13 Mind-Blowing Digital Marketing Statistics | SmallSEOTools
Digital marketing is indeed a game of numbers. You must know some numbers and build your strategy around them to win. It could be learning the number of posts per week that works best for YOU, the platforms that are converting most effectively, or even the number of people searching for your targeted keywords.
Running your business with numbers in mind will help you make data-driven decisions, which wins you the game.
But it can be challenging to find the digital marketing statistics you need to help inform your digital strategy. So Small SEO Tools decided to do the donkeywork of scouring the Internet to find some critical digital marketing statistics to help you make better decisions in your digital marketing efforts. We've also included “What to do” sections under each stat to help you figure out what to do with the data in question.
Ready to see the world in numbers? Let's start:
1. Google estimated that the Internet contains over five million terabytes of data, of which the search giant has indexed only about 0.04%.
(Source: Google, 2016)
Yes, the astronomical amount of information that Google has indexed to date is not up to even 0.5% (half of one per cent) of what is in the entire world wide web. As of 2016, Google knew of (not indexed) about 130 trillion web pages. It just makes you think about how large the Internet is, from the dark web to the completely unknown.
What to do: Don’t let your website be one of those resources that are not yet indexed. Create great content, perform all your on-page and off-page SEO chores, and submit your Sitemap to the Google Console.
2. 75% of users don't click past the first page of search results.
(Source: imFORZA, 2017)
How often do you scroll past the first page of search results when searching? Most likely not often; it's the same with your target audience. Usually, the searcher finds what she's looking for on the first page.
What to do: Always strive to feature on the first page of results for your top keywords. The second page is not helpful, and nobody cares about page 53. For the first page, quality content and backlinks are vital.
3. Google changes its search engine algorithm roughly 500 - 600 times yearly.
(Source: Moz, 2018)
Although most algorithm changes may not affect your rankings, significant updates can happen within the year. Also, most of Google’s algo updates go unannounced (it looks like Google deliberately keeps those away from the public), but the major updates are sure to get discussed.
What to do: SEO requires that you continually stay updated with the latest strategies and techniques. You'd be surprised that what worked last month may not be obtainable anymore for high rankings. Read top industry blogs and always watch out for Google’s announcements. But above all, understand that Google’s first focus is ALWAYS the user — they set up their algo to favour the user first. So you'd want to ensure your content and website are always set up to provide the best possible experience to the user. That's how to stay on top of any updates Google brings to the table.
4. Companies are predicted to spend $79 billion on SEO by 2020.
(Source: Statista via Search Engine Land, 2018)
Thinking you're done investing in SEO? Wait until the competition surprises with a huge SEO investment and takes over the #1 position. The truth is that SEO is one of the few digital marketing techniques that still work great today, and savvy marketers have realised this and are putting their money where it matters.
What to do: If you're not doing enough to compete favourably, sooner or later, it might be too late. You have to play with the fact that search provides 90+ per cent of all web traffic, beating social media by more than 300%. Don't be afraid to invest in helpful SEO tools or hire a content writer that can create result-guaranteed, quality content for you.
5. 72% of marketers say relevant content creation is the most effective SEO tactic.
Quality content is the crucial ingredient in any good SEO strategy. Improvements in the content have been known to increase website traffic by as much as 4,000%. Savvy marketers understand this; that's why 55% say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority in 2018 and beyond, according to HubSpot.
What to do: With this stat in mind, the reality is that most of your competitors are doing content marketing, and many of them are planning to create even better content. You have to start creating relevant, quality content immediately.
6. Only 15% of enterprises are using AI today, but 31% are expected to add it over the next year.
(Source: Adobe, 2018)
You may not realise it yet, but Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising all business areas, including marketing virtually. PWC even named AI one of the industry's eight essential technologies. According to a 2018 Venture Scanner report, 1,652 AI startups and private companies have captured over $12.24 billion of funding.
What to do: If your business is not positioned to survive and even triumph in the looming AI-dominated world of business, then you're late. Find opportunities that your digital marketing can use AI to grow your business.
