It’s the same old story: you do your research, build out your keyword targets, and create great content. But then Google throws a curveball, and everything you thought you knew is suddenly rendered obsolete.
If you’re like most people, your first reaction is to panic. What do these changes mean for your website’s ranking?
How will they affect your traffic?
Relax. Google is constantly changing, and that’s a good thing. After all, their primary goal is to provide users with the best possible experience.
As the largest search engine globally, they have the power to make or break a website.
So, what can you do to keep up with the ever-changing SEO landscape?
You can begin by updating yourself on the latest Google search statistics.
That said, here are 22 Google search statistics you need to know in 2022:
#1. Google Is Still the Most Visited Website in the World
There’s no getting around it: Google is the second most visited website worldwide. To put a figure on it, Google was visited 90.8 billion times in the past month (April 2022), according to data from Similar Web.
That’s about 91.9% of the search engine market share worldwide.
Interestingly, the most visited website globally is YouTube, also owned by Google. That shows just how much of the internet is under Google’s umbrella.
To put it simply, if you want your website to be seen by a large audience, you need to make sure it’s visible on Google.
Keep in mind that Google’s influence goes beyond its search engine and video streaming services. They also own the world’s most popular web browser, Chrome.
Not to mention Gmail, Google shopping, Google news, and much more.
In short, if you’re not appearing on Google, you’re missing out on a lot of potential traffic.
A fun fact worth mentioning: about 16.3% of Google’s organic traffic in the US is from people Googling the term “Google.”
#2. Google Holds the Biggest Search Engine Market Share
According to StatCounter, Google dominates the search engine space with a 91.56% market share.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that Google is the most visited website in the world (as we just saw).
Let’s compare Google’s market share to that of its closest competitors.
The second largest search engine, Bing, only has a 2.88% market share. Yahoo comes in at a distant third with 1.51%.
Other search engines like DuckDuckGo, Yandex, AOL, and Ask account for less than 3% of the market.
Since its introduction in 1997, Google has steadily increased its grip on the search engine market. And, at this rate, it doesn’t look like they’re going to be unseated anytime soon.
#3. How Many Google Searches Are Conducted Per Day?
On average, Google processes about 8.5 billion searches per day.
That’s about 99,000 searches every second.
It’s been a long journey for Google, considering they were only processing about 10,000 searches per day in 1998. Two decades later, they’ve increased their daily search volume by nearly 1,000,000%.
It only took Google a few years to go from being barely known to become the most dominant search engine globally.
The sheer volume of searches conducted on Google every day is a testimony to their incredible dominance in the search engine market.
Google’s success as a search engine has been credited to its ability to analyse and understand user intent. In other words, Google knows what you’re looking for even if you don’t quite know how to articulate it in a search query.
The ability to understand user intent is the result of two things:
- The massive amount of data that Google has at its disposal
- Google’s use of cutting-edge machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology
With over 3 trillion searches per year, Google has more data to work with than any other company globally. That gives them a big advantage when it comes to understanding user intent.
#4. Google Lens Usage Is on the Rise
Google Lens is a visual search tool that allows users to search for information about objects they see in the real world.
For example, you can point your camera at a flower, and Google Lens will tell you what kind of flower it is. Or, you can point it at a landmark, and it’ll give you some information about it.
Google Lens was first introduced in 2017, and, as we speak, more than 1 billion questions have been answered using the tool.
Also, Google is constantly updating and improving Google Lens. In 2019, they added the ability to search for products by taking pictures of them. And in 2020, they added the ability to scan and search for text.
As Google continues to improve its visual search tool, we can expect to see more and more people using it.
If you want your business to be found using Google Lens, you need to make sure that your products are well-labelled and easy to find in search results.
You can learn more about how to optimize your product images for Google Lens here.
#5. The Number of Mobile Google Searches Is on the Rise
Google processes more than half of all mobile searches in the United States.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that over 70% of all internet traffic now comes from mobile devices.
What is surprising is the rate at which mobile searches are growing. In 2013, Mobile searches accounted for about 27% of all Google searches. Today, that number has increased to over 63%.
This trend will continue as more and more people use their smartphones as their primary internet-connected devices.
That presents a massive opportunity for businesses can optimize their website for mobile devices.
If you want your business to be found on mobile devices, you need to make sure that your website is responsive and that your content is easy to read on a small screen.
#6. The Most Searched Query on Google
We’ve established billions of searches are conducted on Google every day. But what are people actually searching for?
