Essential UK SEO Statistics for 2021
Finding accurate and relevant data is essential for any business and especially for those companies trying to be more visible online. Understanding what your competitors are doing, what’s working for them, what techniques they’re using is gold. This information can help you focus on what’s working and can give you a fresh perspective to help you generate more leads and convert your visitors. The stats in this blog post are updated UK SEO statistics compiled in July 2021, which gives you valuable information that can help you compete at a higher level.
SEO Statistics You Should Know
With over 3.5 billion searches on Google each day, the importance of being found for the right keywords is essential. Other search engines are available, it must be said, however, when you think of this as a pure numbers game, focusing on the market leader can help you target a greater audience. Just look at the stats of where searches are performed:
93.24%: Google’s search engine market share in the UK (StatCounter, 2021).
3.91%: Bing’s search engine market share in the UK (StatCounter, 2021).
1.49%: Yahoo’s search engine market share in the UK (StatCounter, 2021).
The importance of ranking well is also supported by the data, as the first five organic search results account for 67.60% of all clicks.
Mobile usage has increased dramatically over the last ten years, as can be seen in the chart below. Mobile and desktop usage is fairly level, with mobile edging ahead. Desktop market share is currently at 49.85% and mobile at 50.15%.
Statistics for Organic Traffic
53.3%: Organic search traffic across all industries (BrightEdge).
31.78%: The average organic click-through rate (CTR) for Google desktop search in the UK (Advanced Web Ranking).
27.63%: The average organic CTR for Google mobile search in the UK (Advanced Web Ranking).
Industry/Business Spending Statistics
£1.8 billion: Google’s reported revenue in 2020 in the UK, which is up from £1.6 billion the previous year (Statista).
£901.50: The average monthly cost for work done on a long-term basis (Statista).
£394.75: The average cost per day for SEO work (Statista).
Local Search Statistics
Approximately a third of all mobile searches relate to location (Think with Google).
Approximately two-thirds of smartphone users will purchase from companies that customise information to their location. (Think with Google).
76%: The percentage of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby and then visit that business within a day. (28% result in a purchase) (Google).
45%: Approximate percentage of shoppers who click and collect. (Google/IPSOS).
Over 55%: The percentage of people who watch video online whilst in the shop (Google/IPSOS).
90%: The percentage of people who used the internet to find a local business in the last year (BrightLocal).
91%: The percentage of people who say that positive reviews make them more likely to use a business (BrightLocal).
82%: The percentage of people who look at online reviews for local businesses (BrightLocal).
76%: The percentage of people who trust online reviews as much as recommendations from family and friends (BrightLocal).
Statistics on Search Behaviour
55.57%: The percentage of people who use mobile devices to access the internet (StatCounter).
41.68%: The percentage of people who use desktop computers to access the internet (StatCounter).
2.74%: The percentage of people who use tablets to access the internet (StatCounter).
65%: The percentage of people who use their phone in their I-want-to-buy moments (Google).
39%: The percentage of purchasers who were influenced by a relevant search (Google).
79%: The percentage of people who took a relevant action on their phone prior to making a purchase (Google).
3: The average number of words an individual uses in a search query (Moz).
8%: The approximate percentage of search queries that are phrased as questions. (Moz).
18%: The percentage of searches lead to a change in the search query (Moz).
21%: The percentage of searches that lead to more than one click on Google’s results (Moz).
8%: The percentage of Google queries resulting in pogo-sticking (the searcher bounces back to the search results page and chooses a different result) (Moz).
Link Building Statistics
76%: The percentage of digital marketers who use content marketing to generate links (Aira).
54%: The percentage of respondents who carry out competitor analysis to generate links (Aira).
50%: The percentage of respondents who use brand mention reclamation as a technique (Aira).
28%: The percentage of digital marketers who reported having created a campaign that generated no links (Aira).
81%: The percentage of digital marketers who use Ahrefs as a tool for link building (Aira).
55%: The percentage of digital marketers who use Google Sheets as a tool for link building (Aira).
48%: The percentage of digital marketers who use SEMrush as a tool for link building (Aira).
43%: The percentage of digital marketers who use Moz as a tool for link building (Aira).
53%: The percentage of marketers who use Google Search Console to disavow domains (Aria).
53%: The percentage of digital marketers who consider rankings as the primary KPI to measure the effectiveness of link building (Aira).
53%: The percentage of digital marketers who use guest posting as part of their link building strategy (Aria).
63.8%: The percentage of digital marketers who prefer to outsource link building (SEMrush).
66.31%: The percentage of webpages with no backlinks (Ahrefs).
This information was compiled in July 2021 with the hope that it can help you and your business thrive. It will be updated when new data and information comes available. If you have any questions, comments or would like a chat about SEO support and website development, please feel free to email us at info@aboutnowuk.com.
