Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that lets you see digital content overlaid onto the real world. It’s been around for a while, but it’s only recently started making its way into eCommerce—and it’s not just eyecandy!

You see, augmented reality can help you make more sales. It can also improve your customer experience and make your store more interactive.

But how do you know if it’s right for your business? How do you know if it’s worth investing in?

That’s where we come in! We’ve put together this list of statistics about augmented reality in eCommerce to help you figure out whether AR is right for you and what kinds of things it can do for your brand or business.

Augmented Reality in eCommerce Market Statistics

1. The global augmented shopping market is growing at a rate of 47.1%

(Grandview Research)

According to a report from Grandview Research, the global augmented shopping market was valued at around $1.24 billion in 2019. However, this space is expected to grow at a massive CAGR of 47.1% through 2027.

The AR shopping market accounts for both in-person retail shopping scenarios and eCommerce (online shopping) environments.

North America holds the largest revenue share of the augmented reality in shopping market (37.8% share in 2019) due to increasing investments by retailers in AR technologies and advancements made by major players like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

In addition, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest pace with a CAGR of 50.2% during the forecast period due to the growing number of smartphone users coupled with increasing awareness about augmented reality technology.

2. More than 90% of Americans either use or would consider using AR for shopping

(Think with Google)

Exploring the impact of Augmented Reality on shopping habits, Google and IPSOS found that more than 90% of Americans either already use AR for shopping or would consider using it if given the opportunity.

What’s more, 98% of the consumers who have already used AR for shopping (online or in-person) say they found the experience to be helpful.

3. One third of shoppers in the US will have used AR on an eCommerce store by 2025

(Statista)

A report from Statista examining the growing adoption of AR applications in the eCommerce world found that by 2025, around one-third of all US shoppers will have used augmented reality for online shopping.

The study showed that while around 28% of consumers overall are expected to have used AR for online shopping in the US, adoption among Gen Z is likely to be much higher.

By 2025, around 41% of Gen Z companies are expected to have used some form of augmented reality shopping app.

In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, numbers are even higher. About 45% of all consumers in Saudi Arabia are likely to have used AR shopping apps by 2025, alongside 42% of consumers in the UAE.

4. More than 75% of industry experts respondents predict AR will play a bigger role in how people shop over the next five years

(Publicis Media, Snap, Alter Agents)

A survey conducted by Publicis Media, Snap, and Alter Agents found users on Snapchat are increasingly seeking out AR shopping tools during buying sessions online. Snapchatters were 56% more likely to use AR lenses to increase their chances of a purchase.

Additionally, around 3 out of 4 respondents in the survey predicted AR would likely play a more significant role in how people purchase products over the next five years.

Two in three customers who said they would use a branded lens for shopping also said they were more likely to purchase an item after using an AR experience.

5. AR engagement has increased by 20% since the start of the pandemic

(Retail Consumer Experience)

An interview with the CEO and founder of Vertebrae, Vincent Cacace, published on Retail Customer Experience, shared the leader’s insights into AR shopping.

According to Vincent, AR engagement increased by around 20% since the start of the pandemic, and conversion rates for online companies are up to 90% higher when they use AR tools.

6. Around 52% of retailers feel unprepared to use AR apps

(Worldwide Business Research)

A study shared by WBR Insights, the research division of Worldwide Business Research, looked at the digital transformation strategies of 100 retail executives. According to the report, around 52% of retailers felt unprepared to begin using AR applications in their stores, online or offline.

Additionally, only 1% of retailers in the report said they were already using AR or VR for the customer purchasing experience. However, 27% of respondents said they were actively evaluating AR applications for use in their sales strategy going forward.

7. The overall AR market is expected to reach a value of $90.8 billion by 2027

(Global Newswire)

According to Global Newswire, the Augmented Reality market was valued at approximately $15.2 billion by 2021 and was projected to reach a potential value of $90.8 billion by 2028.

This represents a CAGR of around 31.5% during the forecast period owing to the increasing adoption of AR technology by various industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, retail, automotive, and others for enhancing productivity, reducing costs, and improving customer experience.

8. Retail will account for 5% of AR use by the end of 2022

(Statista)

The Statista Research Department created a report highlighting the potential forecast distribution of the augmented and mixed reality market during 2022.

By the end of this year, video games are expected to account for the largest share of the market (34%). However, the retail sector, including eCommerce and offline stores, should account for 5% of the AR space.

AR eCommerce Buyer Preferences Statistics

9. 61% of online shoppers prefer to shop with stores offering AR visualizations

(Lumus Vision Report)

The Lumus Vision report on the evolution of Augmented Reality in the business world highlights the eCommerce landscape as an excellent opportunity for AR. The study found the retail revenue expected from AR/VR in 2025 is predicted to be $1.6 billion.

According to the report, 61% of consumers prefer to shop with stores offering virtual “try on” and visualization facilities through augmented reality. The same study also found that 71% would shop with a company more often if they began offering augmented reality experiences.

