Category: Research

Do you find yourself reading and watching content about your next potential purchase before actually buying it? This is just one of the many ways content marketing has shaped our daily lives.

From social media and podcasts to SEO and video marketing, content marketing is a quickly changing landscape. Even after years of being in the game, there’s always something new for us to learn, and at times, this can feel overwhelming.

But at the end of the day, our goal is to stay ahead of the curve so that our content is easy to find and useful for our audience.

If you’re wondering how to do the same, we’ve compiled the latest content marketing trends, stats, and facts to help you navigate this dynamic field. We will not only share the data but also show you how to take these insights and apply them to your own content strategy.

Top Content Marketing Trends and Stats to Watch

We’ve broken down the most important trends and statistics into easy-to-navigate sections. Just use the links below to jump to the topics that matter most to your content marketing strategy:

General Content Marketing Trends: What’s Happening in the Industry

Content marketing is changing fast. Let’s look at what’s new and important to stay updated about the industry.

1. About 47% of buyers look at 3 to 5 pieces of content before talking to a salesperson.

In other words, your possible customers are looking for information before they buy. By sharing helpful content, you can get their attention and make them trust you. This is why companies are spending more money on content marketing.

Content can be many things like WordPress blog posts, videos, social media posts, emails, or even fun quizzes. If you find content creation intimidating and expensive, well, it doesn’t have to be.

When our founder, Syed Balkhi, started WPBeginner, he simply focused on what he knew best: sharing knowledge with fellow WordPress users and small business owners. A simple blog was all it took to get started. Over time, this grew into the largest free WordPress resource site.

Maybe you’re great at explaining things in writing – then a blog could be perfect for you. Or, if you enjoy talking to people, you might want to try making videos or starting a podcast.

The key is to start small and focus on sharing what you know best.

2. 47% of marketers say that knowing your audience is the most important part of successful content marketing.

You don’t want to be making content that no one wants in the first place. That’s why audience research is a step you cannot skip.

There are many ways to do this. Talk to your potential customers, ask them questions, and listen to their struggles. You can also look at comments on your social media posts or blog or even send out surveys.

If you already have a website, then a tool like MonsterInsights can help with this.

You can connect your WordPress site with Google Analytics and track your customer journey and user engagement to see which pages are most popular, how long people stay on your site, and what content they interact with most.

This information helps you make content that your customers will like and find useful at every step of their buying journey.

You can learn more about the platform in our MonsterInsights review.

3. The top 3 content challenges for marketers are attracting quality leads (45%), creating content faster (38%), and coming up with content ideas (35%).

Thankfully, there are a lot of tools you can invest in to overcome these issues.

To attract quality leads, OptinMonster is your best option. It’s a tool for running marketing campaigns that can help you turn visitors into leads.

OptinMonster has smart features that show your popups at the right time, in the right place, and to the right people. This can help you get more leads from your content.

For faster content creation and generating ideas, many people are also turning to artificial intelligence (AI).

You can use platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, or ContentShake AI to help you write content and come up with new ideas quickly.

To speed up your content creation even more, consider using SEOBoost.

It’s a tool that helps you write SEO-friendly content all in one place. You can use it to optimize your existing content based on data-based suggestions and see what your competitors are doing on SERPs. This way, you’re not just guessing what content to create.

4. The top three content performance tracking metrics are website traffic (83%), email engagement (81%), and website engagement (81%).

What’s interesting is that metrics focusing on quality and cost are lower on the list. For example, lead quality (44%) and the cost to acquire a lead, subscriber, and/or customer (37%) are near the bottom.

This might suggest that not many businesses are tracking their return on investment (ROI) closely. This gap offers a chance to outperform your competitors.

Focusing on lead quality and acquisition costs can help you identify which content truly drives value and attracts your ideal customers. 

If you want to learn more about how to set this up, check out our beginner’s guide to WordPress conversion tracking.

More General Content Marketing Statistics

• 90% of organizations have a content marketing strategy.
• The number one goal of content marketing is to raise brand awareness.
• 54% of companies measure their content marketing ROI.
• 51% of content consumption comes from organic search.
• 60% of organizations are focusing on owned media for their content marketing like blogs, newsletters, and websites.
• 57.2% of businesses report their content marketing strategy as mildly or very successful.
• The content marketing industry is expected to be worth $600 billion by the end of 2024.

Content Marketing Tech Trends: From AI and VR to Voice Search

Here are some of the latest marketing statistics that are changing how businesses create and share content.

5. 58% of US marketers said generative AI has boosted their content creation performance.

If you’re not using AI already, you’re missing out. In fact, the tools you use may already be using AI, but you’re just not taking advantage of it.

For example, SeedProd, a popular drag-and-drop page builder, now includes AI-powered image generation and content creation tools. These features can help you quickly create landing pages without starting from scratch.

According to HubSpot, marketers are using AI for various content types: 57% for newsletters and emails, 46% for text-based social media posts, 46% for video-based social media content, and 38% for long-form blog articles. 

If you want to learn more, check out our article on how to use AI to boost your marketing.

6. 63% of AI users say inaccuracies in AI content are a big challenge.

AI is a helper, not a replacement for human creativity and expertise. That’s why fact-checking your content and making it sound more like your personal voice is important, especially when so much online content is AI-generated.

Your own voice is also essential for establishing E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), which Google uses to judge content quality.

For more information on how to use AI effectively without hurting your SEO, check out whether AI content is bad for SEO. It answers this question and shares tips on how to make AI-generated content more human-friendly.

7. Only 13% of marketers plan to decrease their investment in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in 2024, while 84% plan to invest the same amount or more.

A great example of AR in action is the IKEA App.

It uses AR to let customers see how furniture would look in their homes before buying. This kind of interactive content creates a unique and engaging content experience for users.

Our overall recommendation is to only invest in VR and AR if it truly benefits your business and customers. While it’s an exciting content marketing trend, it’s not necessary for every company. Consider your audience, products, and goals before jumping in.