After removing all the Not Safe for Work (NSFW) words, which account for nearly 20% of the most searched terms in the top 100, the ten most popular search terms are “YouTube,” “Facebook,” “WhatsApp Web,” “Google,” “Instagram,” “Gmail,” “Weather,” “Amazon,” and “Google translate.”
This list shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that these are all incredibly popular websites.
It’s also worth noting that six of the top ten most popular search terms are related to social media somehow.
Source: semrush
Another way to look at it, the list is dominated by branded keywords.
We’re seeing this trend across all of Google’s search results.
People are using Google to search for specific brands and websites rather than general topics.
If you want your business to be found on Google, you need to make sure that your brand is well-known and that your website is optimized for search.
The top three most popular search queries attracted more than 100 million searches in a month.
#7. The Top 3 Countries That Use Google
Not surprisingly, the United States is the country that uses Google the most. Brazil comes in at a distant second, with the UK holding the third position.
The US accounts for about 27% of the traffic that Google receives.
In fact, over 75% of all Google searches are conducted in English.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that English is the most popular language on the internet.
But what might come as a surprise is that the United States isn’t the only country that uses Google.
Google operates in 219 countries and is popular or the most dominant search engine in 190 countries.
People worldwide use search engines to find information about the world around them.
Some of the most popular countries that use Google include India, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
If you want your business to be found by people in these countries, you need to make sure that your website is accessible in their language and that your content is relevant to their culture.
#8. How Often Do People Use Google?
You don’t need rocket science to figure out that people use Google a lot.
But just how often are people using the world’s most popular search engine?
On average, 84% of Google users say they at least use Google 3 times per day (Moz 2019).
But that number doesn’t tell the whole story.
When we break it down by age group, we see that younger people use Google even more frequently.
For example, users between 18 and 44 most likely use Google, whereas users between 45 and 64 use it the least.
This is likely because older people are less likely to be online and more likely to use other search engines like Bing or Yahoo.
If you want your business to be found by people who use Google frequently, you need to make sure that your website is optimized for the search engine and that your content is relevant to your target audience.
Google has seen many changes over the years. They also introduced many new components like Google maps, featured snippets, Google news, knowledge panels, etc.
#9. Nearly Half of All Product Searches Begin with a Google Search
According to Google, nearly half of all product searches begin with a simple Google search.
40% of consumers begin their product journeys with a generic search like “best TVs” or “laptops under $500.”
38% head straight to Amazon for their product search needs
35% visit other marketplaces, while 27% rely on social media sites.
21% begin on a brand’s website. (Source: Google)
This stat should come as no surprise. Search engines are, after all, designed to help us find the information we need.
This information can be really helpful when trying to understand the buyer journey and figure out where your customers are in their decision-making process.
Knowing where the consumer is searching can help you determine how to reach them with your marketing message best.
For example, if you know that most consumers begin their product searches on Google, you might want to invest in SEO or Google Ads to ensure your website or landing page is among the results they see.
Or, if you know that a significant number of consumers begin their journey on Amazon, you might want to consider selling your products on the platform.
The takeaway here is that you need to understand where your target audience is searching and then adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.
Here’s an article you want to read to understand the consumer decision journey better:
“Step By Step Guide To Creating A Comprehensive Customer Journey In Singapore”
#10. Importance of Appearing on the Front Set of Results
One of the most important Google search statistics is that 90% of searchers never scroll past the first page of results.
- 5% click the first Google search result
- 7% click the second result
- 4% click the third result
The 10th position has an abysmal 2.5% CTR
(Source: Search Engine Journal (SEJ))
As you can see, a result in position #2 will generate three times more clicks than a result in the sixth position.
The result in the first position enjoys nearly twice the number of clicks a result in position 2 gets.
In the same vein, a position #1 result will earn ten times more clicks than a result in position #10.
This stat is important for two reasons.
First, it highlights the importance of ranking on the first page of Google results.
If you want your website to be seen, you must ensure that it appears in front of as many website owners as possible. And the only way to achieve that is through SEO.
#11. Featured Snippets Aren’t as Valuable as They Used to Be
While featured snippets are still valuable, they’re not as beneficial as they used to be.
As it turns out, the click-through rate of a featured snippet falls 5.3% below average.
(Source: SEJ)
This stat is important for two reasons.
First, it highlights the importance of appearing in a featured snippet.
Featured snippets are the boxes that appear at the top of Google’s search results pages with information on the user’s query.
The study shows there’s no real benefit to displaying a featured snippet.
In fact, positions #2 and #3 enjoy an above-average click-through rate when the first result returns a featured snippet.
That suggests that searchers are more likely to click on organic results that appear below the featured snippet.
