In this last chapter of our efficient SEO guide, we’ll focus on the (still amazing) SEO statistics. As a web marketer, you are keenly aware that search engine optimization is an incredibly powerful acquisition channel. But sometimes, the people around you might not be as convinced that SEO is the best strategy. This could be for a number of reasons:
It takes time to see SEO campaigns results. Contrary to Adwords or advertising on social media, you won’t see the results of an SEO campaign immediately. It takes about 5 months to see the full outcome of your SEO efforts.
It takes time to implement a SEO strategy. Finding and organizing data, searching for keywords, writing and optimizing contents, going through your website… All these tasks are time-consuming and makes SEO expensive (shameless plug: if you also think these tasks take too much time, try Mazen, the only SEO software designed to save you time!).
You are not always sure of the results of a SEO campaign. SEO can sometimes be an art rather than a science. The results of SEO campaigns depend on many complex factors. Sometimes your client or boss wants really precise figures, such as “how much traffic will these optimization bring to my website?” or “how much time do I need to outperform my competitor on a specific keyword?”
People do not always understand SEO, and there is a lot of misinformation online. From outdated practices still being used (yes, some people still use the meta keyword tag in 2017) to people thinking that “a good website doesn’t need SEO.” As an SEO expert, you still have to educate people every day about vital your job is.
But fear not! With a bit of education and some on-point statistics, you can replica rolex air king rolex calibre 2813 mens m116900 0001 15mm hands and markers in store convince your skeptical clients, bosses, and colleagues that SEO is an essential part of every efficient web marketing strategy.
Everyone uses search engines
It doesn’t matter if you’re a startup, a large company, a craftsperson, an e-shop, or a small brick-and-mortar shop, your clients are on search engines. Every day.
93% of online experiences start with a search engine. (Source: Forrester study)
81% of people perform some type of online research before making a large purchase. (Source: GE Capital Retail Bank’s second annual Major Purchase Shopper Study)
81% of B2B purchase cycles begin with a web search. (Source: Earnest Agency)
B2B researchers perform an average of 12 searches before engaging with a specific brand’s site. (Source: Google)
75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engine results. (Source: Hubspot)
People trust organic research results
Organic is better! That’s not just true for food, but search engine marketing too.
Organic and paid search engine marketing should complement each other. Especially since SEO is such a long-haul strategy, paid ads on search engines can be a good way to guarantee website traffic in the short term while waiting for your SEO campaigns to yield results. You never want to put all your eggs in one basket, so I personally recommend using a mix of various acquisition channels. And above all, always test your different channels to figure out the one that works the best for you.
This being said, some stats show that organic search has some clear advantages over other channels, specifically PPC.
Organic results are 8.5x more likely to be clicked on than paid search results. (Source: Enquisite)
86% of web searchers trust organic SEO results more than they do sponsored/paid results. (Source: Unbounce)
Other companies rely massively on SEO
Still having trouble convincing people to care about SEO? Social proof might be the answer to your troubles. These statistics will help you demonstrate that other companies do not have any doubts about the profitability of SEO.
66% of marketers say improving SEO and growing their organic presence is their top inbound marketing priority. (Source: Hubspot)
Search engine marketing, including SEO, is the most effective acquisition channel for 85% of retailers. (Source: shop.org)
57% of B2B marketers say SEO has the biggest impact on lead generation. (Source: NewsCred)
SEO is also great for local businesses
People often think that SEO is the winning strategy for e-commerce, but that they don’t need SEO for the own activity, especially if the run a local business. But the truth is, SEO can be a massive boost for local businesses because consumers rely heavily on search engines to find local stores.
46% of all searches in Google are local (Source: Search Engine Land)
Local searches lead 50% of mobile visitors to visit stores within one day. (Source: Google)
18% of local mobile searches lead to a sale within one day. (Source: Google)
Google searches with ‘near me’ have increase 34x since 2011. (Source: Search Engine Land)
Producing great content is vital for an SEO strategy, but will also improve your overall marketing
Google and other search engines mostly care about your text content. No matter how great your design and images are, it always comes down to content.
Moreover, search engines really like great, long content. But producing that content takes time and requires expertise.
The good news is that producing solid content is a long-term strategy. With great content, you can do SEO, but also share it on social media. Plus, providing quality content helps you establish your reputation as an expert in your field. It’s even an asset for your sales and support teams, who will be able to share this content to your prospects or customers if needed.
Here are some stats to show that content truly is king!
47% of consumers view 3-5 pieces of content created by a company before talking to a sales rep from that company.
60% of companies report that their SEO and content strategy are integrated. (Source: Social Media Examiner)
Companies that blog have 434% more indexed pages than those who don’t. (Source: Search Engine Land)
Mobile and SEO
That’s no secret to anyone today that internet usages has completely shifted with the rise of smartphones. SEO specialists need to think about mobile usage as much as desktop. Here are some handpicked numbers about SEO and mobile.
Nearly 40% of people search only via smartphone on an average day. (Source: Google)
51% of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product when conducting a search on their smartphone. (Source: Google)
62% of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile device in the last six months. (Source: Forrester report)
The future of SEO
You may have heard some people predict “the end of SEO.” Don’t listen to those guys. SEO is still very much alive; however, it is evolving. The basics of SEO are staying the same (great, optimized content + backlinks), but there are some trends that are worth watching.
People tend to use longer keywords now, as well as more natural language when searching. Moreover, the growing use of virtual assistants (like Siri or OK Google) will further increase the average length of search queries.
People are also consuming more and more videos online and these too can be integrated into a successful SEO strategy.
50% of search queries are four words or longer. (Source: Blue Nile Research)
Over half of US teens and 41% of US adults use voice search on a daily basis. (Source: Google)
Online video traffic represented 55% of all consumer Internet traffic in 2016. (Source: Cisco)
Video drives a 157% increase in organic traffic from search engines. (Source: Brightcove)
I hope that these enlightening SEO stats can help you convince your boss, client, colleagues, and the rest of the world of the importance of SEO. If you need more help, or if you can think of any statistics we should add to this article, give us a shout at team@mazen-app.com!
Chapters of the Efficient SEO guide:
SEO Keyword Research: A step-by-step guide with tips from the world’s top SEO experts
Rankbrain Semantic On-page Optimization: Use LSI keywords to outperform your competitors
The Ultimate Guide to Efficient and Powerful Internal Linking: The “Semantic Cocoon” Technique
