The importance of SEO: Fewer than 2% of Google users click on an advert

What exactly is happening at Google? Groundbreaking research shows that 1.6% click on an online advert, 33.6% on an organic search result, and 64.8% of searches are handled by Google itself (zero-click). It would be interesting to look into this further.

Big Data provides hard facts

Rand Fishkin is an authority in the field of SEO and, through his company Sparktoro, he collects vast amounts of data. The analyses derived from this Big Data reveal exactly what role Google plays in answering search queries. As SEO experts, we find this fascinating, as it clearly shows that SEO is certainly not dead. OK, SEO is tricky for many people and it takes a long time before results become visible, but within the right online marketing strategy, it’s a highly valuable tool.

Increasing organic search traffic

One in three searches therefore results in a click on an organic search result. This underlines the importance of achieving a top-10 ranking for the most important search terms. Carry out keyword analyses regularly and explore them in greater depth by reviewing or expanding the content of existing pages – and, above all, write new content. Write with your target audience in mind and, above all, emphasise how you can provide an answer to their search query. With SEO, you need to be patient, as it can take months or sometimes years for the website to climb the rankings.

Zero-click is taking over the search results

Google uses rich snippets. It has been doing so for years, but Google is getting increasingly sophisticated in this area. Google uses structured data for this, and this technique also falls under SEO. Correct implementation of JSON-LD enables Google (as well as other search engines) to better understand the specific elements of your website. Google uses this knowledge to display rich snippets, which provide the searcher with an immediate answer to their query. An example? Previously, people would visit a website to look for contact details; now you can find them straight away in the business listing. Another example? You want to know what SEO means and you search for "What is SEO?"Google immediately displays a box with the answer; naturally, it includes a source reference, but the answer is there. The fact that Google manages to handle almost two-thirds of all search queries calls for the full integration of Google’s guidelines into your website. And since you’ll still want to be easily found in two years’ time, just get started now and bear in mind that you’ll need to keep investing time in it. ‘SEO is an ongoing process’.

So is Google Ads dead, then?

Certainly not! Google Ads is incredibly valuable. Even if only 1.6% of people click on an online advert, the search traffic is enormous. With Google Ads, you can be up and running online within a few hours and you can very quickly test which keywords do or do not effectively generate leads or revenue. Armed with that knowledge, you can optimise your website content so that, ultimately, you’ll also rank well organically for those search queries.

Search marketing is changing. Google doesn’t want to be influenced, but it is also increasingly focused on the quality of its users’ experience. When you use Google, you want to find the right answers quickly. Your future customers want that too, and SEO plays a crucial role at that intersection. Technical aspects, content and link building must all work in harmony. If you’re unsure about striking that balance or want to achieve better rankings, call on SEO Ninja. With over 15 years’ experience in web content, web development and web analytics, we’ll help you grow further online.