8. The average Google voice search result has 1,199 Facebook shares and 44 Tweets.

As we mentioned in our Google search statistics article, voice search is becoming more popular. And this trend highlights a key strategy for getting your content to rank well in these voice results.

Successful content marketing isn’t just about SEO anymore. You also need to focus on making your content shareable on social media platforms. This social proof seems to play a significant role in how Google ranks content for voice search.

To make it easier for your readers to share your content, you might want to add social share buttons to your WordPress site. We have a detailed guide on how to add social share buttons in WordPress that can help you set this up.

But don’t just rely on your readers to share your content. You can also promote it yourself and repurpose it across different platforms.

Oftentimes, users will skip clicking a link if it doesn’t catch their eye. By repurposing content, you can present your ideas in different formats that appeal to various preferences.

More Facts About Tech in Content Marketing

• 75.7% of marketers now use AI tools for work.
• 85.1% of marketers use AI for writing articles.
• 46% use AI for writing copy, and 41% use it for outlining.
• The top 3 uses of AI are brainstorming new topics (51%), researching headlines and keywords (45%), and writing drafts (45%).
• 40% of content marketers use AI to help create overall strategies, like making personas.
• Only 30.1% of marketers think AI will hurt search traffic in 5 years.
• 43.8% of businesses using AI report above-average success, compared to 48.6% of those not using AI.
• Only 12% of marketers include voice search in their content marketing strategy.

Social Media: The Heart of Content Marketing

Whether you hate it or love it, social media is a big part of content marketing. Check out these social media trends and stats that can help your business.

9. 71% of Gen Z-ers and 51% of Millennials like to find new products on social media.

These two demographics have a lot of purchasing power, so it’s important to reach them where they’re most active online.

However, does that mean you need to be on every social media platform? Not exactly. Just focus on the ones where your customers spend the most time.

For example, if you sell clothes, then Instagram might be great for you.

On the other hand, TikTok has become an Amazon-style social media marketplace where you can sell almost anything that catches people’s attention. Its shop feature allows users to buy products directly through the app, making it a powerful platform for businesses targeting younger audiences.

10. 52% of people say funny content from brands is the most relatable on social media, followed by actual relatable content (38%).

Instead of constantly promoting your products, focus on creating content that resonates with your followers.

Take ClickUp and Duolingo as great examples. On TikTok and Instagram Reels, they share entertaining videos that people love watching.

Don’t worry – sharing funny or relatable content won’t harm your brand image if done thoughtfully. In fact, it can make your brand more likable and memorable.

The key is to ensure your content aligns with your brand values and meets your audience’s expectations.

11. 50% of Millennials and 38% of Gen X-ers say they have opened TikTok in the last three months.

Unlike popular belief, TikTok isn’t just for young folks. It’s now getting popular with older groups, too.

Because of this, even companies you wouldn’t expect now have a TikTok presence and are doing pretty well.

For example, the Nordic branch of Bain & Company, a consulting firm, has 11.4k followers and 83.6k likes on TikTok. This shows that any business can find success on the platform if they try.

They use it to build their brand by showing the people behind the company and sometimes find potential hires. They also don’t try to do every TikTok trend. Instead, they only join in when it makes sense, like main ‘point of view’ videos or year-end summaries.

12. 1 in 5 consumers see themselves as content creators.

In other words, anyone with a smartphone and social media account can be an influencer and affect others’ opinions about your brand.

If you want to encourage customers to promote your products or services, then starting an affiliate or referral program is an excellent option. It’s a win-win situation: you get more exposure, and your customers get rewarded for their loyalty.

That being said, it’s important to remember that this trend works both ways. Just as easily as someone can promote your brand, they can also share negative experiences. So, make sure you focus on developing a good product and providing excellent customer service.

More Social Media Content Marketing Facts

• Social media is the top channel used for content marketing distribution.
• 52% of businesses spend most of their content marketing budget on social media and community-building.
• Facebook is the most used social media platform by marketers (57%), followed by Instagram (55%), YouTube (52%), TikTok (42%), and X (39%).
• 82% of marketers reuse material across social media platforms.
• 27% of social media users have been active in an online community in the past three months.
• 24% of marketers say TikTok gives the highest ROI compared to other social media channels.
• 52% of US TikTok users find the ads on the platform fun and engaging.
• Millennials and Gen X-ers prefer to find new products on social media through ads, while Gen Z prefers short-form videos.
• More than 20% of social media users bought a product based on an influencer’s recommendation in the past three months.
• For Gen Z, influencer recommendations (9%) are more important than friends and family recommendations (7%) when making purchases.
• LinkedIn is used by 96% of B2B content marketers.
• 84% of marketers say LinkedIn performs best, followed by Facebook (29%) and YouTube (22%).

Video Marketing: The Hottest Content Marketing Format

Can you imagine a world without video content?

Since the birth of YouTube, videos have helped billions of users learn new skills, find entertainment, and connect with brands in ways they never could before.

Here are some trends and statistics that show why video marketing is so powerful.

13. 43% of marketers say short-form videos are the best-performing video format.

The popularity of short-form videos isn’t surprising, given the rise of platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

The best part? These formats are accessible to everyone with a smartphone, making it easy for businesses of all sizes to create video content.

However, creating effective short-form videos does require some skill. A great ‘hook’ – an attention-grabbing opening that makes viewers want to keep watching – is a must. You also need to be able to shorten your message to just 15 to 60 seconds, depending on the platform.

14. 87% of marketers say adding a video to their sites has decreased their bounce rate.

Videos are great at explaining complex ideas quickly in an entertaining way, which may be why they’re so effective.

But before you start making and adding videos to every single page on your website, here’s a tip: don’t upload videos directly to your website. This can slow down your WordPress site, which can then lead to an even higher bounce rate.

Instead, use platforms like YouTube and then embed the videos using a tool like Smash Balloon. This approach can help your site load faster and provide a better user experience.

