135 digital marketing statistics: SEO, lead generation, and content
If you're working on SEO, finding new leads, or creating content, knowing the facts can help you make better choices.
We've gathered 135 important digital marketing stats to help you out.
This article will give you a quick look at the key trends and tips that could change how you market this year.
Key trends in digital marketing
Search engines are the source of 53% of website traffic.
US businesses spend over $82 billion on social media advertising.
AI tools are employed by 15% of organizations for lead generation and nurturing within their content marketing strategies.
Cross-selling modules are utilized by 100% of the top-performing retailers for effective Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).
Around 26.6% of marketing budgets globally are allocated solely to MarTech.
What this means: Digital marketing isn't just about flashy ads; it's about using online platforms strategically to connect with people. Whether you're aiming for the top spot on Google or dominating social media, it's about meeting your audience where they're found online. Not only are relationships essential to maintain, but this is also one of the ways to nurture and sustain longevity for your brand. Cross-selling is one of the essential techniques, and with the right technology, conversion rates will continue to increase and thrive.
Search engine optimization (SEO) statistics
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the powerhouse behind digital marketing. The purpose—increase your site's visibility in search results.
It's about making smart tweaks to your website and content to get it to rank higher when people search for related topics. This way, you attract more visitors naturally without dipping into your ad budget.
- Over 33% of marketing leaders highlight conversion rates as a crucial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) they focus on.1
- A/B testing is deemed vital for enhancing conversion rates by 70% of marketers.1
- Ecommerce sites generally see a conversion rate of less than 2%.1
- The health and beauty sector has the highest conversion rates at 2.7%, while luxury handbags have the lowest at 0.4%.1
- 39% of marketers prioritize optimizing on-page content with keywords as their leading SEO tactic.1
- Email marketing proves highly effective, with B2C (business-2-consumer) brands seeing a 2.8% conversion rate and B2B (business-2-business) brands a 2.4% rate.1
- 75% of marketers anticipate AI-driven search engines will benefit their blogs, with 68% expecting increased traffic but only 9% foreseeing a decrease.1
- Daily voice search usage is reported by 41% of US adults.1
- About 90% of people prefer voice search for ease and speed.1
- Approximately 66% of marketers indicate that their landing pages convert at a rate below 10%.1
- Mobile advertising expenditure is expected to approach $400 billion by 2024.1
- Mobile search is predominantly used by 80% of Gen Z, 62% of millennials, 66% of Gen X, 35% of Boomers, and 52% overall.1
- SEO is identified as a critical trend by 29% of marketers.1
- Businesses spend an average of $5,000 annually on SEO.2
- Over one-third of Americans claim ownership of smart speakers.1
More businesses are turning to SEO to stand out in a crowded market, driving organic traffic to their sites at a fraction of the cost of paid ads. This strategy boosts visibility and enhances user experience, making it a win-win for businesses and their potential customers.
16. Amazon dominates the US smart speaker market, commanding a 67% market share.1
17. Amazon leads in traffic among ecommerce platforms, while Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall excel in gross merchandise value.1
18. Ecommerce represents more than 20% of all retail sales worldwide.1
19. 63% of shopping starts online, even if purchases are finalized offline.7
20. Voice search optimization is utilized by 13% of marketers in strategies involving Alexa, Siri, etc.1
21. Mobile search is favored over desktop by younger demographics, with 80% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials.1
22. Over half of the annual traffic for most marketers comes from mobile devices.1
23. Smartphones drive over 70% of retail website visits globally.1
24. On average, websites experience a 37% bounce rate and achieve a 13% SEO click-through rate (CTR).1
25. The average US household had 22 connected devices in 2022.1
26. Google’s top 10 results include pages at least three years old in 60% of cases.8
27. Google’s share of the search market stands at 86%.9
28. Google holds more than 95% of the global mobile search market share.1
29. 68% of digital journeys start with a search engine.3
30. 53% of US consumers research online using search engines before purchasing.10
31. Search engines are the source of 53% of website traffic.4
32. The first page of search results captures 75% of user clicks.5
33. The highest spot on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is estimated to receive a CTR of 34%.6
SEO in digital marketing is about ensuring your content is genuinely helpful and easy to find for those looking for it. Businesses can boost their online presence and attract engagement by prioritizing quality content and innovative SEO practices.
