SEO moves fast. What worked two years ago might be dragging your rankings down today, and the arrival of AI in search has thrown in another layer of uncertainty for businesses trying to stay visible online.
So rather than wade through opinion pieces and vague advice, we’ve pulled together the most useful SEO statistics for 2026 – the numbers that actually tell you where to focus your time, budget, and energy.
If you’re trying to make the case for investing in SEO, auditing what you’re already doing, or just trying to keep up with where search is heading, these stats give you a grounded, up-to-date picture of what’s going on in digital marketing in 2026.
Top SEO Statistics for 2026
- AI search traffic is up 527% year on year
- Website traffic from AI could surpass traditional search by 2028
- Almost 70% of businesses report a higher ROI from using AI in their SEO
- 26% of brands have zero mentions in AI Overviews
- 70% of all search traffic comes from long-tail keywords
- 46% of all Google searches are local
- 43% of all ecommerce traffic comes from organic Google search
- 88% of people who do a local search visit or call a business within 24 hours
- 53% of users abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load
- The biggest ROI channel in 2025 was website, blog, and SEO
AI Search Statistics 2026
AI has changed search faster than almost anyone expected. For businesses and marketers, the question is no longer whether AI will affect your SEO. It already has. The question now is whether you’re adapting to it.
ChatGPT now has 700 million weekly active users, making it the fourth most visited website in the world
AI search has gone mainstream, and the audience using it is enormous and growing fast. Nearly 35% of Gen Z in the US are already using AI chatbots as their primary way to search for information (Semrush), which means the next generation of consumers is forming search habits that look nothing like the ones that shaped SEO for the past two decades.
(Source: OpenAI)
AI search traffic is up 527% year over year
That growth rate makes it one of the fastest-shifting behavioural changes in the history of digital marketing. More people are starting their searches in AI tools rather than going directly to Google, which is changing where traffic comes from, what content gets surfaced, and what it means to be visible online. Businesses that are still planning purely around traditional search are working with an incomplete picture.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
Website Traffic from AI search could surpass traffic from traditional search by 2028
Given the 527% year-on-year growth in AI search traffic, the gap between the two channels is closing quickly. If that trajectory continues, within two years more website visits could be arriving via AI tools than via traditional search results. For businesses that haven’t started thinking about how they appear in AI-generated answers, that timeline should make it feel a lot more urgent.
(Source: Semrush)
Over 92% of marketers are already optimising for AI-powered search as well as traditional search
The vast majority of marketers have accepted that optimising for AI search results is now part of the job, not a future consideration. However, only 24% are actively updating their SEO strategy specifically for generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews. Most businesses know this shift is happening, but far fewer have made concrete changes to address it.
(Source: Hubspot)
Nearly 30% of marketers have seen search traffic fall as users turn to AI tools
As more people get answers directly from AI without clicking through to a website, organic search traffic is taking a hit for a growing number of businesses. But the picture isn’t entirely negative.
Of those experiencing traffic drops, 58% report that the visitors who do arrive have much higher intent than before. People who click through from AI-assisted search are further along in their decision-making, which means the traffic that does arrive is more likely to convert.
(Source: Hubspot)
💡 Tip: If your traffic is down but your conversion rate is holding steady or improving, AI may be filtering out lower-intent visitors rather than simply taking them away. Look at your conversion data alongside your traffic data before drawing conclusions.
@webhivedigital If you want to know how you're ranking in AI search results (i.e. GEO), you need to start analysing your AI website traffic. Because whether you're doing traditional search engine optimisation, or generative engine optimisation, if you're not tracking how much traffic AI chatbots send your website, you're not going to know if it's working! Use this GA4 report to track how much website traffic you're getting from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini & CoPilot so you can see if your SEO strategy is working. #SEO #GEO #AISEO #SearchEngineOptimization #DigitalMarketing ♬ original sound – Kate Smoothy | SEO Specialist
Almost 70% of businesses report a higher ROI from using AI in SEO
Used well, AI isn’t just changing how people search. It’s also changing how effectively businesses can do SEO. The majority of businesses incorporating AI into their SEO workflows are seeing a better return than they did before, whether that’s through faster content production, smarter keyword research, or more efficient technical auditing. The businesses not seeing those gains are often the ones using AI to replace thinking rather than to support it.