15. Articles with at least one video get 70% more organic traffic, but only 8% of blog posts actually include videos.

The benefits of adding video go beyond just improving website traffic. Many people are visual learners, so including videos in your content can improve your overall user experience. Videos can demonstrate processes step-by-step and engage viewers in ways that text alone can’t.

At WPBeginner, we use this approach in our content strategy. We create video tutorials to complement our written content, but we’re selective about which articles get a video.

We prioritize tutorials that will actually benefit our subscribers if the content is explained more visually. This way, we don’t exhaust our resources by creating videos for every article. Plus, we ensure that the videos we make are truly valuable to our audience.

16. Viewers care 1.6 times more about content that relates to their passions than about high production quality.

You could spend a lot of money making a really fancy video, but if it doesn’t connect with what your viewers care about, it might not do well. But a simpler video that really speaks to your viewers’ interests could become much more popular.

This doesn’t mean you should ignore quality completely. Your videos still need to look and sound clear. But it does mean that you don’t need a huge budget to make videos that work well.

More Stats About Video Content Marketing

• Video is the top content type used for marketing worldwide.
• 45% of marketers say video is the best-performing content marketing format.
• Marketers say video helps customers understand their products better (97%) and that they see an increase in brand awareness through video marketing (95%).
• 87% of marketers link sales growth to video content.
• 65% of brands create 1-4 marketing videos a month, focusing more on quality than quantity.
• Half of millennials and Gen Z say they ‘don’t know how they’d get through life’ without video content.
• 56% of US consumers bought something based on a TikTok ad, and 36% said they were willing to.
• 53% of marketers are using short-form videos like TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
• 63% of consumers say it’s more important for marketing videos to be authentic than polished.
• 36% of consumers want to learn about products through short-form videos.
• After short-form videos, the best-performing video types are company/product videos (33%), customer success stories (32%), product overviews (29%), and how-to videos (27%).

Blogging and SEO: The Foundations of Content Marketing

While new trends come and go, blogging and SEO remain two of the go-to tactics for content marketing. Here are some stats you should know to refine your strategy:

17. ‘Everything You Need to Know’ posts perform the best for page views and time spent on the page, but they make up only around 0.4% to 0.8% of all content online.

These comprehensive posts (also often called ultimate guides) cover a single topic in great detail. They usually include multiple sections, plenty of examples, and actionable tips. The fact that they perform so well shows that users value in-depth, thorough content.

However, we don’t recommend starting your blog content strategy with this type of post right away. Instead, begin with shorter, more specific pieces of content. Over time, you can combine these into a larger, comprehensive post.

For example, our ultimate guide to boosting WordPress speed and performance is one of our top-performing articles. It combines information from several smaller posts into one comprehensive resource and has been shared 28,000 times and counting.

To find good topics for your blog, try long-tail keyword research using tools like LowFruits.

This can help you find keywords where the top-ranking sites have low domain authority, giving you a better chance to rank well.

18. Brands that blog can grow their leads by up to 165% compared to only 73% for those that don’t blog.

This means your blog needs to do more than just provide information. It should also convert visitors into leads.

With OptinMonster, you can add inline, popup, or sidebar campaigns throughout your blog. These can help turn readers into subscribers or customers, no matter what stage they’re at when engaging with your content.

Another great option is Beacon.

It lets you create lead magnets (like ebooks or checklists) that you can offer in your blog posts in exchange for contact information.

19. As AI impacts search results, B2B marketers are focusing on answering user intent (31%), publishing thought leadership content (27%), and creating conversational content (22%).

These days, it’s hard to tell if something was written by a human or an AI. That’s why Google now looks more for content that shows real knowledge and experience.

This means just using the right keywords isn’t enough anymore. You need to show that you really know what you’re talking about and add a personal touch to your writing.

For example, to help our readers, we have a guest post column where we invite experts to share their experiences in WordPress, digital marketing, eCommerce, and more. This way, we can give our readers trustworthy information from people who really know their stuff.

20. People typically start losing interest in an article after reading for 7 minutes.

Whether you’re creating long or short content, one thing is clear: people’s attention spans have gotten shorter. This just means you need to write content that is easy to read and scan for users.

Our recommendation is to use a WordPress SEO plugin like All in One SEO (AIOSEO). This plugin can evaluate your article’s readability based on various criteria, like:

• How easy the language is to understand
• If you use headings to break up long chunks of text
• If there are images or videos to give your readers’ eyes a break
• If you use too much passive voice

Here’s what it looks like:

What’s more, AIOSEO has other useful features to optimize your site, like a monitor for Google algorithm updates so that you can see how those changes affect your rankings.

You can learn more about the plugin in our AIOSEO review.

More Blogging Trends in Content Marketing

• 92% of marketers say they will keep or spend more on blogging, showing how popular this strategy still is.
• 59% of B2C marketers say high-quality content is the most effective SEO strategy.
• 83% of marketers say it’s better to make fewer posts so long as they’re high quality.
• 70% of people prefer learning from blogs to regular ads.
• 85.19% of all blog visitors come from search engines.
• On average, blogs have a bounce rate of 82.4%.
• ‘Mistakes To Avoid’ articles get shared the most.
• ‘How To’ and comparison articles receive the most backlinks.
• High-performing blogs publish at least one article a day.
• Articles with 7 or more images get 555% more backlinks and 259% more unique page views than those with no images.
• Long-form content of between 3000–10,000 words gets shared more than short-form content.
• There’s no relationship between Flesch Reading Ease scores and ranking positions on search engines.

Digital PR: Content Marketing Campaigns That Drive Backlinks

Digital public relations (PR) is often seen as the underdog of content marketing. When done right, it can bring a lot of visibility to your brand and increase your brand’s industry authority. But it can be a lot of work, too.

Let’s look at some stats about this content marketing trend:

21. 56.4% of marketers rely on organic link generation rather than manual outreach for building links.

Organic link generation means creating content that naturally attracts backlinks without directly asking for them. This could be in-depth guides, original research, or unique insights that other websites want to reference.

This approach can be more effective because the links are earned based on the content’s value, not through negotiation. It also boosts your perceived expertise, as others in your industry start to see you as a go-to source of information.

