Top 100 SEO Statistics for 2025: What’s Driving Search This Year

Author

Inessa takes care of our beloved user community on Facebook and helps with video production. The rest of the time she does sports, reads a lot of fiction and drinks tea.

Date

May 19, 2025

Search engine optimization continues to be one of the most effective marketing strategies for driving organic traffic, building brand visibility, and improving ROI. But in 2025, SEO looks very different from even a year ago.

With the rapid rise of generative AI, the expansion of Google AI Overviews, the dominance of mobile, and an ever-changing SERP landscape, SEO professionals are facing both fresh challenges and new opportunities.

To help you stay ahead, we’ve compiled a list of the most up-to-date, fact-checked SEO statistics from verified industry sources. Use this data to sharpen your strategy, validate your decisions, and uncover hidden opportunities in 2025.

Key SEO insights for 2025

Google processes more than 99,000 search queries every single second and over 8.5 billion searches per day.
Around 94% of user clicks go to organic listings rather than paid ads.
Featured snippets boast the highest click-through rate, reaching 42.9%.
Roughly three-quarters of searchers never scroll past the first page of Google results.
52% of content referenced in Google’s AI Overviews comes from pages ranked in the top 10.
Articles exceeding 3,000 words generate triple the traffic compared to typical 1,400-word posts. They also earn 4x more shares and attract 3.5x more backlinks.
An estimated 92.3% of internet users go online via mobile devices.
Looking ahead to 2025, the biggest SEO shifts are being driven by generative AI, Google’s evolving E-E-A-T guidelines, and the rise of zero-click search behavior.

SEO market statistics

SEO professionals are more sought-after than ever, with demand, compensation, and expectations continuing to rise. Here’s a snapshot of the latest trends and figures defining the SEO landscape in 2025:

The average annual salary for SEO specialists in the U.S. has climbed to $70,300 — nearly $5,000 more than in 2024.
Hourly billing for SEO services typically ranges between $100 and $150, depending on expertise and scope.
Monthly retainers fall between $500 and $1,000, with higher rates common among more seasoned professionals.
Nearly half (48.9%) of SEO practitioners anticipate budget growth in 2024 and beyond.
Navigating advancements in AI technology ranked as the top challenge for SEO and digital marketing professionals in 2024.
Boosting brand visibility through SEO remained a top priority across all professional levels in both 2023 and 2024.
Since the rollout of Google’s AI Overviews (AIO) in May 2024, 63% of SEOs say they’ve seen improvements in rankings, visibility, or organic traffic. As a result, many businesses are now leveraging AIOs as a key SEO opportunity in 2025.
The global market for SEO services is on track to reach a valuation of $146.96 billion in 2025.

AI & Generative Search Statistics

99% of generative AI users still use Google Search.
In January 2025, AI Overviews appeared in 30% of Google search results.
74% of problem-solving queries trigger AI Overviews.
65% of marketers say they achieve better SEO results using AI tools.
67% of companies see improved content quality with AI involvement.
ChatGPT and Perplexity drive less than 1% of search referral traffic combined.
Pages cited in AI Overviews rank in the top 10 in 52% of cases.
Long-tail keyword queries are 60% more likely to trigger an AI Overview.
The average AI Overview contains 5,337 characters.
AI Overviews typically link to 6–7 pages per response.
41% of SEOs now try to optimize for inclusion in AI-generated answers.
36% of U.S. adults say they’ve never used AI-powered search.
25% of users say AI-generated results are more specific than traditional search results.
The average user triggers 200+ events/month on Google, vs. 12.2 on ChatGPT.
58% of informational queries now trigger AI Overviews.

Search Engine statistics

Google remains the most visited site globally and continues to lead as the world’s largest search engine. Here's a look at how search engines are shaping the web in 2025:

68% of all online activities begin with a user query on a search engine.
Google commands a dominant 89.74% share of the global search engine market.
After Google, Bing accounts for 3.97%, while Yandex captures 2.56% of market usage.
When it comes to mobile search, Google’s share rises even higher to 93.88%
Every day, over 8.5 billion queries are made on Google — that’s nearly 99,000 searches per second.
On average, individuals perform between three to four searches daily.
Organic search is the second most significant source of website traffic, driving 29% of all visits.

