85+ SEO Statistics for 2026 (Current & Verified)

Organic search is changing fast. Generative AI is shaking up search results, while mobile and local search continue to dominate.

To stay ahead, you need to know what's happening now.

That's why I've scoured the web (and verified each metric) to bring you the most current SEO statistics for 2026.

This data will help you understand user behavior, navigate the new AI landscape, and unlock higher rankings and more organic traffic.

Top SEO Statistics

The fundamental principles of SEO remain constant, but the impact of new technologies is undeniable. The most significant trend for 2026 is the rise of zero-click searches and the influence of AI-generated content.

• There are over 8.5 billion searches on Google each day, which is equivalent to 99,000 searches every second.
• Organic search results continue to be a powerhouse, accounting for 94% of all clicks.
• A major challenge for 2026 is the rise of AI summaries, with 60% of searches ending without a click due to AI Overviews.
• 52% of sources cited in Google AI Overviews rank in the top 10 results.
• Featured snippets have the highest clickthrough rate (CTR) at 42.9%.
• 92.3% of users access the internet using a mobile phone.
• Content over 3,000 words still outperforms average-length content (1,400 words), winning 3x more traffic, 4x more shares, and 3.5x more backlinks.
• The top 3 disruptions in SEO performance for 2026 are expected from Generative AI, Google E-E-A-T, and the continued growth of zero-click searches.

Search Engine Statistics

Google remains the undisputed leader, but the overall market is seeing subtle shifts, particularly in the mobile sector.

Search Engine	Global Market Share	Mobile Market Share
Google	90.83%	95.13%
Bing	4.03%	0.63%
Yandex	1.56%	1.35%

• 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine.
• A significant portion of the web remains undiscovered by search engines, with around 94% of all webpages receiving no traffic from Google.
• 50% of Google searchers click on a search result within 9 seconds.
• The average internet user performs 3 to 4 searches per day on search engines.
• Organic search is the 2nd highest traffic channel at 29%.

Ranking Statistics

It's no secret that higher rankings equal more traffic. Let's explore how your position on the SERP and the type of search result influences clickthrough rates.

• Google uses over 200 ranking factors in its search algorithm.
• High-quality content, backlinks, and search intent continue to be the top 3 ranking factors in 2026.
• On average, the top organic search result receives 19x more clicks than the top paid search result.
• The #1 organic result gets 39.8% of all clicks.

• If the first organic result is a featured snippet, the CTR grows to 42.9%.
• Moving up from position 2 to position 1 generates 74.5% more clicks.
• Moving up one position on Google increases CTR by 32.3%.
• Rich results get 58% of clicks, while non-rich results have a CTR of 41%.
• The #1 organic result is 10x more likely to receive a click compared to one in position 10.
• Only 0.78% of users click results on Google’s second page.
• Google’s top three organic search results receive 68.7% of all clicks.

AI and SEO Statistics

The integration of generative AI into search and content creation is the most transformative trend for 2026. SEO professionals must adapt their strategies to account for AI Overviews and the proliferation of AI-generated content.

• The competitive landscape is heating up, with 57.6% of SEOs reporting a significant increase in industry competition due to AI.
• The impact of AI on search traffic is dramatic, with AI search traffic reported to be up 527%.
• AI-generated content is becoming mainstream, now accounting for 17.3% of content in Google’s top 20 search results.
• To protect content, 32% of website owners permit AI platforms to access their content, while 11% completely block AI scrapers.

Keyword Statistics

Keywords remain the foundation of search, but the focus is shifting toward long-tail, intent-based queries that are less likely to be fully answered by an AI Overview.

Let's look at some SEO statistics about the keyword landscape where every word counts.

• 94.74% of keywords have monthly search volumes of 10 or less, reinforcing the value of targeting niche, low-volume terms.
• Only 0.0008% of keywords get more than 100,000 monthly searches.
• 15% of all Google searches have never been searched before.
• “YouTube” was the most searched keyword in 2025, making it the fifth year in a row.

• Titles with question-based keywords have a 15.5% CTR, while non-question titles have a 16.3% CTR.
• Pages that have a keyword on their URL have a 45% higher CTR.
• 34.71% of Google search queries have four or more words.
• Google is 57% more likely to rewrite meta titles that are too long.
• 25.02% of top-ranking pages are missing meta descriptions.
• Thought leadership marketing of blogs with transactional keywords has a 748% return on investment (ROI).

Link Building Statistics

Backlinks continue to be a primary ranking signal, and the emphasis on high-quality, authoritative links is stronger than ever in 2026. Here are some of the most impressive link-building statistics for the year.

• SEO experts continue to advocate high-quality content as the #1 strategy to win backlinks in 2026.
• In general, the more backlinks a page has, the more organic traffic it gets from Google.
• An astonishing 95% of pages have zero backlinks.

• But for the top 100 ranking domains, 92.3% have at least 1 backlink.
• The #1 result has 3.8x more backlinks than results in positions 2-10.
• Businesses with blogs get 97% more backlinks than those without.
• 41% of SEOs consider link building to be the most difficult aspect of the job.
• Long-form content (3,000+ words) receives 77.2% more backlinks than short-form content (under 1,000 words).

Voice Search Statistics

Voice search continues to grow, driven by the rise of smart devices and the convenience of hands-free searching.

“Hey, Siri. Tell us some of the best voice search statistics.”