Semrush is a great example of this. The company often does research and surveys into the marketing industry and shares them for free in exchange for the user’s information.

22. 68.4% of businesses that prioritize link building create more interactive content compared to those that don’t.

Interactive content is typically free online tools that users can use for themselves. These include things like calculators, quizzes, or fun games.

These interactive elements are considered ‘link magnets’ because they provide immediate value to users. Other websites often link to them as helpful resources for their own audiences.

To take part in this trend, think about what kind of online tool your audience would find useful. Could you create a calculator related to your industry? Or perhaps a quiz that helps users understand their needs better?

For example, we created our own free keyword research tool because a lot of similar tools are either expensive or hard to use. Since a lot of our readers are small business owners, we wanted to give them a tool that can help them generate keyword ideas without any cost.

More Content Marketing Trends About Digital PR

• 87% of marketers will spend the same amount or more on case studies this year.
• 88% of marketers will spend the same amount or more on infographics this year.
• 26% of marketers use case studies as part of their content marketing strategy.
• The top 3 performing B2B content types are case studies/customer stories, videos, and thought leadership eBooks/white papers.
• Articles with data tend to perform better, with 5% of high-performing articles containing data studies compared to 2% of low-performing ones.
• 63% of marketers say backlinking and link building are their most effective SEO strategies.

Podcasts: A Passing Trend or Here to Stay?

Podcasts might be new, but they’re already big in the content world. Let’s see why this audio format has become so popular.

23. 42% of Americans ages 12 and older have listened to a podcast in the last month.

If you want to start a podcast for your business, ask yourself: Do you have things to talk about regularly? Can you make new episodes often? Does your audience like listening to content? Do you have time to make good-quality audio?

If you need some inspiration, you can check out General Electric’s ‘LifeAfter/The Message’ podcast. This science fiction podcast tells a story that incorporates real technology developed by the company.

This way, the company can showcase its innovations in an entertaining format, attracting listeners who might not typically engage with branded content.

24. 46% of people who listen to podcasts monthly say the ads aren’t annoying, which is 23% higher than for YouTube ads.

People might not mind podcast ads because they often sound more personal. Hosts usually read the ads in their own style, making them feel more like friendly suggestions.

For businesses, this means podcast ads can be a great way to reach people. And for podcast creators, it means you can make money without bothering your listeners too much.

That being said, if you are a business owner, we suggest looking for podcasts that talk to the same people you want to reach. On the flip side, content creators should only promote things they really like to keep their listeners’ trust.

More Podcast Content Statistics

• 80% of podcast listeners hear all or nearly all of each episode.
• Spotify is the top app for podcasts (35.8%), with Apple Podcasts coming in second (33.8%).
• The most liked podcast types are comedy, news, and society and culture.
• 49% enjoy podcasts while doing housework.
• 42% listen to podcasts on their way to work.
• 29% of listeners tune in to podcasts while exercising.
• People find new podcasts mostly through app directories (40%), asking friends with similar tastes (18.3%), or on social media (15.2%).
• For tech-focused audiences, a large majority (73%) of engineers listen to work-related podcasts every week.

The Business Side of Content Marketing

As with anything in business, there are costs and operational aspects to consider when it comes to content marketing. Here are some key trends that can help you make smart decisions about your content strategy.

25. For every dollar spent on content marketing, businesses earn an average of $2.77, which is a 177% profit.

While this return on investment (ROI) sounds impressive, it’s important to remember that results can vary.

Some campaigns might cost more or take longer to show results. You will need to factor in all costs, including time spent creating content, any tools or platforms you use, and promotional expenses.

26. 80% of very successful content marketers have a documented content marketing strategy.

Having a written plan helps align your team and set clear goals. It doesn’t need to be long or complicated, but it should include some key elements:

• Your target audience
• Content goals (like increasing traffic or generating leads)
• Types of content you’ll create
• How often you’ll publish
• How you’ll measure success

The document doesn’t need to be long. Even a simple one-page document can make a big difference in keeping your content efforts focused and effective.

If you want to come up with a content strategy for your website, then see how to create an effective content plan in WordPress.

27. 48% of content marketing is outsourced to agencies or third-party companies, with graphic design (47%), video design or animation (43%), and copywriting (37%) being the top outsourced tasks.

This shows that you don’t have to do everything yourself if you’re not good at it. You can get help from experts. These skills need some know-how because, without good quality, it’s hard to make content that works well.

While these are the most common tasks businesses get help with, there are many other parts of content marketing that can be outsourced.

For example, at WPBeginner, we offer WordPress SEO services that can help with creating content. With our professional services, you can improve your site’s visibility, build your authority, and, most importantly, save yourself a lot of time.

If you want to learn more about how we can help with your content marketing, you can book a free consultation with us today. 

28. 49% of Gen Z consumers stop supporting brands that don’t match their values.

Some companies have done well by focusing on their values. But others have lost a lot by taking sides on issues.

We suggest you find out what’s important to your customers. And if you want to talk about your values, show them through actions, not just words.

For example, Patagonia, an outdoor clothing brand, demonstrates its stance on sustainability in several ways. First, they offer to repair or replace any product that doesn’t work well. They also have a store where people can buy and sell used Patagonia gear.

These actions show that the brand is committed to reducing waste and extending the life of its products.

More Business-Related Content Marketing Trends

• 87% of B2B marketers focus on giving useful information to their audience rather than just promoting their products.
• Content marketing costs 62% less to start and keep going compared to other marketing types.
• Businesses that spend under $1,000 on content marketing tend to have the least success.
• The top concerns for B2C marketers are search engine algorithm changes (64%), social media algorithm changes (53%), and handling data (48%).
• To check if content marketing is working, most teams use Google Analytics (64%), social media tools (44%), and SEO tools (34%).
• 54% of younger Millennials think brands should talk about social and political issues related to diversity.
• 70% of Gen Z trust brands more if they show diversity in their ads.