What’s more, 40% of these customers would spend more for a product if AR was delivered during the shopping experience.

10. 66% of people say they’re interested in using AR to help with shopping

(Think with Google)

The Google Consumer AR Survey in 2019 found around 66% of consumers would like to use an AR tool to assist with their purchasing experience in stores and online. Help with shopping could include being able to virtually try on a product such as a type of makeup or an item of clothing before making a purchase by using a smartphone app and camera.

Google’s studies also discovered around 6 out of 10 respondents were looking for augmented reality to give them an insight into how certain products might fit into their world.

AR is often considered the next-best option to bringing an item into a home.

11. 51% of consumers want to use AR to assess the features and benefits of products

(Neilsen)

A global survey conducted by Neilsen in 2019 found Augmented and Virtual Reality are among the top technologies consumers want to use to assist them in their daily lives. 64% of consumers surveyed in the report said they felt their lives are getting busier and more complex and that they’re turning to technology to help simplify their life.

Around 51% of respondents in the survey said they wanted to use these tools to assess product features. A further 43% of consumers said they would be willing to use AR features in-store too.

12. 45% of shoppers say AR functions save them time when making purchasing decisions

(Invesp)

According to an infographic created by Invesp, around 45% of shoppers believe using web-based AR applications helps them to save time when making an online purchasing decision. A further 63% of customers say they believe that using augmented reality would improve their digital shopping experience significantly.

Invesp also shared insights on how customers prefer to use AR shopping apps when interacting with AR companies. According to the brand, 77% of consumers prefer to use these tools to view different product variations, such as various styles or color options. Plus, 78% of people say they prefer virtual experiences from online stores over video content.

13. 33.93% of customers want to use AR apps to try products before purchasing them

(Vertebrae)

In a survey into customer AR preferences, Vertebrae asked respondents what they would like to use augmented reality for if they could create an app of their own. Around 33.93% of people in the survey said they would like to use AR to try products on their body, hands, or feet.

A further 57.15% of consumers said they would like to use AR to place items they’re thinking of buying, like appliances or furniture, into their environment.

14. 92% of Gen Z customers want to use AR for eCommerce

(Snap)

Research conducted by Snap, the company behind Snapchat, found that 92% of Gen Z customers want to use Augmented Reality tools for eCommerce.

According to the report, around 6 in 10 millennial and Gen Z shoppers say their biggest concern when purchasing products online is they’re not sure whether their products will look as expected when they arrive.

The report also found younger customers were more willing to try AR tools when shopping. Around 43% of Gen Z customers said they had already used AR for online shopping, 20% more than people over the age of 45.

Benefits of Augmented Reality in eCommerce Statistics

15. 35% of customers say they would shop online more if they could virtually try on items

(Think Mobiles)

According to a Think Mobiles study, around 54% of today’s consumers only prefer visiting stores in-person, because they can’t fully visualize the products they’re buying from online stores. However, 35% of customers say they would shop online more often if they could virtually experiment with items before making a purchase.

A further 22% of the respondents in the study said they would be less likely to visit a traditional retail store in-person if they could use AR via online stores.

16. AR can improve online shopping conversion rates by 90%

(Vertebrae, Shopify)

Vertebrae, a company specializing in 3D visualizations and AR experiences for eCommerce, found that using AR strategies for online shopping significantly increases engagement and conversion levels. According to the report, conversion rates increase by up to 90% when a company implements an AR shopping experience online.

Shopify also found that 3D models in augmented reality had increased conversion rates for its sellers by up to 250%.

17. 27% of customers return products because they’re “not as described”

(UPS)

Evaluating the various reasons why most people return products purchased online, UPS conducted a largescale 2019 report on 18,000 shoppers around the world.

The report found the main reason to return a product was a damaged or faulty item (30%). However, 27% of customers also claimed they returned products because they weren’t as described or expected.

The researchers suggest using immersive experiences like AR and VR for virtual try-ons and product demos could significantly reduce return rates.

18. Retailers can increase sales on online channels by up to 200% using AR

(Forbes, Adloid)

In an interview with Forbes, Adloid revealed that augmented reality can significantly improve the purchasing experience for shoppers and increase sales for online retailers. According to the company, some of the brands using Adloid’s AR services increased their conversions from only channels by 200%.

What’s more, one retailer tripled their number of online sales with an AR tool.

The company also found that AR improves customer engagement time when users are viewing product images and videos, from a base of 30 seconds to a massive 8 minutes.

19. Sales increase by upto 40% for online stores with 360-degree product views

(Practical Ecommerce, Webrotate, Sirv)

One simplistic form of AR experience in the online shopping world is the use of 360-degree product images. According to Webrotate 360’s founder, Dimitri Bir, using a 360-degree image of a product can boost sales by 5% to 40%.

According to research from the company “Sirv,” a client named “True Value” significantly improved conversion rates by a massive 2% using the power of 360-degree images.

