Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an extremely important field to understand in the ever-growing online world. There are many things that one can understand better from having at least a vague handle of basic SEO statistics.
Below are 7 interesting statistics that are good to know and understand about SEO.
1. Starting with a search engine accounts for close to 70% of online experiences. (Source: BrightEdge Research)
Search engines are incredibly important when it comes to activity on the internet. In fact, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine. Think about that. That is more than 2 out of every 3 online experiences. Without thinking about it, you might quickly type a website into your search bar and then click that link rather than type in the entire domain.
2. 69.7% of search queries are made up of four words or more. (Source: Ahrefs)
Another interesting thing about searches is that they are often longer than you might think. Indeed, the statistics back this up in saying that approximately 70% of search queries contain four words or more. Often, complex questions are asked or chunks of data are copied and pasted to find matches. This is why companies must target the right keywords to see any SEO improvement.
3. Over 70% of websites have reciprocal links. (Source: Ahrefs)
Even though the internet has billions of websites, many are connected through reciprocal links. A misconception that many might have is that everyone is competing for themselves and their own interest. However, statistics maintain that 73.6% of domains have reciprocal links, meaning that some of the sites they link to also link to them.
4. Close to 8% of search queries are entered as questions. (Source: Moz)
How people phrase their search engine queries differs from person to person. Some choose to use simple keywords while others write out complete sentences, and some people enter their search phrases as questions. The data seems to suggest though that most people prefer to not worry as much about grammar as the words themselves.
5. In 2019, the activity of global search traffic was Google (75%), Bing (10%), Baidu (9%), Yahoo (2.77%), and other sites (3%). (Source: IMPACT)
When it comes to search engines, the sheer dominance of Google cannot be understated. For a complete perspective, this means that Google has nearly eight times as much search traffic as the next competitor and nearly four times the next two combined. Yahoo’s tiny share at just under three percent may also shock many who remember the glory days of the company.
The other interesting note coming from these numbers is that there is a lot of consolidation in this industry with most of the total global search traffic going to four companies.
6. Out of mobile searches, around 30% pertain to a location. (Source: Think with Google)
The role of the mobile phone has also played an increasingly larger role when it comes to SEO strategies. Today, 30% of all mobile searches are related to location. This makes sense given that most people almost always carry their phones with them, and using a mobile phone provides the most on-the-go, time-sensitive information. Think about it, when you are in your car and looking for a restaurant nearby, what other devices would you even consider using?
Another reason this makes sense is that most mobile devices have location settings already configured or at least emphasize them as often as possible. Many apps that require a location to be inputted (i.e. Uber, Lyft) don’t even have another place to be used.
7. Mobile devices account for over 50% of all global website traffic. (Source: Statista)
Today, 52.2% of all website traffic worldwide comes from mobile phones. This number has risen so significantly with the rise of the smartphone that it is hard to know how far it will rise in the future.
The introduction of easy internet access on the first iPhones and subsequent devices has boosted the traffic to more than half. Along with faster 5G connections, the emergence of hotspots, tethering, and other similar services has also made it easier for many to surf the web with their cell phone connection. Many people have completely substituted a tablet, computer, or desktop for just a cell phone. There is an ability to do more of the things on a cell phone today that were unavailable or not formulated even just a few years ago.
Summary of SEO statistics
Overall, these statistics offer an intriguing perspective on how people get their content on the internet. Increasingly, they are searching for content on mobile devices, using search queries to access information, and have informal inquiries with a good number of them revolving around their location. Understanding all these components can be useful and certainly reflects the changing culture we live in.
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Related posts:
- 7 Interesting SEO Statistics that Everyone Should Know - August 2, 2020