Content Marketing Career Trends: Skills and Salaries in High Demand

Maybe you’re considering a career in content marketing but don’t know where to start. If so, understanding the latest trends in content marketing careers can help you make better decisions about your professional future.

29. Content marketers in the United States earn an average of $112,000 per year.

For most states in the country, that’s a healthy sum.

This high average salary reflects the growing importance of content marketing in digital strategies. Companies are willing to pay well for professionals who can create engaging content that drives business results.

30. The top 3 tech skills for non-senior content marketing positions are writing (61%), video (40%), and analytics (23%).

These are the foundational skills for success in content marketing.

Just think about it. For social media alone, you need to be good at writing scripts for your short-form videos, creating engaging videos, and understanding metrics to measure your performance.

For writing, we suggest getting used to using AI for writing because it’s becoming a standard tool in the industry. Our guide on how to use AI to generate content can help you get started and make your writing process more efficient.

As for videos, tools like Camtasia can help you learn video editing basics without breaking the bank. And don’t worry about expensive equipment. Recording with your phone is often enough to create high-quality content for most platforms.

Knowing how to use analytics is important, too, because companies want to know if their content is working well. Using tools like Google Analytics to track website performance, Google Search Console for SEO insights, and Buffer for social media metrics can help you stand out when looking for a job.

Did you know Google updates its search results around 13 times daily, from changing its rankings to the search interface? Or that keeping visitors on your website just 3 seconds longer can boost your Google rankings?

These are just some of the most surprising Google search engine stats, and there’s a lot more.

Like every other website, Google’s constant algorithm changes have affected WPBeginner’s search rankings. That’s why we study Google’s updates so closely. This helps us improve our SEO strategy and show you how to do the same so that your site stays visible in search results.

In this guide, we will dive into the most crucial Google search statistics that you should know to improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO).

The Ultimate List of Google Search Statistics

We have a lot of ground to cover, so feel free to use the quick links below to skip to the topic that interests you the most:

General Google Search Stats: Market Share and Search Volume

Let’s dive into some eye-opening Google search stats that show just how big this search engine really is.

1. Google dominates the search engine market on both mobile (95.18%) and desktop (80.41%).

Interestingly, over the past 5 years, Google’s share of desktop searches has gone down from 83.94% to 80.41%. Its mobile share has also slightly decreased from 95.9% to 95.18%. That being said, Google is still the clear leader.

Simply put, if you want people to find your WordPress website, you need to focus on Google. It’s where most of your potential visitors are searching.

2. Google’s search index contains hundreds of billions of web pages and over 100 million gigabytes of data.

This enormous index shows just how much content is out there competing for attention. To stand out, you need to make sure your website is properly optimized and easily discoverable by Google.

This is where All in One SEO (AIOSEO) comes in handy.

AIOSEO is a powerful WordPress SEO plugin that helps your site shine in this vast sea of content.

One of its key features is the ability to easily add your site to Google Search Console. This is crucial for getting your pages indexed quickly and accurately.

But AIOSEO doesn’t stop there. It offers a wide range of on-page SEO optimization tools to help your content rank higher in search results, from optimizing your SEO titles to implementing schema markup.

We’ll be discussing more of AIOSEO’s features throughout this article. But if you want a comprehensive overview, check out our detailed AIOSEO review.

3. Google processes over 6.3 million searches every minute.

This staggering number of searches represents a huge opportunity for website owners. But with so many searches happening, how do you know which keywords are bringing visitors to your site?

MonsterInsights can help you out. This tool helps you understand exactly how users are finding your WordPress site by connecting it with Google Analytics.

You can also connect your site with Google Search Console to see the exact keywords people use to find your pages.

From here, you can identify your top-performing keywords and create more content around these topics to attract even more visitors.

4. Every day, 15% of Google searches are brand new.

In other words, users constantly come up with new search terms that Google has never seen before.

For website owners, this means you need to stay on top of what people are searching for.

To keep up, you can regularly check Google Trends to find new topics in your niche and spot rising trends early before your competitors do.

Additionally, you can use keyword research tools weekly to find new search terms.

At WPBeginner, we like to use LowFruits to find new keyword ideas. The tool shows you search results where the top websites don’t have a strong domain authority.

This means you have a better chance of getting your content to rank well for these keywords, even if your WordPress blog is relatively new or small.

More General Google Search Statistics

• Google.com attracts approximately 2.77 billion daily visits worldwide.
• The top 5 Google search queries globally include ‘Google,’ ‘you,’ ‘YouTube,’ ‘weather,’ and ‘Facebook.’
• Google generated a global revenue of $305.63 billion USD in 2023.
• In Russia, Yandex leads the search market with a 63% share, while Google holds nearly 36%.
• Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has a market value of $1.6 trillion USD.
• Google’s first storage system had ten 4GB hard drives in a Lego casing, which is now displayed at Stanford University.
• A 5-minute Google outage in 2013 resulted in a 40% decrease in global Internet usage.

SERP Stats: Google’s Changing Landscape and Algorithm

What makes a website rank on Google? And how do you get to the top position in search engine results pages (SERPs)?

Let’s look at some surprising stats about Google’s search results and what they mean for your website’s chances of showing up in organic search.

5. 96.55% of web pages get no traffic from Google.

This shows how tough it is to stand out in Google search results. But don’t be discouraged! There are many tools out there that can help you get into that top 3.45%.

For example, AIOSEO’s SEO audit checklist feature can uncover various issues that might be holding your site back.

For instance, it can detect if there’s an accidental noindex tag preventing Google from indexing your pages. Or it might reveal that your website’s loading speed isn’t up to Google’s standards.

6. Google is predicted to tweak its search algorithm about 13 times every day.

This prediction by Search Engine Land came after Google revealed they did over 4,700 launches, 13,000 live traffic experiments, and many more tests in their algorithm in just one year. That’s a lot of changes.

While following SEO best practices generally keeps you on track, some major updates can affect even well-optimized websites.

To help you stay on top of these changes, AIOSEO offers a handy way to monitor Google algorithm updates.