Furthermore, Home Depot also reduced its product returns by around 35% after implementing 360-degree photos into product pages.

20. 72% of shoppers bought products they didn’t plan to because of an AR experience

(Eclipse Group)

A report by the Eclipse group on the image AR has on retail purchases found that 72% of shoppers using augmented reality in the shopping journey purchased items they hadn’t planned to buy as a result of using an AR app.

The study also found that 71% of shoppers would purchase with a brand more often if they could use AR, and 55% said AR makes the shopping experience more fun.

The report went on to say that 68% of shoppers would rather spend more time with a store if it meant they could use AR apps in the experience. A further 29% said they expected retailers and eCommerce stores to invest more into both AR and VR technologies.

Conclusion

It’s time to wrap up this blog post! We’ve covered a lot of ground here, and we hope that you found some interesting facts and figures to help you grow your business. We’ll be continuing to update this list as more and more statistics become available, so keep an eye out for new stats on augmented reality in eCommerce!

It is clear that augmented reality has a long way to go before it reaches its full potential. With new innovations being introduced every day, though, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this technology!

In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments about anything we covered here—or if you have any other questions at all—feel free to reach out. We’d love to hear from you!

19 AI In Ecommerce Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind

25 Mind-Blowing eCommerce Conversion Rate Statistics

31 eCommerce Fulfillment Statistics You Will Want To Know

Sources

• Alter Agents
• Eclipse Group
• Forbes
• Global Newswire
• Grandview Research
• Invesp
• Lumus Vision Report
• Neilsen
• Publicis Media
• Retail Consumer Experience
• Shopify
• Sirv
• Snap
• Statista
• Statista
• Think Mobiles
• Think with Google
• Think with Google
• Vertebrae
• Vertebrae
• UPS
• Practical Ecommerce
• Worldwide Business Research

Are you looking for the latest statistics on storytelling? Do you want to know how it’s changing, who’s doing it, and how they’re doing it?

If you’re a marketer, writer, or storyteller of any kind, you know it’s hard to find the stats that matter. There’s a ton of junk out there—but what about the real numbers? We’ve got those for you!

We know how frustrating it can be to spend hours searching for relevant information about storytelling and not find what you need. That’s why we created this list of storytelling statistics—to make your life easier by giving you all the information you need in one place!

Whether you’re writing a new blog post or creating content for social media, we’ve got everything from how many people tell stories daily to what percentage of people say they prefer their stories told in video form, with plenty of numbers in between.

So if you’re ready to stop wasting time trying to find the perfect data point and just get down to business, check out our list below!

General Storytelling Statistics

1. People want brand stories to be funny

(Headstream)

The report from Headstream on brand storytelling shared some insights into what consumers want from a branded story.

Among older audiences, the desire for “humorous” brand stories was highest. 57% of customers over the age of 55 and 43% of consumers over the age of 35 said brand stories should be funny. Humour was also important among younger customers, with 28% of 18-24 year olds prioritizing funny stories, and 37% of 25-34 year olds saying humor was important.

The second most popular “genre” chosen by customers for brand stories was “inspirational”. Around 27% of 18-34 year-olds said they wanted brand narratives to inspire them.

2. Human brains are wired to respond to storytelling

(Harvard Business Review)

Reports from the Harvard Business Review demonstrate human beings are naturally wired to respond better to storytelling than most other forms of content sharing. This is because a narrative has an impact on our brain which promotes the production of “oxytocin,” a hormone associated with trust.

According to the HBR report, character-driven narratives consistently increase oxytocin synthesis.

3. 70% of companies invest in at least one form of content marketing

(HubSpot)

Research from Hubspot found approximately 70% of companies invest in some form of content marketing, which can include sharing various types of stories with their audience through blogs, news posts, and articles.

Content marketing is one of the most popular methods of storytelling used by brands, and many new forms of “storytelling” have emerged over the years.

HubSpot found recently that the most common form of media used in content marketing is video, and over 20% of companies investing in video content were doing so to enhance their brand storytelling strategies.

4. Personal stories and gossip make up about 65% of our conversations

(Scientific American, University of Liverpool)

One of the reasons why consumers are so attracted to storytelling from brands is that we’re so used to sharing stories ourselves. According to a study conducted at the University of Liverpool, gossip and personal stories make up around 65% of the conversations we have as human beings.

Brand Storytelling Statistics

5. Storytelling increases the value of products by up to 2,706%

(Significant Objects)

An experiment conducted by journalist Robert Walker, in collaboration with writer John Glenn looked at the potential impact storytelling could have on the perceived value of products. According to the research, when a story was paired with an item, it increased the overall perceived value of the product by around 2,706%.

According to the researchers, the hormonal change which takes place when we listen to a story helps to increase our feelings of connection and affinity towards an item. This also improves the amount we’re willing to pay for a product.