• There are currently 8.4 billion voice search assistants in use. This number has doubled since 2024.
• More than 1 billion voice searches occur every month.
• 71% of internet users prefer conducting voice searches over typing queries. The most popular uses include checking the weather, playing music, and catching up on news.
• Mobile users are 3x more likely to use voice search.
• 50% of mobile users perform a voice search daily.
• The average voice search result is 29 words long.
• 40.7% of voice search answers are pulled from featured snippets.
• The global voice recognition market is expected to grow to nearly $50 billion in 2029. This is a significant increase from $12 billion in 2022.
• The average word count of pages ranking in voice search results is 2,312 words.

Mobile Search Statistics

Mobile-first indexing is the standard, and the data confirms that the majority of search activity now occurs on smartphones.

• Mobile internet traffic accounts for around 60% of all web traffic.
• Mobile generates 58% of all Google searches.
• 56% of shoppers use their smartphone to shop or research products while shopping in-store.
• Nearly 70% of local search queries come from a mobile device.
• Furthermore, 76% of people who perform a local search on their smartphone visit the location within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.
• The average time spent on a mobile phone (excluding talking) was 5 hours and 16 minutes per day in 2025.
• 16% of internet users are “smartphone-dependent,” meaning they use their mobile device as their main internet connection.

Video SEO Statistics

Video is no longer a luxury but a necessity for organic performance, significantly boosting traffic and engagement. Video SEO helps you optimize for the top two search engines, Google and YouTube.

Here are some of the most like, comment, and share-worthy video stats.

• Search results with videos drive 157% more organic traffic.
• Video content also has a 41% higher CTR than text-only pages.
• Google uses video thumbnails in 26% of search results.
• Video content is 50 times more likely to win a spot among the top results of Google's first page rankings than plain text.
• There’s a positive correlation between the number of likes, comments, shares, and views a video has and its YouTube ranking.
• “ASMR” was the most searched term on YouTube in 2025, with 28 million global searches.
• 89% of businesses use video as a core component of their marketing strategy.
• 93% of marketers report positive return on investment (ROI) from video campaigns.

Local SEO Statistics

Instead of targeting a global audience, local SEO aims to reach people in a specific place. These statistics show people use local search to choose who gets their business.

• 46% of monthly Google searches have local intent.
• 86% of people look up a business location on Google Maps.
• 42% of local searches click results on the Google Map Pack (example below.)

• 99% of consumers read reviews when shopping online.
• 46% of consumers trust online business reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• 18% of local mobile searches lead to a purchase within 1 day.

SEO Industry Statistics

SEO professionals are in high demand. Let's look at what rates, retainers, and trend predictions they have in store for 2026.

• The average salary of an SEO professional is $70,300 per year in the United States.
• Average hourly rates for SEO services are between $100-150 per hour.
• The median salary for SEO specialists worldwide is $51,680.
• Monthly retainers are often between $500-1,000. This rate increases the longer the individuall has been in business.
• Around 64.5% of SEO professionals worldwide received a pay raise in the past year.
• 40% of marketers claim algorithm changes are their biggest SEO challenge.
• SEOs and digital marketers ranked adapting to AI advancements as the biggest challenge in 2025. The predicted challenges are the same for 2026.
• 74% of small businesses invest in SEO, with average monthly services costing $497.
• Despite initial uncertainties, 63% of respondents reported that Google AI Overviews (AIO) have positively impacted organic traffic, visibility, or rankings since its debut.
• The global SEO services market is estimated at $83.98 billion in 2026. By 2030, it is projected to reach $148.86 billion.

Key Trends and Takeaways for 2026

1. Master the art of authority and expertise.

In the era of AI-generated content, Google E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) emphasizes the importance of delivering genuine value to your audience. Let your expertise shine as thought leadership content takes center stage in 2026. Highlight your firsthand experience and insights to create an online presence that resonates and ranks.

2. Adapt to evolving search behavior.

Users are diversifying how they seek information. They're embracing AI, voice searches, and exploring visual queries with tools like Google Lens. Ensure your content is optimized to cater to these varied search methods.

3. Optimize for featured snippets in a zero-click search landscape

Zero-click searches are on the rise, but that doesn't mean these queries are zero-traffic. Featured snippets are among the best ways to win attention-grabbing search results people want to click. They're also an excellent way to boost brand awareness due to their prominence on the SERP.

4. Cultivate a strong online presence beyond search engines.

Beyond traditional SEO, a strong social media marketing strategy is critical in 2026. Connect with your audience on all their favorite platforms, like TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This allows you to engage authentically with your audience and send authority signals to search engines.

5. Anticipate transformations with AI and Google's SGE.

With AI Overviews in full swing and the introduction of Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), stay nimble as strategies evolve in 2026. Staying in the loop of industry shifts can help you stay at the forefront of the latest updates and pivot your strategy for digital success. AIOSEO Trends uses real-world SEO case studies to demonstrate what's working now, so you can see what strategies make the needle move.

Closing Notes

And that’s a wrap!

I hope these SEO stats set you on the path to a winning strategy in 2026.

There's a lot of work to improve your rankings, but the more you invest in SEO, the greater the rewards.

You also don't have to tackle it solo.

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is the most powerful WordPress SEO plugin on the market. You'll get a suite of easy-to-use SEO tools and streamlined workflows that win higher rankings and more organic traffic. Consider it your ally to improve online visibility for 2026 and beyond.

Now, the question remains: What are you waiting for?

Start your journey to SEO success today!

SEO Statistics: Your Questions Answered

Sources

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