13 Surprising Facts About SEO

Are you searching for more knowledge about search engine optimization? Do you wish to learn about SEO from someone successful at it?

Well, it’s not rocket science. There are just some basic SEO facts that every business owner should know and apply to their website. In this post, I will reveal some surprising SEO facts you may not have known about and give you the power to create an amazing online presence.

However, a well-optimized website for search engines can usually rank higher in Google search results than a regular site. So if you are looking for ways to boost your site's rankings, you should look at the following 15 surprising SEO facts.

Fact 1: 75% of SEO is off-page, and 25% is on-page

Off-page SEO ranking factors include backlinks (links from other websites to yours) and social media signals (how often your content is shared on social media). According to search engine journal, websites rank higher than other sites and increase brand's authority because they have more relevant content backlinks to their site. To get these links, you can write guest posts on other blogs, link out to your website from another website, submit your site to directories, etc.

Search engines view these links as valuable resources for people looking for answers to their search queries. In the end, Google may reward you with better Google search rankings and more traffic.

Fact 2: Headings/ page titles are crucial on-page SEO facts after content

Page titles are the first thing that search engine users notice and decide whether to continue reading your content. According to a recent survey from Databox, 36% of search engine optimization professionals think that the title tag (or heading) is the most crucial SEO element.

You have to make your heading tags stand out and attractive so that users can easily pick them up as they scroll down through your website.

In addition, you can use your page titles to give a brief idea of what your page is about in the form of a mini-summary. In other words, include keywords relevant to your content that users will search for in the heading tag meta description.

Fact 3: 91% of US Internet users search every month

Every single day, millions of people search (text or voice search) for information on the internet. However, Google searches performed better every month by US Internet users. According to search engine statistics, in the USA, 91% of internet users search the internet at least once a month.

So, if you don't optimize your website for search engines, especially for google (because it holds over 85.5% of the search engine market share) and cannot rank on the first page of google. As a result, you will miss out on a large portion of the population.

Fact 4: 75% of the clicks come from the top five results.

It should come as no surprise that according to search engine optimization statistics, the top five results on a search engine get 75% of the clicks. But what may be surprising is how you can get your content to rank in those top five organic results. By focusing on SEO, you can improve your ranking and, as a result, increase your traffic.

So, if you want people to click on your content, you must ensure that it ranks high on the SERP. Several SEO facts contribute to ranking content, including relevant keywords, backlinks, and user engagement.

Fact 5: Your typical click-through rate for the No. 1 result is 39.6%.

If you're looking to generate clicks and traffic, you'll want to make sure your content is ranking number one. A recent study shows that SEO content strategy for ranking High on the SERP, the No. 1 result generates a typical click-through rate of 39.6. That means, unless you're not ranking first, you could miss out on a lot of traffic and engagement.

If you need to generate awareness, traffic, and engagement, then an SEO content marketing strategy is the way to go.

Fact 6: Under 155 characters Meta Descriptions Increase Click-through Rates

The search engine marketing stats reveal that shorter descriptions are more likely to be read in full by users, encouraging them to click through to the site. In addition, shorter meta descriptions are less likely to be truncated by search engines, which also contributes to a higher click-through rate. So if you want to improve your SEO, make sure to write compelling meta descriptions that are under 155 characters long.

Fact 7: 9 out of 10 people prefer organic results

One of the most important things to understand is the difference between organic and paid results.

Organic results are the listings that appear on search engine results pages (SERPs) because they are considered the most relevant and reliable by the search engine. Paid Google results, on the other hand, are listings businesses have paid to appear in SERPs.

There is a common misconception that people only click on organic results. However, research shows that more than 9 out of 10 people prefer organic results over paid results. This is because organic results are more likely to be relevant and trustworthy.

Fact 8: Long-tail searches have a higher click-through rate

Long tail keywords are simply longer, more specific keyword phrases that visitors are more likely to use when they’re closer to making a purchase. Compared to generic searches, long-tail keyword searches have a 3-5% higher click-through rate.

For example, someone searching for “shoes” is probably just browsing, while someone searching for “men’s size 10 black leather dress shoes” is much further along in the buying process and, therefore, more likely to convert.

Long-tail keywords are more targeted and relevant to what the searcher is looking for. When your listing appears in front of them, they’re much more likely to click through because it’s exactly what they need.

Fact 9: 53% of the US. Consumers use a search engine to research products before making any buying decision.