Ranking and CTR statistics

Ranking higher in Google directly impacts how much traffic you get — and the numbers prove it. Let’s break down how position on the SERP and result types affect click behavior:

Google’s search algorithm takes over 200 ranking signals into account.
In 2025, the most influential ranking factors are content quality, backlinks, and alignment with search intent.
The top organic listing earns nearly 19 times more clicks than the highest-performing paid ad.
Holding the #1 organic spot delivers 39.8% of total clicks.
When the top organic listing appears as a featured snippet, the click-through rate increases to 42.9%.
Climbing from the second to the first position leads to a 74.5% increase in clicks.
Every time you move up a single spot on Google’s SERP, you can expect a 32.3% CTR boost.
Rich results attract 58% of clicks, outperforming standard results with only a 41% CTR.
The top result is 10 times more likely to be clicked than a page sitting in the tenth spot.
Just 0.78% of users click anything on Google’s second results page.
The top three organic listings combine for a massive 68.7% of all search clicks.

Keyword use statistics

Keywords remain the foundation of SEO strategy — they power visibility, shape rankings, and guide user intent. Here’s what today’s keyword landscape looks like, based on the latest data:

A staggering 94.74% of all keywords receive fewer than 10 searches per month.
Fewer than 0.001% of keywords (just 0.0008%) exceed 100,000 monthly searches.
Roughly 15% of daily Google queries are entirely new and have never been searched before.
In 2024, “YouTube” topped the charts as the most searched term globally.
Titles that include question-based keywords average a 15.5% click-through rate, compared to 16.3% for non-question titles.
Including a keyword in your page URL can improve CTR by up to 45%.
34.71% of all Google searches are long-tail queries containing four or more words.
Meta titles that are too lengthy are 57% more likely to be rewritten by Google
25.02% of the highest-ranking pages lack a meta description entirely.
Blog content that targets transactional keywords as part of a thought leadership strategy can yield an ROI as high as 748%.

Link Building stats

Backlinks remain a cornerstone of Google’s ranking algorithm — and in 2025, they’re more influential than ever. Here's a look at the latest data shaping the world of link building:

SEO professionals continue to rank high-quality content as the most effective way to attract backlinks in 2025.
Pages with a higher number of backlinks consistently receive more organic traffic from Google.
Shockingly, 95% of all web pages don’t have a single backlink pointing to them.
A breakdown of backlink distribution shows that the vast majority of pages earn none at all.
In contrast, 92.3% of the top 100 ranking domains have at least one backlink.
The first result on Google typically has 3.8 times more backlinks than those in positions two through ten.
Companies that maintain an active blog receive 97% more backlinks than those without one.
41% of SEO specialists say that link building is the hardest part of SEO.
Articles with over 3,000 words attract 77.2% more backlinks compared to content under 1,000 words.

Local SEO insights

Local SEO focuses on helping businesses connect with nearby customers — and the data shows it’s one of the most impactful strategies for conversions and trust. Here's what the latest numbers reveal:

46% of all Google searches each month are made with local intent.
86% of users rely on Google Maps to find a business location.
When it comes to local search results, 42% of clicks go to listings in the Google Map Pack.
Nearly all consumers — 99% — read online reviews before making a purchase decision.
46% of shoppers trust online reviews just as much as recommendations from friends or family.
18% of mobile searches for local products or services result in a purchase within 24 hours.
43% of small businesses plan to improve their website’s performance in 2025 to boost visibility in local search.