6. 75% of consumers think it’s important for brands to tell stories in their marketing

(Headstream)

A survey conducted by Headstream found the majority of UK adults believe it’s important for companies to tell stories as part of their communications strategy. Around 79% prioritized stories in marketing messages.

Notably, the study also found that the stories of “real people” were the most compelling. 66% wanted stories from brands to be about “regular” people.

When asked whether they think companies are generally effective at telling stories, around 64% of respondents answered “yes,” while 36% said “no.”

7. 71% of customers buy from companies whose values align with theirs

(5W Public Relations)

Looking at the potential impact of storytelling and transparency on sales results, 5W Public Relations found that companies could use storytelling to demonstrate shared values with their audience. Around 71% of consumers say they purchase more often from businesses that share their values.

Additionally, the demand for shared values was greater in this study among younger customers. Around 83% of millennials said value alignment was important. A further 76% said they like it when CEOs “speak out” on an issue they care about.

8. 86% of Americans want to buy from “transparent” brands

(Sprout Social)

One of the reasons companies are investing heavily in brand storytelling lately is that it allows them to show a more transparent side to their company. Storytelling allows for the sharing of valuable information about the business and an insight into brand value.

Around 86% of Americans in a Sprout Social survey said they believe transparency is a decision-making factor when they’re choosing which brands to buy from. Additionally, 73% of customers are willing to pay more for a product or service from a transparent brand.

9. 81% of customers say they need to be able to trust a brand to buy from them

(Edelman)

According to the Edelman Trust Barometer report for 2019, around 81% of customers say they need to be able to trust a brand in order to buy from them. Around 67% of respondents also said they would stop buying from a business they couldn’t trust.

This is important because brand storytelling is often one of the primary ways companies create a sense of trust and affinity with their audience. Storytelling allows companies to generate trust by demonstrating examples of their work or sharing real-life experiences.

Notably, 66% of respondents in this survey said they feel like their relationships with brands is one-sided, where they share information about themselves, but companies don’t share anything in return.

Benefits of Storytelling Statistics

10. Customers who like a brand’s story are 55% more likely to consider buying from the brand

(Headstream)

According to Headstream’s report, if customers love a brand story, 55% say they will consider purchasing from the company in the future. A further 45% of respondents said they would “like” a company’s Facebook page if they enjoyed a story, and 44% said they would share the story with their contacts. A total of 15% of respondents said they would buy from the brand immediately.

When asked where they most want to encounter stories from brands, the most popular location was on the company’s blog. However, consumers were also happy to see branded stories on website pages and social media advertising campaigns.

11. Capital One increased its ad recall by 16% with stories

(CapitalOne)

Case studies show that storytelling can have a significant impact on the result of marketing campaigns. When partnering with the T3 agency, Capital One activated the “What’s in Your Wallet” campaign on Instagram, working with influencers to tell branded stories.

The hashtag #WalletStories began trending, and the company generated significant amounts of user-generated content. According to the case study, the use of stories increased the brand recall levels for Capital One by 16%.

12. People are 22 times more likely to remember a story-based statistic

(Stanford)

A Stanford discussion on the power of storytelling for sharing information found that people often struggle to remember and understand statistics when they’re presented as raw data. However, when stats are placed into the context of a narrative or story, people are 22 times more likely to remember it.

According to Stanford, the reason for this is that using stories when sharing statistics helps companies to connect with customers on both an intellectual and emotional level.

13. Only 5% of people remember statistics, but 63% remember stories

(Dan and Chip Heath)

Researchers Dan & Chip Heath explored how storytelling influences memory recall and engagement. According to the researchers, after a presentation, around 5% of people were able to recall specific stats from the event. However, 63% of attendees could remember the story told by the presenter.

According to the researchers, this is because stories trigger the release of Oxytocin, which means we’re more likely to relate and emotionally connect to stories more than facts.

14. Branded stories lead to a 4% increase in trust and brand connection

(Sloan Review)

An article published on the MIT Sloan Review website found that branded stories lead to better customer/company engagement and trust. Over five years, the researchers pursued field research alongside BMW and Suruga bank.

Throughout the study, the researchers learned stories significantly increase reader engagement with websites. In general, branded stories led to a 4% increase in customer trust towards a company.

Additionally, the report suggests that stories originating from customer experiences are particularly strong in shaping brand perceptions through social media.

15. Storytelling can increase conversions by 30%

(DSIM)

According to a report from the Delhi School of Internet Marketing shared in 2017, brand storytelling is one of the most important tools for business leaders. The report shows that storytelling has the capacity to boost conversions by 30% when it’s used to answer crucial questions customers might have about a product, business, or service.

Notably, B2C and B2B marketers both consider storytelling to be a high-value strategy. In 2017, 62% of B2B marketers said storytelling was an effective content marketing strategy for their team.

16. Good storytelling is among the top 3 things that make content effective

(LinkedIn)

The LinkedIn technology marketing community conducted research into the most significant factors involved in making content marketing effective.

