Top 15 SEO Statistics: What They Mean for Your Business

In this article, you’ll learn the top 15 SEO statistics for search engine optimization and how you can apply them in your current digital marketing strategy.

To begin, let’s first define what SEO is and what it can do for your business. SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization and it’s a strategic digital marketing tactic for growing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing visibility of a website from the SERP, which is defined as search engine results page.

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The definition of SERP is what you land on when you search for something on a search engine such as Google, Yahoo! or Bing. The SERP displays the top best search results on the first page and ranking in the top ten results will likely display your content on the first page. The ultimate goal with SEO techniques is to rank in the top positions on page one on the SERP.

SEO can grow traffic coming to your website, which in turn, can help drive your conversion rates and can improve the user experience on your website. Now that you know a little bit about SEO and what it can do for your business, let’s discuss the top 15 SEO stats and how they might impact your digital marketing strategies. Continue reading about SEO statistics…

Top 15 SEO Statistics:

1. The majority (68%) of all online experiences begin with a search engine.

In other words, this means that people are using Google, Yahoo! and Bing far more than they are using other channels such as Display Ads and Social Media. This number is actually up from previous studies in the past years, so people are prioritizing the information found on the SERP, especially on page one.

2. More than half (53.3%) of all website traffic comes from organic search.

If you haven’t been prioritizing your SEO, then this stat is another reason why you should. People trust organic search results more so than paid ads, so revamp your content marketing strategy to have high performing SEO.

3. 53% of mobile users will leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load.

Patience is wearing thin with mobile-users. Having a fast-loading website is important for SEO because Google has indicated that site speed is a major factor in its algorithm to rank pages. Plus, it obviously helps with user-experience.

4. 92.96% of global traffic comes directly from Google search, Google Images, and Google Maps.

It’s no question that Google is the most popular search engine and this stat proves just that. This also might be a reason to consider looking into Google PPC ads. PPC ads are paid search ads which also helps improve your ranking position on SERPs.

5. 60% of marketers agree that inbound marketing (SEO, blogging, content strategies) is the highest quality source of leads.

If more than half of experienced marketing professionals agree that SEO produces high quality leads, then SEO is clearly a proven platform to, say the least. Use it to fuel more people finding your business.

6. About a fourth (25.02%) of top-ranking pages don’t have a meta description.

Meta-descriptions are short snippets of text on a webpage that summarize what the page is about to help the searcher. Here is an example of a meta-description with the targeted keyword phrase Local SEO & Key Terms:

Here are the simple steps it takes to add a meta-description:

Login to your WordPress website, if your site is built on WordPress
Pick a post or page on the left-hand column
Scroll down until you see “Google Preview”
Click “Edit snippet”
From there you describe the content of your page in 155-160 words max.
Be sure to include a targeted keyword or phrase. This will turn the keyword bold like the example above.

Be sure to add these small descriptions to each one of your posts and pages to avoid being part of the 25.02% that are missing out.

7. The average age of a page in the top 10 is 2+ years old.

This is interesting and supports the fact that successful SEO is a long-term strategy. When you first get started with SEO, expect three to six months to start seeing results. These top pages have built credibility and backlinks over time. That’s why they’re so successful.

8. More than half (52.2%) of all website traffic worldwide comes from mobile phones.

This statistic reinforces the importance of having a mobile-compliant website. Not only do consumers expect your website to be mobile-friendly, but it is also a requirement for SEO on Google. Be sure your website is mobile-compliant if you want people to visit it. You can test your website to see if it’s mobile-compliant here: https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly.

9. More people are searching with their phones than they do on their desktops.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to you considering how everyone seems to be on their phones nowadays. However, consider the importance of load times on mobile – mobile users will leave a website if it takes too long to load. Prioritize having a mobile-compliant, fast-loading website.

10. Mobile searches that include the words “on sale” and “near me” have grown by over 250% from last year.

Keep this in mind next time you want to consider revising your keyword list or creating a PPC ad. Be sure to include “near me” and “on sale” amongst your keyword list for more searches and clicks.

11. 76% of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby is going to visit the business with a day.

The search intent is there. In other words, people search for something then go and get it. Having a mobile-compliant website isn’t just for user experience, it truly brings people to your business’s front door.

12. SEO drives 1,000%+ more traffic than organic social media.

Although social media is considered a very important digital marketing strategy and contributes overall to your website’s SEO and brand awareness, it’s not more important than SEO. While the purpose of social media is to connect and build brand awareness as well as community, people use search engines to research before making a purchase.

13. 75% of voice search results rank in the top 3 for that query

According to a recent study by Backlinko, content that ranks highly in desktop search is far more likely to appear as a voice search answer as well. Be sure to consider voice search and the growing influence of voice search devices in your website content. When your content answers specific questions, it is more likely to rank higher in voice search results.

14. Content with high levels of social media interaction tends to perform well in voice search.

Are you prioritizing your social media content? The average voice search result had 1,199 Facebook shares and 44 tweets. In essence, voice search and social media can arguably work hand and hand in finding your desired search query.

15. 47% of consumers view 3-5 pieces of content created by a company before even talking to a salesperson from that business.

Our last statistic reveals the importance of producing great content marketing materials to have a strong SEO program. Your website should be a resource for content which appeals to these info-hungry consumers.

Which statistic is the most interesting to you? Let me know in the comments.

How can I get started with SEO?

The best way to get started, is to find out where you are now.

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