBP posts without ALL CAPS titles get double clicks (Sterling Sky)
• 86% check Google Maps for a business (AIOSEO)
• 76% local mobile searchers visit in a day; 28% purchase (Think with Google)
• 63.6% check reviews before visiting (AIOSEO)
• GBP posts with titles get 2× clicks & conversions (Sterling Sky)
• Questions in GBP posts earn 1.23 clicks/post (Sterling Sky)
• 1–2 star reviews average 80 words; 5-star average 20 words (Localo)
• GBP posts explaining who you are get 1.03 clicks; “we’re open” get 1.93 (Sterling Sky)
• Emoji in GBP posts double clicks & conversions (Sterling Sky)

Keyword Statistics

• 94% of keywords get 10 or fewer monthly searches (Ahrefs)
• Exact-match keywords in meta descriptions rank higher (180 Marketing)
• Keywords in URLs boost CTR by 45% (Semrush)
• Partial keyword matches also lift CTR (Backlinko)
• 8% of queries are phrased as questions (Moz)
• Branded keywords outperform non-branded, especially in ecommerce (Backlinko)
• 10–15 word keywords get 1.76× more clicks (Backlinko)
• 50% of searches contain 4+ words (WordStream)
• 15% of Google searches never happened before (Google)
• 95% of keywords get <10 searches/month (~3.8 billion keywords) (Ahrefs)
• 34.71% of queries have 4+ words (AIOSEO)
• 29% of 10,000+ search keywords have 3+ words (Ahrefs)
• Long-tail keywords dominate search volume (Semrush)
• 90.3% of Search Console queries get ≤10 impressions (Backlinko)
• 70% of keywords produce AI Overviews; only 3.76% show ads (SE Ranking)
• AI Overviews show exact search only 5.4% (Surfer SEO)
• Second-position CTR drops 1.73% for 4+ word queries (Advanced Web Ranking)

Link Building Statistics

• 94% of link builders say link quality > quantity (Authority Hacker)
• More backlinks = more organic traffic (Ahrefs)
• 99% of top-10 sites have 100+ unique backlinks (Internet Marketing Ninjas)
• Long content gets 77.2% more backlinks (Backlinko)
• 74% of link builders build <10 links/month (Authority Hacker)
• #1 ranking pages have 3.8× more backlinks than #2–#10 (Backlinko)
• 95% of pages have no backlinks (Backlinko)
• Blogs earn 97% more inbound links (HubSpot)
• NoFollow links can help if from high-traffic, well-ranking pages (Sterling Sky)
• More anchor-text variations = more clicks (Zyppy SEO)
• Ideal internal links per page: 40–44 (Zyppy SEO)
• 92% suspect competitors buy links (Search Engine Land)
• Only 6.6% of link-buyers saw traffic boosts (Editorial Link)

Technical SEO Statistics

• 61% of mobile searchers contact a business if site is mobile-friendly (HubSpot)
• 86% of marketers say slow speed drives visitors away (GoodFirms)
• 0–4s page load has highest conversion rate (HubSpot)
• 50% of shoppers use photos to decide what to buy (Google)
• Structured data adds 40% higher CTR (Schema App)
• <2s load on mobile → 15% higher conversions (Landingi)
• 100 ms delay harms conversion by 7% (Akamai)
• 95.2% of sites have 3XX redirect issues (Ahrefs)
• Too many components make mobile sites slow (Think with Google)
• 2s delay → 103% higher bounce rate (Akamai)
• 10s load → 123% higher bounce rate (Think with Google)
• 88% of sites have HTTP→HTTPS redirect problems (Ahrefs)
• 53% exit if mobile page >3s load (Akamai)
• 80.4% of sites lack alt attributes (Ahrefs)
• Soft-404 redirects hurt site value (Search Engine Journal)
• 25.02% of high-performers lack meta descriptions (AIOSEO)
• 59.5% lack H1 tags; 51.3% have multiple H1s (Ahrefs)
• Submitting updated XML sitemap helps indexing faster (Search Engine Land)