So instead of obsessing over appearing in a featured snippet, focus on ranking as high up as possible.
#12. Knowledge Panels
Knowledge panels are also losing their lustre, suffering the same fate as featured snippets.
The first position in a Google search result with a knowledge panel has a click-through rate of 16% instead of 28.5%. That’s 12.5% points below what it should be.
The study reveals that these SERP results receive fewer results because users get the answer, they need right there in the knowledge panel. They don’t need to click on it or visit the website.
(Source: Sistrix)
This stat is important for two reasons.
First, it highlights the importance of appearing in a knowledge panel.
Knowledge panels are the boxes that appear on the right side of Google’s search results pages with information pertaining to the user’s query.
The study shows there’s no real benefit to displaying a knowledge panel.
SERPs with Google Ads
The trend continues when we look at SERPs with Google Ads.
The click-through rate of the first position ad falls to 18.9% (from 28.5% for organic search results). That’s nearly 10% points below what it should be.
However, their impact isn’t as significant as knowledge panels and featured snippets.
#13. Organic Search Results
Bright edge has been conducting this research for years.
In 2014, the company found that organic search results delivered 51% of website traffic.
By 2019, that number had increased to 53%. You have to note that Bright Edge didn’t conduct this study on their website alone.
Instead, they opted to collect data from thousands of websites and tens of billions of online sessions.
They would even break the traffic data by critical verticals.
In the retail industry, the distribution of traffic between organic and paid searches was somewhat evenly distributed. While the paid search was responsible for 23% of retail traffic, organic search delivered 41% of the traffic.
#14. 50% of Organic Search Queries Include Four or More Words
Online search is more human nowadays.
Online search queries have long moved from one or two-word searches to long-tail keywords that are more specific and descriptive.
That is a result of the rise of voice search and natural language processing. These technologies allow Google to understand the searcher’s intent better.
This has led to longer search queries that are more natural sounding.
One study found that 50% of organic search queries include four or more words.
For example, someone might search for “best men’s running shoes for flat feet.”
In the past, this searcher might have just searched for “running shoes.”
But now, thanks to voice search and NLP, they can be more specific in their query.
This has significant implications for your SEO strategy.
Keyword research is no longer about finding those one or two-word keywords that get a ton of searches.
Instead, it’s about finding long-tail keywords that you can rank for easily and are more likely to convert.
#15. 14.1% of Searches Are in the form of a Question
This stat comes from a study by Backlinko.
The study analysed 306 million keywords to try and understand the types of queries people search for.
They found that 14.1% of all searches are in the form of a question.
Specifically, they focused on keyword distribution, keyword difficulty, query length, SERP features, CPC, and traffic potential.
For example, a searcher might search for “what is the best marketing automation software?”
This query is in the form of a question. And it’s one that Backlinko says has high traffic potential and low keyword difficulty.
Using data from Ahrefs and DataForSEO, they uncovered some other interesting findings:
Here’s a simple breakdown of the types of queries they found:
- How — 8.07%
- What — 3.4%
- Where — 0.88%
- Why — 0.82%
- Who — 0.60%
- Which — 0.33%
If you use Siri, you must wonder why these numbers aren’t higher.
Now let’s go back to 2017 and compare these numbers to the stats from that year.
Generally, the percentage of question-based queries has gone up — in 2017, 13.41% of all searches were questions. In 2020, the number increased to 14.52%.
The biggest change was in the “how” category. In 2017, 7.68% of searches were in the form of “how” questions. In 2020, that number increased to 8.61%.
We deduce that people are beginning to turn to their mobile devices to learn or find solutions to their problems.
#16. Google is Now 33% More Likely to Rewrite Title Tags
Have you ever imagined what would happen if you used a different title from your H1 tag?
What if your title tag was “Best marketing automation software” and your H1 tag was “Why You Need the Best Marketing Automation Software?”
One study showed that about 50% of the time, Google will pull out the SERP title from the H1 tag.
But what if Google determines that your site title doesn’t accurately represent your page?
Or what if your page has no title?
According to Google, they’ll use the following sources to rewrite or generate a title link for the page:
- Content in the “title” element of the page.
- The anchor text of links points to the page.
- Anchor text is the clickable text on a link. People see what they see when looking at a list of links (like in Google).
- Heading elements (h1 tags)
- Page content
#17. Google Considers More than 200 Ranking Factors Before Deciding Where to Rank Your Content
This stat came from Google’s Andrey Lipattsev.
All this happens within microseconds.
