Relevant SEO Facts, Statistics, and Trends for 2022
Today’s search engines began with the creation of Archie in 1990. Archie was a simple FTP site with a downloadable directory of listings. Later advancements in web technologies, particularly site crawling and indexing, led to the exponential expansion and popularity of search engines.
In fact, over the years search engines became so popular that they created a new industry known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is so impactful that it’s impossible to share about it without a number of facts and statistics. To that end, we are providing a list of the most relevant and up-to-date information.
Interesting SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Statistics
Search engines drive 300% more traffic to sites than social media.
64% of marketers say that SEO is one of their primary marketing efforts.
The number one on-page SEO factor is content.
Core Web Vitals will become important page experience signals.
Page loading speed remains among the top ranking factors.
Keyword in the Title Tag remains an important on-page SEO signal.
Backlinks account for 30% of an overall page score in Google.
Long-form content generates on average 10x more backlinks
Optimization for mobile is one of the most used SEO tactics.
Posts with videos earn more backlinks and see a 157% boost in search traffic.
30% of all online searches are related to location.
Below, you will find a list of 58 of the most important and interesting SEO statistics. We’ve organized them into seven categories to easily explain the entire SEO industry and related trends.
General SEO statistics
Typing in the exact website address that you are seeking in a browser bar seems like a thing of the past. More and more people use search engines on a daily basis to access their favorite websites and find online content. Because of this, many marketers see the value in SEO. Let’s browse the stats that illustrate the importance of SEO.
- Search engines drive 300% more traffic to sites than social media.
Search is the #1 driver of traffic to content sites, beating social media by more than 300%. If you want to get more traffic to your website or your new blog, you need to appear in Google search results so that users can find you easily. - SEO leads convert 9 times more than outbound leads.
SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound leads (such as direct mail or print advertising) have a 1.7% close rate. - SEO leads have the highest conversion rate at 14.6%
Search engines are the primary resource of high-quality leads for many businesses. Leads coming from SEO have a 14.6% conversion rate. - Marketers favor organic SEO over paid SEO because it’s 5.66 times better.
Long-term SEO strategy is bound to deliver better results than any paid SEO effort. Organic SEO is 5.66 times more effective than paid SEO. - Only 25% of users go past the first search engine result page.
It’s essential for many websites to rank on the first search engine result page. 75% of users do not scroll past the first page of search results. - For 64% of marketers, SEO is one of their primary digital marketing efforts.
Marketers understand the value of a long-term SEO strategy. SEO has become a standard in the marketing mix, shoulder to shoulder with content, email, and social media marketing. About 64% of marketers actively invest time in search engine optimization (SEO).
Factors affecting page ranking
Over the years, search engines have evolved and improved. As a reflection of that, crawling, indexing, and ranking algorithms have become very sophisticated. Search engines use various factors when cross-referencing a website to a user inquiry to deliver the most relevant results. Let’s view the most important factors affecting page ranking on search engine result pages.
- Google takes into account over 200 factors when ranking websites.
Google has a very comprehensive ranking algorithm. Over the years, it has been revamped and updated a dozen times. Today, Google uses over 200 factors in its algorithm for ranking websites. - The number one on-page SEO factor is content.
Every SEO ranking factor is important such as page speed, quality backlinks, social signals, and so on. However, content is still the king. It is the first most important on-page SEO factor. - Web Vitals Metrics are essential for a great user experience on-site.
Web Vitals Metrics tell SEOs whether a website is healthy or not in terms of SEO. Web Vitals Metrics include:
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP);
First Input Delay (FID);
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS); and
Defining the Core Web Vitals metrics thresholds.
- Core Web Vitals will become important page experience signals.
Google continues to work on optimizing and delivering the best user experience. Starting in May 2021, Core Web vitals will be included in page experience signals, together with existing search signals including mobile-friendliness, safe browsing, HTTPS-security, and intrusive interstitial guidelines.
Conclusion
The SEO field is massive, and there’s a lot going on when it comes to best practices. The SEO statistics and facts that we’ve shared with you paint a picture of a brand new world. It’s a world shaped by internet users’ needs, wants, and expectations on one side and major search engines and businesses aiming to rank higher in searches on the other.
These 58 statistics will help you to better understand SEO, the latest trends, and what SEO professionals have been up to lately. Hopefully, we’ve quenched your thirst for statistical SEO knowledge.