(Source: Semrush)
52% believe AI has made content so easy to produce that it is now less effective overall
More than half of marketers think the flood of AI-generated content is actively devaluing content as a channel.
93% of marketers report that personalisation improves lead and purchase conversion rates, and 61% agree that having a distinct brand point of view is more important than ever as humans and AI work together.
The businesses that will win on content aren’t the ones producing the most of it. They’re the ones humanising AI content so that it actually sounds like them.
(Source: Hubspot)
26% of brands have zero mentions in AI Overviews
As AI Overviews become a more prominent part of search results, being absent from them means being invisible to a growing portion of searchers who never scroll past the AI-generated answer. Building the kind of online presence that AI tools can reference and cite is quickly becoming a core part of SEO strategy.
(Source: Ahrefs)
💡 Tip: To improve your chances of appearing in AI Overviews, focus on building genuine authority in your niche by: earning quality backlinks, generating branded mentions, publishing well-structured content that directly answers common questions, and keeping your information accurate and up to date.
Ecommerce SEO Statistics for 2026
Online retail isn’t slowing down – and neither is the competition for visibility within it. For retail brands, ecommerce SEO isn’t just a marketing channel – it’s often the difference between a product page that sells and one that sits unseen.
43% of all ecommerce traffic comes from organic Google search
Nearly half of all visits to ecommerce websites arrive through unpaid search – not ads, not social, not email. Organic search is the single biggest traffic driver for online retail, which makes SEO one of the highest-value investments an ecommerce business can make. Unlike paid Google ads, that traffic doesn’t stop the moment you pause your budget.
(Source: Charle)
28% of all UK retail sales are made online
Digital channels now handle nearly a third of total UK retail spend – above the global average of 23%. UK ecommerce businesses are operating in one of the most competitive online retail environments in the world, so if your site isn’t visible in search, you’re not just missing out on a slice of the market – you’re behind the curve in an industry that’s already well ahead of most.
(Source: Ecommerce Scotland)
Mobile traffic accounts for 60-70% of all ecommerce site visits
The majority of people browsing and buying online are doing it on their phones. A site that isn’t optimised for mobile is likely losing a significant chunk of potential sales before a customer even gets to the product page. This also feeds directly into Google’s mobile-first indexing, meaning your mobile experience affects your rankings too.
(Source: sqmagazine)
💡 Tip: Test your site on a real mobile device, not just a browser emulator. Pay attention to how quickly pages load, how easy it is to navigate, and whether the checkout process works smoothly on a small screen. These are the moments where sales are won or lost.
Shopify accounts for 30% of the top 1 million websites worldwide
Shopify has become the default choice for ecommerce businesses of all sizes, from small independent retailers to large-scale operations.
Its popularity is largely down to how well it handles the technical side of running an online store, including site speed, mobile responsiveness, and SEO-friendly structures out of the box. If you’re starting or scaling an ecommerce business and haven’t chosen a platform yet, the numbers suggest Shopify is worth serious consideration.
(Source: Chargeflow)
36% of shoppers begin their product search on Google, with 19% clicking a Google Shopping result
Google Shopping is one of the most underused channels for ecommerce businesses. Google Shopping sees around 1.2 billion searches per month across a catalogue of over 45 billion product listings from millions of merchants. More than a million businesses are already advertising products there, which gives an idea of how competitive the space has become.
Shopping ads convert at 1.9% on average and are reportedly 30% more effective at driving conversions than standard text ads. For ecommerce businesses not yet using Google Merchant Centre, that’s a substantial slice of product discovery they’re missing out on entirely.