With the SEO Statistics feature, you will find a graph with markers for all Google search result updates, allowing you to see exactly when changes were rolled out.

The graph also compares two key website performance metrics: impressions and clicks.

By comparing this data with the update markers, you can easily see how each algorithm change might have affected your site’s performance.

7. Websites that increase their time on-site by 3 seconds can rank one spot higher in Google search results.

The same Backlinko study also found that the average time on site for a Google first-page result is 2.5 minutes. This shows that engaging content that holds visitors’ attention and a good user experience both matter a lot for SEO.

If you’re not sure where to start with improving your site’s user experience, then you need to look at your data first.

If you use Google Analytics, you can set up user engagement tracking. This shows you which parts of your site visitors interact with most and how they explore your site.

If you have a WooCommerce online store, then you will want to set up customer tracking with Google Analytics.

This helps you understand your customers’ journey from the moment they land on your online store to when they make a purchase. You can see which products are viewed most often, which pages lead to more sales, and where customers might be dropping off in the checkout process.

8. The average Google first page result has 1,447 words.

Does this mean you should always aim for long content? Not necessarily.

While longer content can cover topics more thoroughly, what really matters is quality and value.

Focus on answering your readers’ questions completely and providing useful information. Sometimes, that might take 500 words, other times 2,000. The key is to make every word count.

One tool we love to use is SEOBoost. With this, you can plan your content based on data-driven suggestions.

For instance, it shows you how many headings your competitors use, how long their content is, and what questions you should consider covering in your articles.

While these are just guidelines, they can be incredibly helpful in creating content that competes well in search results.

More Facts About Google’s Organic Search Results Pages

• 65% of SEO experts say that Google’s search engine algorithm updates have helped their websites gain more traffic and achieve higher rankings.
• The 1st result in Google has about 3.8 times more backlinks than positions 2-10.
• Google’s top 10 results include 65% to 85% of their ranking keywords in their title tags.
• The average Google first page result loads in 1.65 seconds.
• The average URL length on Google’s first page is 66 characters long.
• Nearly 95% of newly published pages fail to reach the Top 10 results within a year, while most successful pages achieve this ranking in about 3-6 months.

Google Search Features: AI Overviews, Rich Results, and More

Here are some of Google’s exciting search features that are helping people find information online.

9. 91.4% of searches now show an AI-generated response from Google.

Many website owners fear their sites might lose traffic if users find what they need in AI-generated answers.

However, it’s not all bad news.

After all, Google’s other features, like featured snippets, are also known to sometimes reduce click-through rates. But they can also increase visibility and brand awareness for the featured sites.

Plus, if your content is featured in these AI overviews, you could see a boost in traffic.

If you need help, you can check out our tips and tricks to optimize your site for Google’s AI overviews.

10. Rich results in search get 58 clicks for every 100 searches, outperforming regular search results.

Rich results are enhanced search listings that provide extra information directly in the search results.

Think of recipe cards with cooking time and ratings, product listings with prices and availability, or event details with dates and locations.

These rich results are popular because they give users more information at a glance, making them stand out and attract more attention. This explains why they get more clicks than regular search results.

To get rich results, you need to use schema markup, a type of code that helps search engines understand your content better.

While this might sound technical, AIOSEO makes it easy with its dedicated Schema feature. In the block editor, you can simply input the information you want to show in rich results, and AIOSEO handles the technical part for you.

11. 44% of people trust regular search listings more than fancy SERP features.

While rich results can attract clicks, many users still prefer simple, trustworthy listings. So, it’s important to optimize for both types.

You will want to write clear, informative meta descriptions and use relevant title tags to make your regular listings more credible.

An SEO plugin like AIOSEO makes the whole process super easy. In the block editor, you can quickly enter your meta description. Then, the plugin tells you if it’s the right length and includes your focus keyword.

AIOSEO also offers a headline analyzer tool. It evaluates your post’s title and suggests improvements to attract clicks.

Plus, with the OpenAI integration, you can automatically generate headline ideas to save time.

12. Google Lens processes over 12 billion visual searches every month.

Google Lens is a tool that lets users search the internet using images instead of words.

It’s been a game-changer for many, helping people with everything from identifying plants to finding where to buy products they see in real life.

To optimize images for Google Lens, you will need to focus on clear branding and high-quality images on your website and products. Make sure your logo is visible and your product images are clear.

For your website, make sure to follow best image SEO practices. These include using descriptive alt tags and file names for images.

These steps help Google Lens understand and identify your images better, potentially increasing traffic from visual searches.

More Stats for Google Search Features

• FAQ rich results get the most clicks out of all rich results (87%).
• Google Autocomplete helps people type 25% less when searching.
• 62% of links in Google’s AI-powered answers come from websites that are not in the top 10 search results.
• Google’s AI answers show up less often for finance (71%) and insurance (52%) topics.
• 72.6% of pages on Google’s first page use Schema markup.
• Getting a featured snippet can help your website show up 1,000 more times a day in search results.
• Featured snippets and knowledge panels can get 42% of all clicks in SERPs.
• Web pages with Schema markup can get 40% more clicks than those without.
• ‘People Also Ask’ boxes get 6 out of every 100 clicks in search results.
• Google had about 136 billion images in its image search in 2023.
• Pages with schema markup have a 40% higher click-through rate than pages without.
• The ‘Discussions and forums’ feature shows up in 77 out of 100 search results.
• 3D images in Google Shopping receive almost 50% more clicks than static ones.

Google Search Ads: PPC and Ad Revenue Statistics

Google isn’t just a search engine giant. In fact, it makes money mainly from its advertising platform, Google Ads.

If you run Google search ads, here are some key statistics you should know:

13. Google dominates online advertising with a 39% market share, followed by Facebook (18%) and Amazon (7%).

If you want to get into online advertising for your business, Google Ads may be your best bet. That being said, it’s also highly competitive.

To stand out, consider diversifying your approach. For example, if you run a WooCommerce site, you might want to explore Google Shopping. This platform allows you to showcase your products directly in search results, potentially increasing visibility and sales.