A single Google search query can generate millions of results. So how does Google decide which ones to show you?
It turns out that there are more than 200 different ranking signals that Google takes into consideration when deciding where to rank your content in the SERPs.
Here are some of the most important factors:
- Content quality
- Keyword usage
- Mobile-friendliness
- Site speed
- Domain authority
- Backlinks
- User experience
There’s no magic number of backlinks or social shares that will guarantee you a spot on the first page of Google.
It’s the overall quality of your content and website that matter most.
To improve your chances of ranking, make sure you focus on creating high-quality content relevant to your target audience.
Don’t worry about trying to game the system with black hat SEO tactics. Google is getting better and better at weeding out low-quality content from their search results.
Just focus on creating the best content and promoting it to the right people.
(Source: Backlinko)
#18. Nearly a Third of Mobile searches Are Related to Location
Search queries containing the keyword open, now, and nearly attached to non-branded categories have grown by more than 200% over the past years. (Source: Think with Google)
Geographic location modifiers are terms like “near me,” “open now,” and “close by.”
They’re most often used on mobile devices when people are looking for a nearby business or service.
For example, someone might search for “pizza near me” if they’re looking for a place to eat.
You can adjust your marketing strategy to account for a third of internet forks searching for local businesses near them.
Be sure to update your business hours, address, and location on your website and local listings.
You should also be listed in directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and Foursquare.
#19. 27% of the Population Uses Voice Search on their Mobile Devices
If you’ve uttered the word “Siri” or “OK Google” into your phone in the past year, you’re among the 27% relying on hands-free search experience.
Voice search is a growing trend, and it’s one you need to be prepared for as a marketer.
On that end, 44% of smartphone users who use voice search do it at least once a week.
(Source: ThinkWithGoogle)
What does this tell us as marketers?
We need to make sure our website is optimized for voice search.
That means using long-tail keywords, natural language, and questions in our content.
It also means making sure our website loads quickly and, most importantly, is mobile-friendly.
If you’re not sure how to optimize your website for voice search, start by doing a few searches yourself and see what results come up.
You can also check out this guide:
#20. In 2021, mobile Saw 85.8% More Impressions than Desktop
This stat comes from SEOClarity, which used over 750+ billion impressions across 17+ billion unique keywords to analyse CTRs by country, position, device (mobile and desktop), and search engine (Google and Bing).
In fact, in 2021, mobile devices saw 85.8% more impressions than desktops.
This stat is a good reminder that you need to make sure your website is optimized for mobile if you want to succeed in SEO.
Make sure your website is responsive and your pages load quickly on mobile devices.
You should also use mobile-friendly design elements like big buttons and easy-to-read text.
(Source: SEOClarity)
#21. Google Chrome Was the Most Used Web Browser in 2021
According to StatCounter, Google Chrome was the most used web browser in 2021, with a market share of 61.93%.
That is followed by Safari (26.71%), UC Browser (1.48%), and Android (0.6%).
With more than 60% of users scrolling, swiping, tapping, and zooming on Chrome, you want to spend a little extra time making sure your website looks good and functions properly on this browser.
(Source: Statista)
#22. People Are 52% Less Likely to Engage with a Company If It Has a Bad Mobile-Friendly Site
Nothing can ruin a good user experience like a bad mobile site.
Complex navigation, long load times, invisible CTAs, and unresponsive design are just a few things that can turn users away from your site.
In fact, according to Google, people are 52% less likely to engage with a company if it has a bad mobile-friendly site.
While mobile usage continues to grow, so does the expectation for a great mobile experience.
To make sure you’re giving users the best experience possible, test your website on multiple devices and make sure it’s responsive.
(Source: WebFX)
Analytics should be your best friend when it comes to understanding how users interact with your site on mobile.
Use this data to improve your mobile site and provide a better mobile user experience.
The Key Take-Aways
- Google is the most popular search engine, with over 92% of the market share
- There are over 3.7 billion searches on Google per day
- Google processes about 8.5 billion searches per day
- 80% of users never scroll past the first page of results
- 75% of users don’t scroll past the first page of results
- 50% of queries are four words or longer
- People are 52% less likely to engage with a company if it has a bad mobile-friendly site
- Mobile devices are seeing a lot more impressions than desktop
- In 2021, mobile devices saw 85.8% more impressions than desktop
- Google Chrome was the most used web browser in 2021, with a market share of 61.93%
The Wrap Up
These are just a few of the many Google search statistics out there.
Keep these in mind as you develop your SEO strategy and create content for your website.
Remember, the goal is to provide users with the best possible experience when they visit your site.