(Source: electroiq)
💡 Tip: Getting your products into Google Merchant Centre is free for organic Shopping listings. Even if you’re not running paid Shopping ads, having your products listed means they can appear in Google’s Shopping tab and in search results when someone is actively looking to buy. It’s one of the easier wins available to ecommerce businesses that haven’t set it up yet.
Local SEO Statistics for 2026
If you run a business that serves a specific area, local SEO isn’t optional – it’s how people find you. There’s a lot at stake when you don’t show up in organic search results when someone nearby is looking for what you offer.
46% of all Google searches are local
Nearly half of everything people search for on Google has a local angle. That’s an enormous share of daily search activity, and it means there’s a huge amount of intent-driven traffic available to businesses that show up in the right places.
(Source: Hubspot)
96% of people learn about a local business online before visiting
Almost no one just turns up blind any more. Your online presence, including your Google Business Profile, your website and your reviews, is doing the selling before a potential customer ever walks through the door. What they find (or don’t find) shapes whether they choose you or someone else.
(Source: seo.com)
💡 Tip: Actively ask satisfied customers to leave a Google review. User-generated content like reviews is one of the key factors Google uses to rank businesses in local results – and it’s also what your next customer is reading before they decide to get in touch.
Over 1.5 billion searches every month include “near me”
“Near me” searches are a natural reflex that most people use when they’re ready to act, not just browse. That kind of search signals strong intent, and being visible for these terms puts you directly in front of people who are already looking for exactly what you do.
(Source: seo.com)
76% of people who do a “near me” search on mobile visit a business within 24 hours
The gap between searching and showing up in person is actually very short. Mobile “near me” searches often happen in the moment – someone needs something now, and they’re acting on the first results they trust. If your local presence isn’t optimised, you’re handing that footfall to your competitor down the road.
(Source: Backlinko)
88% of people who do a local search visit or call a business within 24 hours
Local searches convert to real-world action faster than almost any other type of search. Among people searching “near me” on mobile, 28% of all local searches result in a same-day purchase (Backlinko).
The intent is already there when someone types a local search – they’re not browsing, they’re deciding. If your local presence isn’t optimised, you’re handing that footfall straight to a competitor.
(Source: Google)
Customers are 70% more likely to visit a business with an optimised Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression someone gets of your business – before they even visit your website. An incomplete or out-of-date profile is a missed opportunity – and it can actively put people off.
(Source: seo.com)
💡 Tip: Make sure your Google Business Profile is fully filled out – opening hours, service areas, photos, and regular posts. It’s one of the highest-impact things you can do for local visibility, and it costs nothing.
@webhivedigital Most businesses set up their Google Business Profile and leave it half-finished. That’s why they never show up in Google Maps SEO or local search results. In this Google My Business tutorial, I’ll show you how to optimise your profile properly so you can rank higher in Google SEO and get found locally. If you’re learning how to add your business on Google or trying to improve your local SEO, this is one of the easiest wins. Save this so you can fix your Google Business Profile later. #GoogleBusinessProfile #GoogleMyBusiness #LocalSEO #GoogleMapsSEO #GoogleSEO ♬ original sound – Kate Smoothy | SEO Specialist
Businesses in Google’s top three local pack positions get 126% more traffic and 93% more calls and direction requests
The local pack – those three businesses that appear in a map block at the top of local search results – is prime real estate. Getting into those top three positions increases visibility because it can more than double traffic from Google and nearly double the actions people take to get in touch or find you.
(Source: Loop Digital)
Local search categories are among the least disrupted by AI Overviews
Semrush’s 2025 AI Overviews study found that real estate and shopping had some of the smallest share of queries affected by AI Overviews, with AI answers appearing on fewer than 3% of keywords in those categories. This is likely because those searches lean toward local intent, where Google’s local packs, maps, reviews, and action buttons already do a better job of answering the query than an AI summary would.