According to the report, audience relevance is the number one factor in an effective piece of content (58%). However, a compelling approach to storytelling was named as the second most valuable tool for good content (57%).

17. 92% of customers want ads to feel more like a story

(OneSpot)

An infographic created by the OneSpot marketing company notes that around 92% of consumers want companies to create more ads that feel similar to a story. According to the report, customers specifically want brands to deliver content that has a clear and linear narrative.

However, the same study also found many consumers are looking for more visual stories, as the human brain is capable of processing images up to 60 times faster than text.

18. Research shows that a 5–10% retention rate for information jumps to 65–70% when paired with a story

(Stanford, Forbes)

The human brain loves stories.

And the more you can make your content feel like a story, the more likely people are to remember it.

That’s why we’re excited to share this Stanford research study that shows that when you combine statistics with anecdotes, your audience will retain more information than if you simply throw stats at them.

Researchers found that when people are given statistical information that includes a story or example of what the stat means in real life, their retention rate rises from 5-10% to 65-70%.

The reason we remember nearly everything we read or hear in a story format is that our brains are hardwired to remember stories better than they remember data or lists of facts. The brain processes information differently depending on whether it’s received as a story or as data, and this difference has significant implications for learning and memory.

You don’t have to be a professional writer to engage your audience through storytelling—simple stories about real people or events can work just as well!

Social Storytelling Statistics

19. 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day

(Instagram)

The value of storytelling as a marketing and sales strategy has even led to the development of new tools and services to assist brands in the social media landscape. Instagram Stories is a feature designed to help companies and individuals share short, fast-paced narratives on social media.

Instagram Stories has emerged as one of the most popular tools on Instagram, with over 500 million people using the social service every day. Stories have also taken off as a popular tool on Facebook in recent years too, as the integration between the two platforms has increased.

20. 70% of customers wanted brands to share positive stories during the pandemic

(Twitter)

According to a study conducted by Twitter during the 2020 pandemic, times of turmoil increase demand for branded storytelling among customers. Around 70% of consumers said brands during the pandemic needed to post more positive story-based content.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, people were searching for inspiration and motivation from the brands they liked most. They wanted their favorite companies to contribute to uplifting their mood with honest and positive stories.

21. 35% of customers connect with short narrative-style Instagram Stories most

(HubSpot)

As companies explore new forms of content marketing and creation to share stories with their customers, HubSpot conducted research to determine the impact of certain types of stories on customers. The report revealed around 70% of consumers watch Facebook stories more often than Snapchat (17%) or Instagram Stories (13%).

Additionally, when asked about the formats that they preferred most among Instagram Stories, 35% of consumers said they like to see narrative-style short stories from brands.

Conclusion

So there you have it, the latest stats on storytelling.

Storytelling is an art form that is growing in popularity. As the world becomes more connected and people are looking to connect with others, storytelling has become a great way to do so. As we’ve seen, storytelling has many benefits and can be used in many ways.

You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been. And that’s why storytelling is so important. It helps us understand who we are and where we’re going. It helps us create meaning in our lives and make sense of the world around us. So go out there, tell stories—and be a part of something bigger than yourself!

Happy storytelling!

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Sources

• 5W Public Relations
• CapitalOne
• Dan and Chip Heath
• DSIM
• Edelman
• Harvard Business Review
• Headstream
• HubSpot
• HubSpot
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• MIT Sloan Review
• OneSpot
• Scientific American
• Significant Objects
• Sprout Social
• Stanford
• Twitter

If you’re looking for the latest statistics on SEO ROI, we’ve got you covered.

You know that SEO is a huge buzzword right now. It’s all over the place, and everyone seems to have an opinion on it. But when it comes down to it, most people are just looking for the facts: what kind of ROI they can expect from their effort, where they should invest, how much time they can expect it to take, how much it costs…and so on.

When you’re trying to make the case for investment in SEO, it can be really hard to find the right statistics. You want something relevant, comprehensive, and easy to understand.

And that’s where our list of SEO ROI statistics comes in! It’ll help you get concrete answers about what kind of investment you should make in SEO—and whether or not it’s worth your time.

SEO ROI Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

If you are a part of the digital marketing world, the chances are that you are constantly hearing the terms search engine optimization (SEO) and return on investment (ROI). But how often do you get that chance to learn more about their impact globally?

Here are some of the most intriguing SEO ROI stats we discovered:

• Organic search has the highest ROI.
• According to estimates, on average SEO generates ROI of 200%-275%.
• Every dollar invested in SEO brings eCommerce businesses a profit of about $2.75.
• Organic search traffic has increased to an average of 53.3% across all industries.
• Organic search brings 300% more traffic to websites than social media.
• 53% of shoppers do Google research before deciding to buy something.
• The first position in Google has a click rate of 28.5%.
• There are over 100,000 Google searches each second.
• The average ROI of the real estate industry is 1,389%.

Did we manage to mesmerize you with these numbers? Continue reading to learn more about how crucial SEO and ROI data are and how they transform every industry out there.