7. Google is responsible for 94% of total organic traffic.
(Source: Web Presence Solutions, 2017)
To win at SEO, you have to play by Google's rules. In 2017, NetMarketShare also published a report which stated that Google accounted for over 79% of all global desktop search traffic, followed by Bing at 7.27%, Baidu at 6.55% and Yahoo at 5.06%. Ranking high on Yahoo or Bing is okay, but by the numbers above, marketers focusing on Google will likely enjoy the most business. A 2018 report by MarTech even finds that 70-80% of search engine users only focus on organic results.
What to do: When creating content or doing SEO, consider Google’s most prominent ranking factors. Also, consider using tools like Google Search Console to sharpen your digital strategy.
8. Blog companies receive more traffic, leads, and site links and 434% more indexed pages than those who don't.
(Source: HubSpot, 2017)
B2B marketers with blogs receive 67% more leads. Companies that blog receive 97% more site links than those that don't. Companies that blog have 434% more indexed pages than those that don't. And companies with more indexed pages get far more leads. Companies that publish 16+ blog posts per month have almost 3.5 times more traffic than companies that publish zero to four monthly posts.
What to do: The trick is to blog, blog, and blog. Don't wait; start a blog on your website now and never stop. There are so many benefits of blogging that you won't know until you start and stay with it long enough.
9. The number of voice queries increased 3,400% between 2008 and 2017.
(Source: HubSpot, 2017)
The emergence of voice technologies like Google Home, Amazon Echo Show, and other smart speakers, as well as voice-first assistants like Google Assistant, has given rise to voice search. And the trend is still growing at an astounding rate.
What to do: You must start to position your web presence to take full advantage of the voice revolution. We recently created a detailed guide on optimising your website and content for voice search.
10. LinkedIn is the most effective social media platform for delivering content and securing audience engagement.
(Source: LinkedIn, 2017)
While Smart Insights and Clutch state that Facebook provides the highest social value for B2C (96%) and Linkedin provides the highest social value for B2B (93%), LinkedIn is the best social media platform for delivering content and securing audience engagement. In fact, in the past two years, content consumption on LinkedIn has increased by 21%.
What to do: Share every piece of your content on LinkedIn if you're targeting a B2B audience and on Facebook, if you're targeting a B2B audience.
11. 80% - 90% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase.
(Source: Forbes, 2017)
How often have you tried looking up a service provider or company online before doing business with them? The fact is that almost every online buyer does the same.
What to do: Ensure that your online presence is always top-notch. Take over the first page of Google for your *business name* as the search query. People who want to buy from you will likely type in your name on Google first. If the first page is loaded with negative reviews about your company, you lose more business than you get. If a user drops any negative review about your company anywhere online, do well to handle it in a clean, professional way.
12. 69% of digital media time is spent on mobile.
(Source: ComScore, 2017)
AdWeek’s finding confirms this as they report that mobile now represents almost 7 in 10 digital media minutes, and smartphone apps alone account for half of all digital time spent. Users who have a bad mobile user experience are 60% less likely to revisit and purchase from that brand in future, according to a Smart Insights 2017 report. Also, 40% of visitors will skip to a different search result if the first is not mobile-friendly.
What to do: Start by making your website responsive. Then consider website load speed. A 10-second page load time has a 123% higher bounce rate than a 1-second page load time, according to to Think With Google, 2017.
13. On Google, 18% of organic clicks go to the #1 position, 10% to the #2 part, and 7% to the #3 place.
(Source: Slingshot, 2017)
Unsurprisingly, most of us find what we are looking for in the first few results. As you can see, the difference between 1st and 2nd position is enormous. 8% out of a billion searches is, well, a lot. In that same Slingshot study, tests for Bing show that 9.7% of organic clicks go to #1, 5.5% to #2, and 2.7% to #3.
What to do: If you're going to do SEO, aim for the first three positions. This is especially important for your top 5 main keywords. For secondary keywords, you can accept lesser roles.
Your turn
Given that digital marketing is constantly evolving staying abreast with the latest research is essential to be ahead of the curve. When building your digital strategy for SEO, content marketing, social media, or paid advertising, always look for the correct stats and decide based on what has proven effective.
Keeping track of what works for you in your business is also essential; use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or even our premium quality free SEO tools. That way, you'll be able to see what is working, what you need to change, and the best chances of growing your business. You can also Like Smallseotools Facebook page and small seo tools twitter page.