For businesses operating locally, local SEO is considerably less exposed to AI disruption than informational search, which makes it one of the more stable areas to invest in right now.
(Source: Semrush)
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Let's Get StartedTechnical SEO Statistics 2026
Technical SEO happens behind the scenes, but its impact is very visible in your results. Site speed, security, and core performance metrics all feed directly into how Google ranks your site and how likely visitors are to stick around once they land on it.
53% of users abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load
More than half of your potential visitors will leave before your page finishes loading if it takes too long. A site that loads in 1 second has a conversion rate 3 times higher than one that loads in 5 seconds, and each additional second of load time reduces conversions by roughly 4-5% on average. Speed isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s one of the most direct levers you have on both traffic and revenue.
(Source: Google)
💡 Tip: Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights to get a free breakdown of what’s slowing you down. Common culprits are uncompressed images, render-blocking scripts, and slow server response times, all of which can be fixed without a full site rebuild.
More than three quarters of all retail site visits are happening on a phone
63% of consumers prefer finding information about brands and products on mobile, over 60% of UK consumers prefer mobile shopping specifically, and most marketers report that mobile already accounts for over half of their annual traffic. For the vast majority of businesses, mobile is not a secondary experience. It is the primary one.
(Source: Hubspot)
💡 Tip: If you haven’t done a proper mobile audit of your site recently, check load times, button sizes, font readability, and how your forms behave on a small screen. These are the friction points that cost you conversions.
Only 48% of mobile sites and 56% of desktop sites passed Core Web Vitals in 2025
Core Web Vitals are Google’s set of performance benchmarks covering how fast a page loads, how quickly it responds to interaction, and how stable the layout is while loading. The fact that roughly half of all sites are still failing these tests means there’s a real competitive opportunity for businesses that get it right. Passing Core Web Vitals won’t guarantee a top ranking, but failing them is an active drag on your performance.
(Source: shno)
95% of Google’s top search results use HTTPS
An SSL certificate is now effectively a baseline requirement. Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal, and browsers flag non-secure sites with a warning that puts visitors off immediately. If your site is still running on HTTP, switching to HTTPS is one of the simplest and most impactful technical fixes you can make.
(Source: Moz)
61.94% of pages are not indexed by Google, even with a sitemap submitted
A Search Engine Journal study found that the majority of pages in their dataset were never indexed at all. Google itself is transparent about this: it does not guarantee every URL in a sitemap will be crawled and indexed, and states that on larger sites it is rare for every page to make it in.
Submitting a sitemap is still best practice and does improve your odds, but it is not a switch you flip and forget.
The good news is that indexing rates have improved between 2022 and 2025, and Google indexes 93.2% of the pages it does pick up within six months. The challenge is getting into that pool in the first place.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
💡 Tip: Prioritise your most important pages for indexing by making sure they are linked to internally, free of crawl errors, and not accidentally blocked by your robots.txt file or a noindex tag. Google is more likely to index pages it can easily discover and that have clear signals of quality and relevance.
Keyword Research Statistics 2026
Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO strategy, but a lot of businesses are still approaching it the wrong way – going after short, broad terms and wondering why they’re not ranking.
70% of all search traffic comes from long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are the longer, more specific phrases people type when they know what they’re looking for – things like “best HRT clinic in Manchester” rather than just “HRT.” They might have lower search volumes individually, but together they drive the majority of traffic.
50% of search queries are four words or longer (AddSearch), so people aren’t just typing single words into Google – they’re asking questions, adding context, and comparing options. If your keyword strategy is built around two-word terms, you’re missing half the conversation.
💡 Tip: Don’t dismiss keywords because their monthly search volume looks low. A long-tail term with 200 searches a month and clear buying intent will often convert better than a broad term with 10,000.