General SEO ROI Statistics

1. Organic search has the highest ROI of any digital marketing channel.

A SearchEngineJournal survey posted on Twitter shows that organic search is the most profitable digital marketing channel. Nearly half (49%) of the respondents claimed that organic search leads to the highest ROI based on personal experience.

On the other hand, 19% said that paid search led to the highest ROI in their case, and 14% responded that email produced the highest ROI for their website.

(SEJ)

2. On average, SEO delivers an ROI of 200%-275%.

The latest Nielsen figures place the average ROI of marketing at $1.09. The organization lists SEO, email marketing, and roadside signage among the top three marketing channels considering ROI.

However, based on Profitworks analyses, search engine optimization has an average return on investment, which ranges from 200% to 275%. According to their data, every $1 companies invest in SEO brings them a profit of between $2 and $2.75.

These figures correspond to an in-house analysis done by MOZ, which sets the average SEO ROI of eCommerce businesses at $2.75 per dollar spent.

(Nielsen, Profitworks, MOZ)

3. Organic search traffic has increased to an average of 53.3% across all industries.

According to a BrightEdge Research study, the organic search figure has increased to 53% in the past eight years. Just for comparison, it was 51% in 2014. Moreover, the same research discovered that organic and paid search is the leading traffic source.

About 68% of all trackable website traffic came from organic and paid searches, which is far more than what was gained from the display and social media.

While the study didn’t provide any figures regarding the ROI, we discovered already that the average ROI of organic search is between 200% and 275%. So, with increased traffic and increased SEO efforts, companies can also expect to see their ROI boosted.

(BrightEdge Research)

4. Organic search brings 300% more website traffic than social media.

Google is a heaven for people in a buying mindset. About 95% of people looking to buy something go straight to Google to find whatever they want.

The same rule especially applies to B2B (business to business) purchases. So regardless of whether you are looking to order online or look for the location of the store, Google is the place to go.

However, it’s interesting to note that TechCrunch discovered that about 40% of Gen Z are now using TikTok and Instagram to perform searches rather than Google. Additionally, more than half of product searches (55%) take place on Amazon.

These figures show how habits are shifting and how content optimization shouldn’t only focus on search engines. Very soon, optimizing your content for Amazon and TikTok will be equally important as optimizing it for Google.

(Profitworks, TechCrunch)

5. A bit over one-third (34.2%) of Google users click on the first link of exclusively organic results.

Well-built keywords can do wonders for your business. For example, when we research Google with the help of keywords, the first results we get are ten purely organic blue links. The click rate for the first search results is almost 35%.

Interestingly, the click rate rapidly declines for the links that pop up in second through the tenth place, with the second one getting a 17.1% click rate and the tenth one 2.6% click rate.

Consequently, companies that manage to get the best ranking positions get the most potential customers to their websites. That’s why they can also expect a better ROI than the rest.

(Sistrix)

6. Over 90% of all listed websites do not get organic search traffic from Google.

More precisely, 90.63% or 847,833,932 websites do not get organic search traffic from Google. The study of over a billion websites also showed that 5.29% or 51,533,239 websites get less than ten visits from Google searches per month.

Basically, their SEO efforts have no ROI whatsoever. The main point of search engine optimization is to drive organic traffic that will bring you conversions. If 90% of websites don’t get organic traffic, then 90% of websites have 0% SEO ROI, and that’s sad.

That said, how many get regular 1,001+ visits from Google search? The answer is 0.21% or the top 2,094,758 websites.

(Ahrefs)

7. SEO takes roughly 3–12 months to show a positive effect on your site’s traffic.

SEO is a process that takes time to show positive results. It’s a long-term investment, but it’s so worth it!

In the beginning, SEO ROI can be very difficult to measure and notice results from. But after 3–12 months (depending on your site), you’ll start to see an increase in traffic and rankings.

This is because it takes time for search engines to begin ranking your site based on the new keywords and content you’re trying to optimize.

We recommend taking the time to get to know your customers and their needs, so you can create a solid foundation for your site. Then, once you’ve done that, start implementing SEO basics and see how they affect your traffic over the next 3–12 months. If you see an increase in traffic, continue on with those practices; if not, try something else!

If you’ve just started to optimize your site, don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t seem like things are improving right away—it will take some time for your changes to have an impact!

However long it takes for your site’s SEO changes to take effect, it’s important not to give up! The process can take some time, but once it does start working, the results are worth it!

(Semrush, SEJ, Ahrefs)

SEO ROI Statistics Based on Location, Industry, and Campaign Type

8. Search engines drive 76% of all traffic to B2B sites.

Out of the total trackable traffic, B2B has a combined search traffic of 76%. Of those, 64% are average organic visits, and 12% are average paid search visits. Even regarding revenue outcomes, organic search is the most extensive channel, with 44.6% of the total revenue.

That is believed to be because people explore solutions they need, which leads to organic search having a significant role in the discovery. Once they better understand the products or services they need, they may use other channels to make a purchase.

