7 Important SEO Facts and What They Mean to Your Business

It’s easy to find a long list of facts about online activity. But if you’re not an expert in search marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) can be confusing. That’s why we’ve put together a few important facts, explained what they mean, and shared how the information might affect your business’s marketing plan.

We’re going to race through them pretty quickly, so buckle up!

The #1 Organic Result in Google Gets Approximately 40% of all Clicks

This factoid from First Page Sage proves that when people search for anything, they tend to click on the first listing that is not an ad. Sponsored or paid listings are ads, and those tend to show up at the top and bottom of a page of search results. Anything that is not an ad is called “organic,” and in many cases, users prefer to click on these unpaid listings instead of clicking on ads.

59% Research Online Before Making a Purchase Decision

According to Google research, more than half of online users do a few searches before deciding what to buy or even if to buy. If you’re a product or service that people tend to research, ranking higher on searches helps customers see your listing and include you in their consideration set.

After Searching on a Smartphone for Something Nearby, 76% of People Visit the Business Within One Day

Time and time again, Google research shows that when people look for businesses near them on mobile devices, it’s often because they intend to buy. Search marketing and SEO help local businesses show up in relevant searches, so consumers can find them and purchase from them, often within a day.

49% Find a new Company or Product When Searching on Mobile

This Google report verifies that online users discover new companies all the time. While it’s great to have brand loyalty, online users are easily distracted. If they don’t find your business first, they choose a new option instead, one that appears high in their search results. Conversely, if you’re a new business, search marketing is a relatively easy way to increase brand awareness and drive conversions.

75% Never go Past the First Page of Search Results

This HubSpot research suggests that if a business doesn’t show up on page one of an online search, most users will not bother to see what’s on page two. That’s why companies spend so much time and money working on getting page-one placement for important keywords or search terms.

Moving up a Spot in Search Results can Increase Your Clickthrough rate by 31%.

Backlinko reports that even minor improvements in search rankings can make a big difference. For example, if your web page ranked fourth for a particular keyword or search term, and you changed the page a bit so that Google ranked it third on the search page, that will increase your likelihood of a click by 31%. This study indicates that it’s worth doing the work needed to improve your search engine rankings, even if you can’t dedicate the time and money required to rank at the top of the page.

Page Speed is a Major Factor in Search Rankings

According to Think With Google, “One of the best ways to optimize for ROI after the ad click is to make the whole experience faster. And yet, while page speed has been a landing page factor for Google Ads since 2018, most paid search teams don’t make speed recommendations. Meanwhile, SEO experts, who are forever trying to get buy-in for development resources, rarely demonstrate the ROI gains that paid campaigns can see with a faster site.”

Not sure if your site is loading quickly? Get directions for analyzing your site here.

So What’s Next?

Maybe this article answered a lot of questions for you. But if it left you feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. When you contact the folks at Cup O Content, we’ll work hard to help you understand every part of your digital campaign. We take time to explain strategies and results in plain English, so you won’t have to be an expert to know how your digital marketing dollars are working. If you want to work with someone who speaks your language, contact us today.

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