(Source: Embryo)
@webhivedigital Here's a website SEO keyword research tutorial, because you need a proper website SEO strategy that focuses on what your website can actually rank for. That means using keyword research tools (that aren't ChatGPT) and targeting SEO keywords with real buying intent. If your keyword research isn’t based on intent, volume and realistic competition, your website SEO isn’t going anywhere. This is website SEO for beginners stuff, but it’s exactly what most people skip. #seokeywordresearch #websiteseotutorial #googleseo #keywordresearchtutorial #seoforbeginners ♬ original sound – Kate Smoothy | SEO Specialist
More than 80% of all search intent is informational
There are four types of search intent, but only around 20% of searches are navigational, commercial or transactional.
The vast majority of people searching online are looking for answers, not ready to buy. That used to be a straightforward argument for producing informastional content to capture traffic, but AI has complicated that picture. Semrush found that for keywords where AI Overviews appeared, the zero-click rate actually fell from 33.75% to 31.53%, suggesting that AI in search results is driving more clicks, not fewer.
What has changed is what you’re producing informational content for. Content that covers a topic thoroughly still builds topical authority, earns internal links, and gives AI tools something credible to reference and cite. Whether it drives direct traffic or gets picked up by AI and surfaced to users that way, being the source search engines and AI tools point to is the goal either way.
(Source: Information Processing & Management)
On-Page SEO Statistics
On-page SEO covers everything you can control directly on your website: the content you publish, how it’s structured, and the signals you send to search engines through it. These stats show where businesses are getting it right and where there are still some very easy wins being left on the table.
Website, blog, and SEO delivered the biggest ROI of any marketing channel in 2025
Out of every channel available to marketers, organic search and content came out on top for return on investment. That’s a significant finding in a landscape where paid social, email, and influencer marketing are all competing for budget.
It reinforces why investing in your site and your content marketing isn’t just a long-term play. It’s consistently one of the most cost-effective things a business can do.
(Source: Hubspot)
Blog posts are the third most used content format, behind short-form and long-form video
Video has taken the top two spots, but blogs remain a core part of most businesses’ content strategies. They’re particularly well-suited to SEO because they can target specific search queries, build topical authority over time, and earn backlinks in ways video content rarely does. For most businesses, a well-maintained blog is still one of the most reliable ways to grow organic traffic.
(Source: Hubspot)
The average first-page Google result contains 1,890 words
This is often cited as a reason to write long blog posts, but the stat applies just as much to commercial and transactional pages.
A service page, a product category page, or a location page that ranks well tends to do so because it covers the topic thoroughly, not because it hits a word count. For informational content, that means answering the question and the surrounding context. For commercial pages, it means addressing what the product or service does, who it’s for, what questions buyers typically have, and what sets it apart. Thin content rarely holds a top position for long, regardless of what type of page it is.
(Source: Backlinko)
💡 Tip: Before writing any content, think about what someone searching this term actually need to know. Then make sure your page genuinely answers that. Look at what’s already ranking for your target keyword. If the top results are detailed blogs or service pages with FAQs, a bare-bones page with a few bullet points and a contact form is unlikely to compete. Match the depth of what’s ranking, and then aim to do better!
25% of top-ranking pages are missing a meta description
A meta description is the short snippet of text that appears under your page title in search results. It doesn’t directly affect rankings, but it does affect whether someone clicks through.
The fact that a quarter of pages ranking on the first page don’t have one is a reminder that even at the top of the results, basic on-page SEO is often overlooked. Writing a clear, relevant meta description for every page is a quick win that can meaningfully improve your click-through rate.
(Source: AIoSEO)
💡 Tip: Run an SEO audit of your site to identify missing or duplicate meta descriptions. Most SEO tools will flag these automatically. Aim for 150 to 160 characters and focus on what the page offers the reader, not just what it’s about.