(BrightEdge Research)

9. The technology industry has the second-best average organic visits stats.

While there is no doubt that the B2B industry dominates with 64% average organic visits, the technology industry is in second place with almost 60%. Moreover, the average paid search visits in the tech industry are nearly 10%, making the combined search traffic 70%.

The media and entertainment industry also seems to do well, landing 53% of the average organic visits and 6% of the average paid search visits, with a combined total of 59%.

(BrightEdge Research)

10. The B2B and technology industries generate twice more revenue from organic search than other channels.

The B2B companies generate a 52.7% average organic revenue share. It’s double the average of other shares of revenue (23.4%), as well as the average paid search share of revenue (22.9%), and a lot more than the average social share of revenue (0.9%).

The same can be seen in the technology industry, which generates a 58.8% average organic revenue share. The average other shares of revenue for the tech industry is 29.4%. As for the average paid search and social share of revenue, it’s 11.7% and 0.2%, respectively.

(BrightEdge Research)

11. The retail and eCommerce industry has the highest average paid search visits.

The same BrightEdge Research study showed us that the retail and eCommerce industry has the best results when it comes to paid search visits. The sector leads with 23% average paid search visits in addition to the 41% average organic visits.

On the other hand, the travel and hospitality industry is right below it, with an average of 23.4% average paid search visits and 41% average organic visits.

(BrightEdge Research)

12. The media and entertainment industry has higher revenue from paid search than organic search.

While the B2B and tech companies thrive thanks to organic search, the media and entertainment companies benefit most from paid search revenue.

According to the data, the media and entertainment industry has a 38.9% average paid search share of revenue compared to the 34.7% average organic share of the revenue.

Still, when it comes to the average social share of revenue, even in this industry, it is pretty low, barely reaching 0.7%.

(BrightEdge Research)

13. More than half (53%) of shoppers do Google research before deciding to buy something.

Recent data posted by Google shows us that over half of US consumers do thorough Google research before deciding to buy something. They want to ensure they make the best possible choice, so they spend a lot of time researching the item of interest before finally buying it.

But that’s not all. A similar study revealed that 56% of in-store shoppers use their smartphones to either research the item before buying or shop while they are inside the store.

(Google)

14. About 71% of consumers prepared to spend are visiting a retailer’s website or app.

Based on Google’s consumer insights, when people are in the I-want-to-buy moments, they most often use their phones to visit the website or the app of the retailer. In fact, over 70% of consumers have this habit. Slightly less, or about 64%, use Google search to browse when they are in the mood for shopping.

Other popular ways consumers spend their I-want-to-buy moments are visiting a non-retailer website or app (42%), visiting a store or different location (41%), and looking at images or photos online (23%).

(Google)

15. SEO drives 15 times more clicks than pay-per-click advertising.

If it’s done correctly, SEO can bring 10 times more traffic and 15 times more clicks to your website than PPC.

With SEO, you can find the right customers for you, become a meaningful part of their lives, and when the time comes, they will make a purchase. On the other hand, PPC is an expensive marketing strategy that sometimes doesn’t deliver the needed results.

Since you are paying per click, you will pay for everyone who clicks on your link, regardless of whether their visit will bring a purchase or an accidental click.

(Sparktoro)

16. The first position in Google has a click rate of 28.5%.

Believe it or not, the first organic search result on Google is clicked by 28.5% of users who see it.

To understand how high this percentage is, let’s look at the other click rate data:

• Second search result – 15.7%
• Third search result – 11%
• Forth search result – 8%
• Fifth search result – 7.2%
• Sixt search result – 5.1%
• Seventh search result – 4%
• Eighth search result – 3.2%
• Ninth search result – 2.8%
• Tenth search result – 2.5%

As you can see, it’s a long way from 28.5% to 2.5%. Keep in mind that there are ten search results on the first page of Google. That means there is a 26% difference in the clicks between the first and the tenth search result on the first page. It appears that users do not scroll down, same as they do not switch to the second, third, or other pages from the search results.

Consequently, the first results also get better ROI results, while the rest have a bad SEO return of investment as they’re just not getting enough leads.

(Sistrix)

17. There are over 100,000 Google searches in one second.

According to the latest Internet Live Stats, there are 105,412 Google searches every second. That means there are over 9.1 billion Google searches every day.

This number is rapidly growing, which can be seen if we compare it with previous data. 

For example, there were 10,000 searches per day in 1998, 63,000 searches every second in 2016, and 81,000 searches per second in 2020.

(Internet Live Stats)

18. Google has 91.46% of the global search engine market.

Speaking of Googling, there is something no other search engine managed to achieve. Google currently holds over 90% of the search engine market as of July 2022. Let’s try to paint a picture of how much this percentage really is.

Here are the other popular search engines and their stats:

• Bing – 3.29%
• Yandex – 1.48%
• Yahoo – 1.34%
• Baidu – 0.91%

While Google has the ultimate first place globally, there are some countries where alternative search engines are taking the lead.