According to a new report from Google, almost 53% of US consumers use research products in search engines when considering purchasing.

SEO has changed a lot over the years. It was once thought that having a larger number of backlinks to your website was a good thing. But, these days, that is not a great SEO strategy. Now, SEO is based on the fact that people are searching for information using search engines. This means that they're looking for what you are offering. As a result, search engines will rank your site higher if it has useful information and SEO-optimized content. This way, you can get more visitors to your site. 

Fact 10: Videos on Your Home Page Work

Videos on your homepage can boost your SEO because they are visually appealing. They help to attract more traffic, and they can improve your ranking. Videos also provide additional information to visitors. This makes them valuable and entertaining.

Here are a few SEO facts to keep in mind when you’re adding videos to your home page:

• Ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Improve your click-through rate (CTR) from SERPs.
• Keeping visitors on your site for longer and lowering your bounce rate.
• Increase your website traffic
• Provide more information and entertain them that encourage repeat visits.
• Improve your conversion rate.

Fact 11: SEO Beats PPC

In the past, companies relied heavily on paid PPC ads to bring in new business. However, these days, more and more businesses find that SEO outshines PPC when driving organic results and organic search traffic.

There are a few reasons why this SEO fact is so much more effective than PPC. First, people trust organic results much more than they trust paid ads. In fact, Search engine optimization stats tell us that people are more likely to click on organic search results than a paid ad—even if they don’t know what SEO is.

Fact 12: More Pages Create More Opportunities

The more pages your website has, the more opportunities you have to rank in search engines and attract traffic. This is because each page provides another chance to rank for relevant keywords and phrases.

Of course, adding new pages isn’t the only way to improve your chances of ranking in search engines. Creating high-quality content, optimizing your title tags and descriptions, and building backlinks are all crucial factors as well.

You should also follow inbound marketing strategy by creating useful content and interactions to attract, engage, and convert your website visitors into customers. 

Fact 13: 46% of all searches on Google are for a local business or local service

Local SEO statistics is crucial for businesses who want to be found online by potential customers. Businesses can make themselves more visible on the search engine results pages by optimizing their website and content for local searches.

There are several factors that go into optimizing for local search. Still, some of the most important include having your NAP (name, address, and phone number) listed prominently on your website and making sure your website is listed in directories like Google My Business.

SEO Facts: Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 5 important concepts of SEO?

• Keywords: You can use a keyword research tool to find out which keywords your audience uses to search for information.
• SEO basics: SEO basics include all the factors you need to consider to optimize your site to rank highly on search engine results pages.
• Content: Your content should be helpful and written so your audience will enjoy reading it.
• Speed: It’s vital to ensure your content loads quickly on all devices.
• Link building: This helps Google to find you and rank you higher on the search engine results pages.

How effective is SEO?

SEO is an important factor in today's online businesses. Optimizing your website for search engines can increase your visibility and draw more potential customers to your site. However, SEO is not a magic bullet; it takes time, effort, and patience to see results from your SEO efforts.

Additionally, SEO effectiveness depends on many factors, including the quality content, competitiveness keywords, and how well you target your audience. Nonetheless, if done correctly, SEO can be a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website.

What are SEO tools?

SEO tools are software programs that help optimize your website for search engine algorithms. By using the right keywords and phrases, as well as other optimization techniques, these tools can help improve your website’s ranking in search results. Although many factors contribute to good SEO, using the right tools is crucial if you want to see any SEO impact.

What are the basics of SEO?

• Keyword research: By choosing the right keywords and phrases, you can attract relevant traffic to your website and boost your search ranking.
• Content creation: Content will make it easier for people to find your website when they search for these terms.
• Link building: Even if your content is excellent, you'll need other people to link to it for ranking in search results.
• Meta Descriptions and Headlines: Those are the first things people will see when they search for your keywords and decide whether or not to click on the link.

How many types of SEO are there?

The most common three types of SEO are on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.

On-page SEO is the process of optimizing individual web pages to rank higher in search engine results. This includes optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, images, and other elements on a page.

Off-page SEO is building backlinks to a website to improve its visibility and ranking.

Technical SEO is the process of improving a website’s architecture and code in order to make it easier for search engines to crawl and index the site.

Final Thoughts

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a complex and ever-changing field. The SEO industry is worth billions of dollars and is continuing to grow. However, by understanding how it works, you can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that your website gets the traffic it deserves. With that in mind, you should know the above 13 surprising SEO facts.