@webhivedigital If you're trying to rank higher on Google, or get ChatGPT mentions, these are the on-page SEO basics you need before you worry about any other website SEO tasks. This is like SEO for beginners 101 – don't skip it – especially if you’re using AI for SEO 👀 #websiteseo #googleseo #chatgptseo #onpageseo ♬ original sound – Kate Smoothy | SEO Specialist
Digital PR & Link Building Statistics for 2026
Backlinks have always been one of the most important ranking factors in SEO, and the data suggests that’s not changing any time soon. If anything, the rise of AI in search is making them more valuable, not less.
Interest in link building is at an all-time high
Despite predictions over the years that links would eventually stop mattering, the opposite has happened. According to Google Trends, more businesses and marketers are focused on link building now than ever before, which reflects how central it remains to competing in organic search.
Digital PR is the most effective tactic for link building
Of all the ways to earn backlinks, digital PR consistently comes out on top. Getting your business featured in relevant publications, news outlets, and industry sites builds the kind of authoritative links that genuinely move the needle. It also has the added benefit of raising brand awareness beyond just SEO.
(Source: editorial.link)
💡 Tip: You don’t need to land national press coverage to make digital PR work. Relevant industry publications, regional news outlets, and niche blogs can all provide high-quality links. Focus on where your audience actually reads, not just where the biggest names are.
@webhivedigital Backlinks explained: let’s talk about linkbuilding strategies for 2026. If you want to rank on Google, your backlink strategy is not about the volume of backlinks you have, it’s the quality of your links. It’s far more beneficial for your website SEO strategy to have 2000-3000 high quality backlinks than 10,000 poor quality ones. Here’s why. #backlinksexplained #linkbuildingstrategies #chatgptseo #googleseo #websiteseo ♬ original sound – Kate Smoothy | SEO Specialist
The average digital PR campaign takes 3 to 6 months to show measurable results
Link building is not a quick fix. It takes time for new links to be discovered, indexed, and for their effect to show in your rankings. Setting realistic expectations from the outset is important. Businesses that commit to digital PR for link building as an ongoing activity rather than a one-off campaign tend to see far stronger results over time.
(Source: BuzzStream)
73.2% of SEOs believe backlinks affect your chances of appearing in AI search results
The majority of SEO professionals believe that backlinks influence visibility in AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews, not just in standard results.
And 68% expect link building to become even more important over the next two years because of AI (Buzzstream). Rather than making links redundant, AI in search is increasing their value. As AI-generated content floods the web, links from credible sources are becoming one of the clearest signals of trust and authority that search engines can rely on.
(Source: editorial.link)
Branded web mentions show the strongest correlation with appearing in AI Overviews
Backlinks matter, but so does simply being talked about. Branded mentions across the web, whether or not they include a clickable link, carry significant weight in AI-generated search results. This makes brand visibility and digital PR even more of a priority for businesses that want to show up in the places where search is heading.
Source: Ahrefs)
💡 Tip: Track both your branded mentions and your backlinks. Tools like Google Alerts or Semrush can help you monitor where your brand is referenced online, giving you a clearer picture of your overall authority signals.
Voice Search Statistics for 2026
Voice search has been talked about as the next big thing in SEO for years. The usage data suggests it has quietly become a big part of how people find information online, even if most businesses haven’t caught up yet.
1 in 5 people use voice assistants to find information
This audience behaves differently from traditional text search. When people shout ‘ALEXA’ or ‘HEY GOOGLE’, they tend to be longer, more conversational, and more often phrased as questions. If your content isn’t structured to answer questions naturally, you may be invisible to a meaningful portion of your potential audience.
(Source: Hubspot)
58% of users use voice search to find a nearby business
Voice search and local SEO are closely linked. More than half of voice searches are people looking for something near them, which means optimising for voice and optimising for local are often the same task. A well-maintained Google Business Profile, consistent NAP data, and content that answers common local queries all help with both.
