This week I came across some fascinating google stats (no really….) which I thought I’d share. It’s often easy to forget the value of a brand when it is so integral to our everyday lives.
I still remember when we moved our business over to using Gmail and people thought we were taking a massive risk with such a new tech company. When I checked the dates I was shocked to find we made that switch 14 years ago! Safe to say, Google isn’t a baby anymore.
Before we jump into the numbers it’s worth clarifying a couple of terms that pop up (SEO = using content to rank highly in Google search results without paying google directly. Not to be confused with SEM = which is using paid ads to get visitors from search engines).
Google Stats (2021)
- There are 4.7 billion Google searches every day. (the year they launched (1998) it was 10,000 per day). This one really made me feel old. I launched my first internet business serchen.com in September 1997…..😳
- Google properties control 88% of the search market (This includes youtube which is now the worlds second biggest search engine)
- 15% of daily searches have never been searched before 🤯 (are you bidding on the same terms over and over against the same competitors?)
- 55% of teenagers use voice search on a daily basis (voice searches now account for 10% of all searches) A big percentage of these searches are via smart speakers at home.
- 90% of all websites never see a single organic “FREE” visitor from google (Google is becoming more and more a pay to play marketing channel) In case you wondered, (and I did) there are roughly 2 Billion websites, of which around 400 million are considered active.
- Google made $147 billion (£106B) last year from advertising (helps explain why SEO is less and less effective). They’re estimated to have around 6M customers, which still leaves them with 394M that aren’t paying them yet…..
- 92% of people never go past page one of google search results (testament to the quality of google search)
- Top 3 results of google get 75% of the clicks (generally speaking the top 4 slots on google are paid ads)
These google stats serve as a great reminder to anyone growing an online business. Always be aware of shiny object syndrome and the power of FOMO (fear of missing out), when it comes to marketing strategy. Just as video may have injured the radio star, its demise was greatly exaggerated. (who listens to a podcast today…..)
Largely due to the total dominance of Google in the search industry and lack of new competitors, the FOMO bandwagon has turned its attention to new toys like Snap & Tiktok. Of course, these newer marketing channels present exciting opportunities. Just be mindful if history has taught us anything, it’s that new mediums rarely replace existing ones. Social and Search are no different. (Oh and Email is thriving as well!)
I started buying ads on google almost 21 years ago. Today (ignoring email) Google still represents the largest percentage of my ad budget and most importantly the biggest contributor to not only my own revenue but also that of my clients.
Why?
Because Google still owns the largest audience with the most “INTENT”. As such you often pay a higher price. But as a way of connecting with consumers looking to make a purchase (outside amazon’s walled garden) nothing comes close.
Consumers engage with ads on google because to a large extent they’re helping them solve a problem, rather than interrupting their day. That’s not to say there isn’t a place for other marketing channels of course, but their goals need to be very different. A topic for another day.
The bad news is I’ve yet to find a marketing channel that lets you run your business on autopilot, and Google is no exception. (Worse news is my Instagram feed is full of people telling me I’m wrong about that. I just need to buy their course….) The good news is Google ads work (the stats above illustrate why). Like most things worthwhile, the strategy is simple (if not always easy).