We have a detailed tutorial on how to add products from your WordPress website to Google Shopping.

14. The click-through rate for a paid search ad in the 1st position (2.1%) and the organic search result in the 10th position (2.2%) is very similar.

This suggests users may trust organic results more than ads. Even being at the bottom of the first page in organic search can be valuable.

However, paid ads can be helpful for short-term campaigns or events needing quick visibility. They’re also useful for highly competitive keywords.

Often, combining paid and organic strategies works best. This approach lets you get immediate traffic while building long-term visibility and perhaps test some keywords before investing in SEO.

Of course, to see how much money you’re making in return for your ads, you need to set up a tracking system. For this, you can read our guide on how to set up Google ads conversion tracking in WordPress.

15. 8 out of 10 people can tell the difference between paid ads and regular search results on Google.

In other words, your ads need to work harder to earn clicks.

To make the most out of ads, don’t just throw money at every keyword. Instead, focus on areas where you can offer something special. Think about what makes your business unique and highlight that in your ads.

Also, getting clicks is only half the battle. Your landing page needs to deliver on your ad’s promise to get conversions and get your money’s worth.

Our article on how to make a Google ad landing page in WordPress can walk you through the steps using SeedProd, the best drag-and-drop page builder on the market.

16. 33% of people click search ads because they directly answer their query, more than those who click for brand familiarity or ad position.

Relevance is more effective than brand recognition and ad placement when it comes to getting people to click on your ads.

Just like with SEO, you need to focus on solving the searcher’s problem on your ad copy. Show how your product or service addresses their specific need.

This approach can help your ads perform well even if you’re up against big brands or don’t have the budget for the top ad spots.

Not sure how to do that? Check out our guide on how to use AI to boost your marketing, where we show you a prompt for generating smart ad copy.

More Google Search Ad Statistics

• Google’s revenue reached $79.9 billion in the first quarter of 2024, up from $69.4 billion in the same quarter last year.
• The average cost-per-click for Google Ads in the U.S. is $6.56.
• Shoppers who click a Google search ad before visiting a store that runs the ad are 27% more likely to buy something.
• People who click on a Google search ad before visiting a store by that ad spend 10% more on average.
• Google Ads have an average conversion rate of 4.8%.
• 38% of baby boomers (ages 55+) click paid search ads because they mention familiar brands.
• If limited to one ad type, 70% of advertisers would choose Google search ads over display ads.
• Over 20% of advertisers focus on ‘Target CPA (Cost per Action)’ or ‘Maximize for conversions’ when setting Google Ads bids.
• 40% of companies use Google Ads mainly to generate leads, while 30% use them to drive direct sales.

Consumer Behavior: How People Use Google Search to Shop

Google isn’t just a place to find information. Many users use it to look up the next thing they need to buy online or in-store.

Let’s look at how consumers interact with Google.

17. 71% of people say Google Search is their top choice to find information on topics like electronics, cars, health, and finance.

These topics usually require extensive research because they involve big decisions or investments. Before making these choices, people turn to Google for trusted, comprehensive information.

Because of that, it’s important to focus on E-E-A-T when creating web content. This stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s what Google looks for when ranking content, especially for important topics.

One way to do this is to showcase your business’s experience and expertise to build trust with Google and your audience.

AIOSEO has an Author SEO add-on for this exact purpose. With it, you’re essentially telling Google, “Hey, this author is a real expert in this field.”

This can boost your content’s credibility in Google’s eyes, potentially leading to better rankings. Plus, when readers see that your content is written by qualified experts, they’re more likely to trust and engage with it.

18. 4 in 10 shoppers start their purchase research on Google for both online and in-store buys.

This stat tells us how important it is to have a strong online presence that goes beyond your website.

While great content on your site is important, don’t forget to build relationships with your customers, influencers, and brands in your niche. Doing this can create online recommendations for your business, which can influence what people decide to buy.

You can start by teaming up with content creators for product reviews, engaging with customers on review sites like Trustpilot, or even creating a referral program to get more word-of-mouth recommendations.

19. 80% of 13 to 21-year-olds search at least 3 times a day, while only 60% of those over 60 do the same.

A lot of businesses targeting a younger crowd often focus more on social media than search. That being said, this stat highlights how important it still is to have a website and optimize it for SEO.

By doing SEO, you’re building credibility for all age groups. A well-optimized website that ranks high in search results signals trustworthiness to both younger and older audiences.

Also, focus on clear, easy-to-read content that doesn’t assume too much tech knowledge, especially if you target an older audience. Consider using larger fonts and high-contrast designs for better readability.

More Google Consumer Behavior Findings

• 49% of consumers use Google to discover new products.
• The most frequently asked question on Google worldwide is ‘Where is my refund,’ with an average of 15.5 million search queries per month.
• 73% of people who research online use a search engine to access at least one source of information.
• For routine purchases like baby care, 58% of consumers use search as their main source of information.
• For less frequent purchases like personal finance, 49% of consumers rely on search for information.
• Searches for ‘my activity,’ where users manage their Google Account information, have increased by more than 1000% worldwide.

Mobile Google Search Trends: The Shift to On-the-Go Queries

Smartphones have changed our internet usage and search habits. Let’s see how people look for information on mobile devices:

20. Mobile Google searches are less likely to end without clicks to websites (17.3%) compared to desktop searches (25.6%).

This difference might be because mobile users tend to scroll more and look at more results, making them less likely to find their answers in the features at the top of the search results page.

This is good news for website owners. It means mobile users are more likely to click through to your site, even if you’re not in the very top position.

21. Bounce rates for mobile organic search are 3% higher than for desktop.

Mobile users are on the go more often and, therefore, less likely to wait for a slow website to load, which can contribute to higher bounce rates.

If you want to get on Google’s good side and reduce your mobile bounce rate, then you should focus on Core Web Vitals. These are Google’s metrics for measuring user experience and site performance.

Start by using PageSpeed Insights to check your current performance. This tool will give you your Core Web Vitals scores and highlight areas that need improvement.

