There are not a lot of fields that are as dynamic as SEO. Mostly because major Google algorithms (which are fairly frequent) have a tendency to turn it upside down; this is why staying up to date is so important.
There’s a big discrepancy between those who take a more scientific approach to SEO and those who go by the gut feeling. One thing that they all have in common is the fact that they will never achieve results without the right insights. You need to understand what to do and how to do it. So, here are some of the latest stats and search engine rank reports that should help you get the results you’re looking for.
26% of all searches resulted in no clicks
The reason why this is so shocking is the best indicator that you lack insight into your own browsing behavior. After all, when you just need a simple answer to a question, you’ll just look up the snippet, get the info you need, and leave.
This is the pattern that is a result of about 26% of all searches, and it’s the reason why you need to aim for a rich snippet.
To get a rich snippet, you need more than just a high search engine ranking. You also need a proper format.
Using the “is” sentence structure and having a “what is” heading are great ways to start. You also need to be able to give a full answer in 2-3 sentences, with the first sentence already giving an answer.
Also, ranking on GMB can help you get in snippets and give potential customers all the information they need.
Google’s algorithm considers over 200 factors for your website’s search engine rank
In other words, it’s impossible to focus on all of them simultaneously, and the best way to approach this concept is to ensure that you’re creating user-friendly content. Even more importantly, there have been approximately 36 major updates over the past five years (not counting all the minor tweaks and adjustments).
You see, the main objective of the Google algorithm is to make the search better for the user. They want the user to find what they’re looking for, as well as content that they’ll actually enjoy in the simplest, fastest way possible. So, if you can create this kind of content and ensure that Google recognizes it, you can rest assured that Google will do its best to push your content.
In other words, you need to create a content-centric campaign instead of just focusing on website statistics. The algorithm is made so that it’s really hard to abuse, which means you probably shouldn’t even try. Instead, try to appeal to the general idea behind it.
So, instead of obsessing over all search engine ranking factors, you should probably just focus on the SEO factors that matter the most.
The average Internet user conducts 4 searches per day
The average internet user will type in just four searches per day. This means that you have to be very exact when creating a title for your posts. They type in the question and look up the first few answers (as we previously stated, one out of four searchers won’t even click on the link), and that’s it.
This is why you really need to improve your keyword research. High search engine ranking will affect your page’s positioning and increase the chance that you’ll rank near the top of the list; however, the key to this discoverability lies in the right keywords.
A keyword with the right volume and relatively low competition, combined with a high rank (achieved through high-quality content and great technical optimization), will ensure that you are seen.
Roughly 95% of keywords have less than 10 searches per month
In other words, roughly 95% of keywords are completely worthless. The best way to get around this is to actually spend more time doing keyword research and avoid proceeding with your tasks before you actually have a worthy keyword.
The paradoxical part of this is the fact that you’re getting these poor keywords because you’re too lazy to put in the time in your research. Paradoxically, this will cause you to waste even more time without getting the desired search engine rank results.
How?
Well, on average, it takes 5-6 hours to write a blog post. This means that you’re paying a skilled SEO writer a small fortune to spend hours and hours researching for, writing, and polishing a post that no one will see.
Then, when your search engine rank reports start rolling in disappointing, you’ll make an assumption that your entire strategy is bad or that SEO is just not worth it.
Creating content without doing proper research first is the equivalent of spending a fortune on a building with a botched foundation.
If you have no time for a proper SEO campaign (starting with a proper keyword research), it’s better to outsource it.
15% of searches are brand new
One of the biggest misconceptions about keywords is that it’s impossible to come up with anything new (and competitive). In fact, one of the most unexpected Google stats is that about 15% of all searches are brand new (never searched before).
This is where the role of an experienced SEO specialist comes to prominence and where the AI falls short. After all, the AI prediction tools only work with the existing data. The creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking of a marketing genius and niche veteran can help you get something new yet highly competitive.
You shouldn’t rely on tools like keyword planners out there. According to some recent surveys, these have the ability to overestimate the keyword volume by as much as 91%. We’re talking about a difference that ranges from completely unnoticeable to completely crushing. The difference can be just a few words in the long-tail keyword that can help you improve your search engine ranking position.
People care the most about social media
Picking topics and keywords is difficult. However, what if we told you that the most searched keywords on Google contain the words “YouTube” and “Facebook”? How surprising is this to you?
Among the most searched words are also terms like:
- WhatsApp Web
- Amazon
- Gmail
- Google Translate
In other words, we’re talking about the words that people are using daily.
You would be surprised at how many people don’t have YouTube/Facebook bookmarked (so they can just go straight there via a bookmark icon). Some people also don’t use the address bar to follow their search history this way.
Then again, it’s quite common for people who use these platforms on a daily basis to have extra questions about them. After all, “How do you delete your Instagram profile for good?” This and many other questions contribute massively to these website statistics.
The average age of top results is 2.6 years old
While everyone would like immediate results, the truth is that it might take a while for search engine rank reports to live up to your expectations.
You probably assumed that most results are current and contemporary, but this is not always the case. Sure, if the user goes with a year (or even a month) in their keyword, the results will lean towards the latest news, but, in general, this is not the rule.
The reason behind this is that the effects of SEO are long-lasting. With PPC, you get immediate results, but when you stop paying, the traffic rapidly falls off. This won’t be the case with SEO. Even if, by some poor decision or unfortunate occurrence, you drop your SEO efforts completely, the positive effects of all your hard work will linger.
It’s also because of the positive SEO activity creating a self-feeding system (a loop). Google puts you at the top because of your good metrics, so your visibility increases. This results in more people coming (higher traffic), longer average duration, more pages seen, etc. Each of these positive metrics further fortifies your high search engine ranking, which makes you near-impossible to dethrone.
Sure, it takes a lot of hard work to get there, but once you’re at the top, you’re there for good.
Just remember that these 2.6 years are the average, which means that you have a lot of new, well-ranking posts, splitting the difference with posts that are considerably older than 2-3 years. The median is usually far more important than the average.
95% of pages have no backlinks at all
This is an incredible missed opportunity for better Google ranking and something that you should definitely work on. It’s also why link-building is such an underrated art, which .
One of the main reasons behind this is the fact that the average cost of a backlink from high-authority sites costs roughly $364.44, which a lot of link-builders find to be pretty high. Still, Many SEO experts would argue that the cost is well worth it.
There are many opportunities for free backlink insertion, but the simplest (and cheapest) way to get there is to establish a strong brand and hunt for brand mentions, as well as have a strong backlinks management system in place. Sooner or later, someone will mention you. If you’re lucky, you can just ask them to add a link in exchange for an endorsement or a share. If not, you can even offer compensation.
Statistics help you identify effective practices and notice missed opportunities
It’s not just about doing SEO; it’s about doing it right by analyzing and interpreting these statistics. More importantly, by trying to figure out what’s really going on behind the curtains, you’ll have a much easier time figuring out how to improve your SEO activity. This way, your search engine rank reports will be much more favorable.
