36 Vital SEO Statistics and Facts to Keep in Mind for 2020

Aleksandar Hrubenja Feb 04, 2020 · 12 months ago

The search engine optimization landscape is ever-changing. Shifting and turning with every update, every advancement in technology, it can be downright overwhelming.

In order to keep track and be on the top of your game, you need to regularly gather data, educate yourself continually, read up on the newest SEO statistics and information, and, in general, never stop learning. Well, this article will do just that.

We have gathered the most current information, statistics, and stats on the state of Search Engine Optimization that will serve you well into 2020.

So, if you want to find out more about the latest trends and developments in the SEO world, just keep on reading!

Key SEO Stats and Facts to Be Aware of in 2020:

Roughly 92% of all keywords see less than ten monthly searches.
Longtail keyword-focused content is usually more valuable to readers.
Roughly 31% of all people who browse via smartphones use voice search to do so.
75% of all search engine traffic goes through Google.
Roughly 70% of all consumers consult with online info before visiting a store.
Your rankings are influenced by over 200 different factors.
Video content is extremely useful for getting traffic.
28% of users doing local business searches through phones make a purchase.
55% of consumers use voice search to find a local business.
Marketers believe SEO is better than pay-per-click.

General SEO Statistics

1. Only 5.7% of all pages rank in the top ten within their first year.

(Ahrefs)

Ahrefs research shows that only 5.7% of pages will reach the top 10 rankings for a keyword within one year. For this 5.7%, it took anywhere between 61 and 182 days.

2. Of all the top ten ranking results, 60% of them are at least 3 years old.

(Ahrefs)

All the proper search engine statistics point towards the fact that more than half of the top ten pages needed some time to get where they are now. You will notice that almost 60% of them have been there for at least 3 years.

3. There are over 200 factors that influence your rankings.

(Backlinko)

It’s no secret that there is a myriad of elements that influence your rankings. But what is truly surprising is that there are almost 200 factors, according to Backlinko’s Brian Dean. Of course, SEO statistics from 2018 gathered by Backlinko include the basics, like keyword and site architecture. However, it also includes SSL certificates, links coming from “.edu” and “.gov” sites, as well as chrome bookmarks.

4. Many experts believe title tags are one of the most important SEO factors.

(Databox)

Title tags with keywords in them are very strong SEO factors, as well as keywords in headings. Furthermore, we trust SEO statistics from 2019 — once they are out — are going to say the same.

5. The first five organic results get 67% of all clicks.

(Databox)

We all know that nobody ever goes to the second page of Google. However, what you might not have known is that the top five pages get two-thirds of all clicks. The relevant statistics are pretty clear — getting in the top ten is all that matters.

Video SEO Statistics

6. Video content is extremely useful for driving traffic.

(Brightcove)

Using regular content is all well and good, but using video content can get you even more people on board. Namely, using video content means an increase of 157% when it comes to your organic traffic. With the rise of stronger and faster smartphone devices, we expect to see the SEO stats from 2019 to show the same.

7. The existence of a positive correlation between optimized descriptions and rankings is a myth.

(Backlinko)

This might come as a nasty surprise to many YouTube channels, but there is no point in optimizing YouTube descriptions. According to an analysis of over one million YouTube videos done by Bryan Dean and his team from Backlinko, there is no correlation between optimized video descriptions and said video’s success online.

8. Audiences are more likely to engage with video content.

(Convince and Convert)

Current SEO stats for website rankings show that your audiences are much more likely to engage with video content. Namely, in some cases, this can reach even ten times more engagements, like sharing, commenting, embedding, and so on and so forth — you get the idea.

9. Using videos in your email marketing is a good idea.

(Convince and Convert)

Videos are not just for your content and websites. You can use video within your email marketing as well. In fact, digital marketing and search engine optimization statistics show that you can double your click-through rates for your promotions and outreach when you use video within your emails.

Local Facts About SEO

10. Around 28% of people using their phones to conduct a local search will make a purchase.

(Think With Google)

Local SEO is an effective and useful tool for local businesses. In fact, according to the latest SEO facts and figures published by Think With Google, 76% of people looking for a business with their smartphones will find this local business within 24 hours. Of this 76%, 26% will make a purchase.

11. Almost a third of all local mobile searches are related to location.

(Think With Google)

Just think about how many people browse the web exclusively with their smartphones. This should provide plenty of incentive for local businesses to get some local mobile optimization going. Namely, a third of all local mobile searches are tied to location; a trend that will certainly continue, as we will no doubt see from local SEO statistics from 2019.