Then, there are many ways to go about improving speed, from optimizing your images and minifying your code to using a content delivery network.

For a comprehensive guide on how to implement these strategies and more, check out our ultimate guide on how to boost WordPress speed and performance.

22. 33% of mobile users make decisions within 5 seconds of searching on Google, compared to 45% of desktop users.

This difference likely stems from the smaller screens, which make it harder to look at visuals or read information clearly. Plus, mobile browsing just feels more casual and generally more distracting.

To accommodate mobile users’ decision-making process, you should adapt your website design.

You can use a responsive theme, make buttons and links easy to tap, add a font resizer for better readability, and keep your most important information at the top of the page so users can find it without scrolling.

Here’s our guide on how to make your WordPress website more mobile-friendly if you want more details.

23. 56% of in-store shoppers use their smartphones to research items while shopping.

That’s why it’s crucial to have detailed, up-to-date product information on your website. Shoppers compare prices, read reviews, and check specs right in the store.

To take advantage of this, make sure your product pages are optimized and include all the information a shopper might need. Consider adding features like stock availability or easy-to-use size guides to help these on-the-go researchers make a decision.

More Mobile Google Search Facts

• 51% of smartphone users have found a new company or product while searching on their phones.
• 90% of smartphone users aren’t sure which brand they want when they start researching online.
• 79% of people are more likely to revisit or share a mobile site if it’s easy to use.
• Featured snippets cover 50% of a mobile phone screen, making them important for search visibility.
• Organic click-through rates are higher on desktop searches and 50% lower on mobile searches.
• Mobile users are more likely to perform multiple searches, with 29.3% of mobile queries using new keywords compared to 17.9% on desktop.

Local Google Search Stats: How Businesses Are Found Online

Google features like Google Business Profile and Google Maps are making it easier than ever for users to discover local brands. We have found some interesting stats to demonstrate that:

24. Google is the most widely used online review site (81%), followed by Facebook (45%) and Yelp (44%).

If you have a local business and you’re not on Google, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Having a Google Business Profile is the first step you can take to show up in these local searches.

For a comprehensive guide on optimizing your WordPress site for local search, check out our detailed tutorial on local SEO for WordPress websites.

Our article will walk you through how to set up a Google Business Profile and optimize it for local search.

25. ‘Shopping near me’ searches on Google Maps have increased by 100% globally year over year.

To optimize for these local searches, you should keep your business information consistent across your Google Business Profile, website, and other platforms.

Be as detailed as possible with your information. Include accurate opening hours, pin the exact location, and provide a complete description of your business.

This consistency helps Google understand and trust your business information, making it more likely to show your listing in relevant local searches.

If you have multiple online listings, then we suggest using Semrush Local to make sure all of your information is consistent. This tool can crawl all over the web to see on which platforms your business is present and what details you need to fix.

26. 47% of consumers find the ‘Sort by newest’ review function most useful when looking at business reviews.

Fresh reviews let potential customers know that your business is active and maintaining high quality.

One effective way to encourage reviews is by offering customers a small incentive, like a coupon code, in exchange for their feedback.

If you’re running a WooCommerce store, we have a handy guide on how to automatically send a coupon after a product review.

Other than that, consider displaying customer reviews throughout your website, such as on your product pages, homepage, or even a dedicated customer reviews page.

Besides boosting your site’s E-E-A-T score. these reviews may even appear in Google search results. As a result, potential customers can look at some real social proof before they even click on your site.

More Statistics for Local Google Searches

• 54% of smartphone users search for business hours.
• 53% of mobile device users look up directions to local stores in search.
• 18% of local smartphone searches lead to a purchase within a day, compared to 7% of non-local searches.
• 60% of smartphone users have directly contacted a business using search results, like the ‘Click to call’ option.
• Businesses with complete Google Business Profiles are 2.7 times more likely to be seen as reputable.
• Customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider buying from businesses with complete Google Business Profiles.
• 89% of consumers say local branch reviews influence their decision to use a store.
• 91% of consumers believe local reviews of chains and franchises affect their overall brand perception.

Google Voice Search Statistics: The Rise of Hands-Free Search

Voice search is transforming the way people interact with Google, opening up new opportunities for website owners to connect with their audience.

Let’s take a look at the latest trends for Google voice search:

27. Over 500 million people use Google Assistant every month, mainly in English.

As this number keeps rising, needing to optimize your content for voice search is unavoidable.

One effective way to do this is by creating FAQ sections that address common questions in your industry. This approach works well for voice search because it directly answers questions people might ask their Google Assistant.

To make your FAQ section even more effective, you can add FAQ schema. This structured data helps search engines understand and potentially feature your content in voice search results.

AIOSEO can help you with this, as you can easily insert your FAQ section in the Schema feature in the block editor.

28. 7 in 10 Google Assistant requests use everyday language, not typical search keywords.

For instance, instead of searching for ‘best pizza in New York,’ users might ask, ‘Hey Google, what is the best pizza in New York City?’ This trend shows that your SEO strategy should focus on long-tail keywords and natural language phrases.

Instead of merely inserting keywords, you will want to optimize your content to answer specific questions and handle more complex, conversational queries.

Also, natural language queries often provide deeper insights into user intent. Therefore, your SEO efforts should aim to understand and address this intent rather than just matching exact keywords.

To assist with this, you can use LowFruits, which offers keyword clustering. This feature groups similar long-tail keywords based on shared intent using real-time search data.

By targeting these clusters, you can address a broad range of relevant search queries and improve your chances of ranking for multiple related keywords.

29. Having accurate business info on Google, Yelp, and Bing can make your business 90% more voice search-friendly.

People often use voice search when they’re on the go. They might ask, ‘Where’s the nearest coffee shop?’ or ‘What time does the hardware store close?’

If your info is correct and consistent, you’re more likely to be the answer to these voice queries.

This isn’t just about showing up in search results. It’s about getting more people through your door.

Every voice search that leads to your business is a potential customer walking in.