For example, almost 86% of internet users in China used Baidu daily in 2021. About 60% of Russian internet users used Yandex in 2021. And, 55% of internet users in Japan preferred to use Yahoo over Google.

These figures clearly show what search engine should be your priority when it comes to optimizing your content. Naturally, since more than 90% of users go for Google, that’s the primary target for SEO marketers. Yet, the other search engines shouldn’t be overlooked either.

(statcounter)

19. The real estate industry has the highest ROI from search engine optimization.

The real estate industry has the highest SEO ROI, reaching an average of 1,389% in three years. The medical device industry is in close second place with 1,183%, PCB design and manufacturing is in third place with 1,101%, and the financial industry services is fourth with 1,031% SEO ROI.

If you are curious about the SEO ROI of other industries, here are some interesting numbers that may surprise you:

• Higher education and college industry – 994%
• Oil and gas industry – 906%
• Industrial IoT – 866%
• Pharmaceutical industry – 826%
• Manufacturing industry – 813%
• Biotech industry – 788%
• Solar energy industry – 770%
• Commercial insurance industry – 758%
• Addiction treatment industry – 736%
• B2B SaaS industry – 702%
• Construction industry – 681%
• HCAC services industry – 678%
• IT Staffing industry – 612%
• Legal services industry – 526%
• eCommerce industry – 317%

(FirstPageSage)

20. Thought leadership is the most effective SEO strategy for generating ROI.

According to the latest data, thought leadership content strategy has an ROI of 748% and a ROAS (return on advertising spend) of 9.10. The campaign includes thorough keyword research based on target audience persona needs and pain points, search intent, and transactional behavior.

The other well-known SEO campaigns are technical and standard content marketing. The first one has 117% ROI with 1.35 ROAS, while the second has 16% ROI and 1.05 ROAS.

(FirstPageSage)

21. The average company reinvests 3.8% of its revenue into advertising.

Based on a 2022 ROI report, companies often reinvest about 3.8% of their revenue into marketing plans. That said, most companies reinvest between 1.4% and 9.2% of their revenues into advertising.

The percentage depends mainly on the country, which can be seen by the significantly higher investments in the Asia-Pacific region (4.6%) compared to the rest. On average, North America reinvests about 4.1%, Europe 3.7%, and Latin America 3.0%.

(Nielsen)

22. Over half of the global companies are underspending on marketing.

Over 50% of companies throughout the world are underspending when it comes to their marketing campaigns. The 2022 ROI report shows us that the average underinvestment level was 52%.

Of all global campaigns, 66% of digital video and 60% of display campaigns are underinvested, not reaching the needed numbers. Moreover, 43% of social and 31% of TV campaign plans are also underinvested.

(Nielsen)

23. North America is the zone with the strongest ROI opportunities.

Even though 57% of marketing plans are underinvested in North America, the latest data confirm that it is still the most robust ROI opportunity zone.

North America has a 66% average level of underinvestment among the marketing plans categorized as underinvested, with a 59% average ROI growth opportunity from increasing investment to the optimal numbers.

We see similar numbers in Latin America, with a 52% average level of underinvestment and a 59% average ROI growth opportunity from increasing investment.

(Nielsen)

24. Video marketing is becoming more popular than ever.

After eight years of research, Wyzowl discovered that videos could help marketers achieve their goals faster.

For example, 87% of the marketers that joined the study claim that videos helped them increase their traffic. Moreover, 94% confirmed that videos helped them improve their understanding of their product or service. Lastly, 81% of marketers explained that videos had helped increase sales.

Younger generations seem to respond better to video content than written text. So, optimization of social media channels like YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok should be on any business’ priority list.

(Wyzowl)

Conclusion

We hope you found these SEO ROI stats helpful and informative!

If you’re reading till the end, chances are you’ve already figured out that SEO is a valuable part of your business strategy. You’ve also probably realized that it’s not as simple as just throwing up some keywords on your site and waiting for the money to roll in.

But don’t worry! This doesn’t mean you can’t measure your success—it just means that you have to be more intentional about what you’re doing.

Start by doing some research into different strategies that could work for your business and see what the statistics say about their effectiveness. Then try them out, measure their effectiveness, and use those findings to inform your next round of decisions.

The best thing about SEO is that there’s always something new to learn!

39 SEO Spending Statistics To Boost Your Business (2022)

24 Ecommerce Email Marketing Statistics To Boost Your ROI

31 Healthcare Marketing Statistics To Dominate Your Niche

27 Personalized Marketing Statistics To Keep You Ahead

Sources

• Ahrefs
• BrightEdge Research
• FirstPageSage
• Google
• Google
• Google
• Internet Live Stats
• MOZ
• Nielsen
• Profitworks
• SEJ
• Sistrix
• SERPStat
• statcounter
• TechCrunch
• Wyzowl