12. More than half of all businesses simply don’t have their own Google My Business pages.

(Hubspot)

Around 56% of all local retailers do not take advantage of Google My Business pages. This means that a very large percentage of your competition is missing out on local search engine optimization benefits.

13. There has been a 500% boom in near me searches in the last few years.

(WebFX)

The local SEO stats don’t lie — there has been a very substantial increase in “near me” searches in the last couple of years. This is indirectly caused by the developments and advancements of technology. Therefore, expecting this trend to continue at its current pace is not realistic, yet we can still expect an increase in the number of searches.

14. Voice search is used by 55% of consumers in order to find a local business.

(WebFX)

Local businesses should take voice search optimization into consideration for many reasons. One of them is the fact that consumers use voice search to find local businesses.

15. Roughly 70% of consumers use online information to visit a store.

(Dubub)

Relevant eCommerce SEO statistics and B2B SEO stats show that if you want to get your business booming, you need to get all your online information current and relevant. Whether you are doing business to business communication, or simply using your eCommerce to target users, note that more than two-thirds of all consumers will not visit your physical office without online data.

SEO Keyword Facts

16. Of all searches, 8% are made as questions.

(Moz)

Literal questions make up, according to internet search statistics, around 8% of all search queries. This is important to keep in mind when trying to implement snippets, for example.

17. A typical search has three words.

(Moz)

The most relevant SEO marketing stats gathered by Moz show that your typical search query has just three words. It stands to reason that you can gain solid results with using three-word keywords.

18. Around 92% of all keywords get less than ten searches per month.

(Ahrefs)

You might be surprised to hear that according to search engine traffic stats gathered by Ahrefs, data that includes over 1.9 billion keywords, more than 90% of all keywords, have a search volume lower than 10.

19. Roughly 18% of searches lead to another search.

(Moz)

There is a term in SEO circles called “pogo-sticking.” This refers to when searchers click on one of the links on SERPs, then leaves immediately and moves to another, and another… until they finally stay for more than a couple of seconds. As you can imagine, this creates serious bounce rate issues for multiple pages, and according to current search engine traffic stats, almost 18% of all searches end up pogo-sticking.

20. Long-tail keywords are great for strong conversion funnels.

(Neil Patel)

According to Neil Patel, using long-tail keywords can help you push pages through the conversion funnel. Getting people to visit your blog, showing the quality of your work, presenting solutions and products, and letting people evaluate you — all of this can be done through a blog. What’s more, people will reach your blog through your long-tail keywords more quickly.

21. Keyword research is seen as the most effective SEO tactic by many expert marketers.

(MarketingProfs)

The relevant SEO statistics from 2016 show that 48% of expert marketers believe keyword research is the most effective way to build up your search engine optimization efforts. They also believed that frequent website updates are also incredibly important.

22. Simply adding the word “because” within your outreach-focused emails can cause a 45% increase in your response rate.

(Backlinko)

It’s fascinating how the little things can have such a strong impact on our success. For example, according to SEO stats, adding the word “because” can really improve your response rates when you’re using outreach emails. However, it’s not that this word is so magical, but rather, it forces you to actually give evidence to what you are saying and gives people a reason to use your services.

Voice Search SEO Statistics

23. Most marketers believe that the SEO model is better than the pay-per-click system.

(Databox)

Over 70% of experts claim that, according to the latest data (as well as the SEO stats from 2018), while it’s debatable which model is more effective for the short term — both have their own strengths — for the long term, SEO is king.

25. Effective voice search results are 29 words in length.

(Backlinko)

If you want to have effective and strong voice search results, we suggest you stick to short and concise answers and key phrases. Brevity is the soul of wit, and Google definitely agrees.

26. Around 31% of all smartphone users use voice search at least once per week.

(Statista)

One of the more important SEO facts from 2017 to keep in mind is that, even then, 31% of smartphone users use voice search at least once per week. This number is increasing and should motivate you to invest in voice search optimization.

27. Voice search results load more than 50% faster than regular pages.

(Backlinko)

It’s all about speed if you want to make it in the marketing world. Consumers have lower and lower attention spans — hence why you need to act accordingly. Stats show that voice search results load much faster than regular pages (by 50% faster).

28. Long-tail keywords are vital for voice assistant searches.

(Neil Patel)

The importance of SEO statistics is clear when you consider how fickle and problematic the SEO landscape is. Getting as much control (through data and education) makes you and your work more stable. For example, Neil Patel’s data shows that long-tail keywords are extremely useful for voice assist searches.