Voice search stats

With smart assistants becoming more integrated into daily life, voice search has transformed how people access information. These latest stats show why now is the time to optimize for spoken queries:

There are currently 8.4 billion active voice-enabled devices worldwide — double the count from 2024.
Each month, users make over 1 billion voice searches, reflecting a massive behavioral shift.
71% of internet users say they prefer speaking to their devices rather than typing, most often to get weather updates, play music, or check the news.
People using smartphones are three times more likely to conduct a voice search.
Half of all mobile users perform voice searches on a daily basis.
The average response given for a voice query contains just 29 words, favoring concise answers.
40.7% of voice search results are pulled directly from featured snippets in Google’s index.
The global voice recognition market is projected to hit $50 billion by 2029, up significantly from $12 billion in 2022.
Pages that rank well in voice search typically have an average of 2,312 words, indicating the value of in-depth content.

Video SEO stats

With Google and YouTube holding the top two spots in global search traffic, video SEO is now essential for discoverability and engagement. These video marketing statistics reveal why it’s a key part of successful SEO strategies:

Pages featuring videos attract 157% more organic traffic than those without.
Video-enhanced content sees a 41% higher click-through rate compared to text-only pages.
Google includes video thumbnails in 26% of its search results, making video a visual advantage in the SERP.
Videos are 50 times more likely to appear on the first page of Google than standard text-based content.
YouTube’s algorithm favors engagement — videos with more likes, comments, shares, and views tend to rank higher.
In 2024, the most searched term on YouTube was “ASMR”, generating 5.8 million global searches.
89% of companies incorporated video into their marketing mix in 2024.
For those not yet on board, 68% of businesses plan to start using video as part of their strategy in 2025.

Ecommerce SEO

With digital commerce evolving rapidly, SEO has become a core pillar for e-commerce growth. These updated stats highlight how search behavior, mobile usage, and content influence buying decisions:

By 2027, e-commerce is projected to account for 41% of all global retail sales, nearly doubling its share since 2017.
Combined growth in retail and food e-commerce could push the sector’s total value to between $14 trillion and $20 trillion by 2040.
40% of online shoppers now prefer completing their entire buying journey on a smartphone.
Mobile usage dominates retail behavior globally, with 77% of e-commerce website visits and 68% of online orders happening via smartphones.
Before ever speaking to a sales rep, 44% of buyers read three to five pieces of content about the product or brand.
SEO-optimized product pages are proven to deliver better rankings and improved conversion rates.
81% of consumers rely on Google Reviews when evaluating local businesses.
88% of shoppers are more likely to buy from a business that actively replies to reviews. In contrast, just 47% would consider buying from a company that ignores customer feedback.

Key takeaways for SEO in 2025

Think beyond Google — build authority everywhere.
Search engines are just one piece of your digital presence. Social platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube send valuable authority signals and build trust with both users and algorithms. A multi-platform strategy strengthens your brand across the board.
Keep pace with AI and Google’s evolving ecosystem.
AI Overviews and the Search Generative Experience (SGE) are reshaping how people interact with search. Staying current with these changes — and adapting your SEO strategy to match — is now part of the game.
Evolve with user search behavior.
From voice commands and AI tools to image-based searches, users are no longer typing queries the way they used to. Optimizing for diverse search methods is essential to stay visible where your audience is searching.
Establish real authority with experience-led content.
Google's emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) means content backed by firsthand insight will continue to dominate. To stand out, focus on demonstrating your expertise — through author bios, original commentary, or real-world examples — to boost both rankings and credibility.
Capitalize on featured snippets in a zero-click world.
Even with zero-click searches on the rise, featured snippets remain a golden opportunity to win brand visibility and traffic. Structuring your content to answer specific questions clearly and concisely helps capture these high-impact spots.

As SEO continues to evolve, the opportunity to grow your online visibility has never been greater — but it also demands smarter tools and sharper strategies.

That’s where SEO PowerSuite comes in.

Whether you're analyzing trends, tracking rankings, optimizing content, or building backlinks, SEO PowerSuite provides a complete set of professional-grade tools to help you stay competitive in 2025 and beyond. It’s not just about data — it’s about making that data actionable.

Statistics and research sources

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Data from Online backlink checker.