(Source: SEOprofy)
73.7% of marketers plan to maintain or increase investment in voice search, but fewer than 10% are actually doing it
Almost three quarters of marketers recognise voice search as worth investing in, yet fewer than one in ten have actually incorporated it into their strategy. For businesses willing to act now rather than wait, that gap is a real opportunity to get ahead before the space becomes more crowded.
(Source: Hubspot)
💡 Tip: Optimising for voice search doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your content strategy. Start by identifying the questions your customers commonly ask, then make sure your site answers them clearly and directly. FAQ sections and conversational blog content are a good place to start.
@webhivedigital How to optimise for voice search (i.e. voice search SEO) Voice search doesn’t pull the same results as normal Google searches, and it only gives 1 to 3 answers. That means your business needs the right setup to stand a chance of ranking. Focus on: Optimising your Google My Business profile (opening hours, reviews, address, etc.) Long tail keywords in the style people speak when using Siri, Alexa, etc. Local schema markup on your website Fast mobile user experiences #VoiceSearchSEO #LocalSEO #SEOTips #SearchEngineOptimisation ♬ original sound – Kate Smoothy | SEO Specialist
Voice assistant usage on smartphones is forecast to reach 48.7% of internet users by 2029
The technology is becoming more capable and more embedded in everyday devices, which means voice search is only going to grow as a channel. Getting your content ready now puts you in a much stronger position as that audience expands.
(Source: Hubspot)
Conversion Rate Statistics for 2026
Getting traffic to your site is only half the job. What happens after someone lands on your page determines whether that visit turns into a lead, a sale, or a missed opportunity. These stats show how businesses are approaching conversion, and where the benchmarks currently sit.
Conversion rate optimisation is the second most used optimisation technique among marketers
Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) sits just one percentage point behind audience segmentation as the most widely used optimisation technique, with 50% of marketers actively using it.
Traffic alone isn’t the goal, and more businesses are paying attention to what happens once visitors arrive. Lead-to-customer conversion is also the second most important KPI for marketing strategies across businesses of all sizes, which shows how central it has become to measuring marketing performance.
(Source: Hubspot)
56% of marketers say improving conversion rates is much easier now than it was ten years ago
Better tools, more data, and improved testing capabilities have made CRO more accessible than ever. A/B testing platforms, heatmaps, and session recording tools that were once out of reach for smaller businesses are now widely available. There’s less excuse than ever for leaving conversion rate improvements untested
(Source: Hubspot)
@webhivedigital Getting website visitors but no sales? If website sales are an issue then you need to check your top website exist pages to find out why website visitors are leaving without buying. And you definitely shouldn't be investing in SEO or any other marketing that directs traffic to your website until you've addressed issues with your customer journey! Here's how to use Google Analytics to identify problem pages that are costing you conversions. Use this report to analyse the data and fix issues like rage clicks, excessive scrolling, and poor user experience. Treat this as your first step for conversion rate optimisation to turn website visitors into customers. #conversionrateoptimisation #cro #seo #seotips #digitalmarketing #userexperience #marketingtips ♬ original sound – Kate Smoothy | SEO Specialist
The average conversion rate across all ecommerce sites is under 2%
For every 100 visitors to a typical ecommerce site, fewer than two will make a purchase. Email marketing outperforms this benchmark, with a 2.8% conversion rate for B2C brands and 2.4% for B2B. Knowing where your own conversion rate sits relative to your channel and industry average is the starting point for where to focus your optimisation efforts.
💡 Tip: If you don’t know your current conversion rate, find out before doing anything else. Most analytics platforms will show you this. Once you have a baseline, even small improvements compound significantly at scale.
(Source: Hubspot)
The top ROI channels for B2B brands in 2024 were website and SEO
For B2B businesses specifically, organic search and website performance came out on top for return on investment, followed by paid social and social commerce.
This reinforces the pattern seen across the broader marketing data: consistently investing in your website and SEO efforts delivers better returns than most other channels over time.
(Source: Hubspot)