29. Roughly 70% of HTTPS websites are voice search result pages.

(Backlinko)

Keep in mind that (more often than not) voice search results make up more than two-thirds of HTTPS pages. While the folks back at Backlinko are not sure as to exactly why this is, it’s pretty clear that it might help you rank more easily.

SEO Trends — The Numbers

30. There are estimates that by the end of 2020 50% of all mobile searches will come from voice search.

(Campaign)

Most SEO industry statistics point towards the importance and strength of voice search coming from mobile. However, you might be surprised to note that, according to Campaign, and Comscore’s voice search stats, half of all mobile searches are more likely to come through voice search.

31. The top 3 ranking spots have a 49% bounce rate.

(SEMrush)

The data SEMrush gathered the previous year sheds some light on bounce rates. Namely, according to SEO statistics from 2018, the so-called “bouncing” is impossible to avoid; its part and parcel of SEO work. So, you will certainly be happy to know that even the top 3 ranking spots on SERPs — in other words, strong domains — still have an average 49% bounce rate.

32. Users spend, on average, 3 minutes and 10 seconds on top ten ranking pages.

(Searchmetrics)

According to search engine optimization statistics from 2017, the average user doesn’t spend that much time on top ranking pages. In fact, they only spend 3 minutes and 10 seconds, on average. This tells a lot about users and popular pages. Short, concise, and attention-grabbing information presented in clear and specific ways is what works best.

33. Google takes on 75% of all search engine traffic.

(NetMarketShare)

The top 5 search engines online are, of course, Google, then we have Bing, Baidu, Yahoo!, and finally Yandex. Of these five, Google has 75% of all search engine traffic, with Bing sitting at 9.97%, Baidu at 9.3%, Yahoo! at 2.77%, and Yandex at 1.19%.

34. There are over 3.5 billion daily searches on Google, SEO statistics reveal.

(ArdorSEO)

Google is the undisputed champion of search engines for a very long time now. It will come as no surprise that the daily searches performed through this engine are substantial. However, the degree might surprise people. Namely, there are currently over 3.5 billion daily searches performed on Google every single day; if we’re to believe the latest SEO stats that is.

35. Another fun fact — a whopping 75% of people never look past the first page.

(Moz)

When was the last time you looked at the second page of Google? How often do you do it? Come on, be honest now. According to data on searcher behavior gathered by Moz, three-quarters of all searching sessions never go past the first page. These SEO statistics concerning the front page are evidence enough that the second page doesn’t really matter in the slightest.

36. There are over 75,000 Google searches every second.

(Internet Live Stats)

It’s no secret that there is an insane number of Google searches at every moment. However, the actual data is absolutely mind-boggling. Namely, one of the more interesting insights points to the fact that every single second there are well over 75,000 Google searches.

FAQs

How effective is SEO?

Search engine optimization is not only effective but also completely vital for your rankings. Of course, proper search engine optimization should be as organic as possible, and there is a (very slim) chance that you will get a completely organic, successful website with virtually no SEO investments.

Its effectiveness as a marketing method can vary, depending on the field your business is in. However, the success of your marketing efforts revolving around your website is strongly correlated with the quality of your SEO work.

How much should I spend on SEO?

This issue mostly depends on your budget and your specific marketing needs. Are you running a company that already has plenty of business dealings, or do you want to attract even more customers? Do you get work through your website, through word of mouth, or perhaps a combination of the two? How much money do you have at your disposal?

What percentage of Web traffic comes from search engines?

Believe it or not, but as much as 93% of all data and traffic transferred over the internet comes primarily from search engines. Out of this, Google itself accounts for around 76% of all desktop traffic, and a staggering 86% of all mobile search traffic — hence why implementing proper search engine optimization strategies into your marketing campaign is so crucial.

How is SEO ROI calculated?

Search engine optimization is a continual and ongoing process; it’s definitely not something that can be done overnight. As a result, just like with any other marketing-centered effort, it’s fairly difficult to measure. You first need to find a way to track conversions, how much these new conversions are worth, and see how quickly you accumulate them. Once you do that, you can get a rough estimate of your actual ROI.

How many people use search engines?

Essentially, almost as many people as there are on the internet. Around 58% of the entire global population is online, with a whopping 4.48 billion active internet users.

Conclusion

The above facts and stats should paint a clearer picture of what to expect from SEO in 2020, and how to plan accordingly.

So, there you have it folks, our latest SEO statistics and facts. As always, remember — the SEO landscape is changing all the time and updating your strategies and tactics constantly is vital for your ranking success.