Next, we’ll dive into digital marketing on social media. It's good to remember that the solid SEO foundation you build here plays a crucial role in how effectively you can engage audiences on social platforms.
Social media marketing statistics
Did you know that the average person spends about 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media daily?
This makes digital marketing on these platforms a goldmine for businesses looking to connect with their audience.
It's about starting honest conversations and building relationships with potential customers—tailoring content to meet your followers' specific interests and needs can significantly boost your brand's visibility and credibility.
Plus, smartly using each platform's unique features can turn those casual browsers into loyal customers.
- By 2025, global social media users are anticipated to hit 4.41 billion.11
- Monthly, 97% of online consumers visit social media at least once.12
- 21% of social media users follow influencers or celebrities.13
- Social media is utilized by 62% of the global population.14
- After viewing a social media advertisement, 37.9% of respondents reported making a purchase.15
- Social media is employed by 93% of marketers globally for business purposes.16
- Over the last two years, TikTok's user base has surged by 105%, making it the fastest-expanding social media platform.17
- Meta receives 25% of the total digital advertising expenditure.18
- US businesses spend over $82 billion on social media advertising.19
- Pinterest shoppers' carts are 85% bigger than those on other platforms.20
- Instagram's engagement rates are about six times higher than Facebook's.21
- X (formerly Twitter) ads can reach 47 million Americans by 2025.22
- 77% of marketers utilize Instagram for business promotion.23
- X boasts 619 million active users.24
- YouTube mobile ads are 84% more engaging than television advertisements.25
- 93% of marketers promote their businesses on Facebook.26
- Facebook ads can reach 76% of American adults. 27
- 75% of Instagram users act upon viewing an advertisement.28
- In 2023, marketers rated Facebook the top social media platform for return on investment (ROI).29
- Instagram posts attract 23% more engagement than Facebook, despite Facebook having double the monthly users.30
It's about forming relationships and driving engagement to boost brand visibility and sales. With the right strategy, social media becomes a powerful marketing tool.
21. Facebook is deemed one of the most effective platforms for community building by one in four marketers.31
22. In 2023, 22% of Instagram users viewed branded content Stories more than once a week, with 36% engaging with these Stories.1
23. While 66% of marketers intended to maintain their presence on X in 2023, 71% spent less time on it, and 67% planned to explore alternatives.1
24. Building an active online community is considered essential by 90% of social media marketers.32
25. Funny content is ranked most effective by 66% of social media marketers, followed by relatable (63%) and trendy content (59%).1
The top challenges to prove marketing effectiveness and ROI
| Challenge description | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Attributing social and content to revenue | 71.1% |
| Aligning KPI's with business goals | 48.9% |
| Attributing leads to revenue | 47% |
| Collecting the right data | 45% |
| Determining the right KPI's | 42% |
| Data analysis | 33% |
| Staff lack the expertise | 23.9% |
| Lack of technological resources | 21% |
| Lack of technical expertise | 11% |
26. 26% of marketers currently use infographics, with an additional 15% planning to use them in 2024.1
27. Employing visual content to increase dwell time is a top SEO strategy for 21% of marketers.1
28. Infographics are 30 times likelier to be read than text articles and can boost web traffic by up to 12%.1
29. 80% of social media marketers believe direct purchases within social apps will surpass those on brand websites or third-party sites like Amazon.1
30. 43% of marketers identify producing consistently high-quality visual content as a significant challenge.1
31. Over 90% of professionals aged 16 to 24 use social media for work-related communication, compared to less than two-thirds of those aged 55 to 64.1
As much as digital marketing on social media focuses on engaging with your audience, how people interact on social media impacts your brand's credibility, which ensures successful sales and lead generation.
Integrating social media with sales goals is critical to developing a results-driven digital marketing strategy. Next, we'll see how to optimize lead generation and sales through these integrated efforts.
Sales and lead generation statistics
Digital marketing is essential for sales and lead generation. It connects businesses with potential customers through targeted strategies, optimizes the sales funnel, and improves customer interaction.
A sales funnel provides insights into the thoughts and actions of potential customers throughout their buying process.
The six stages of a sales funnel
By understanding each phase of their journey, you can allocate resources to the most effective marketing strategies and channels, craft messages that resonate at every step, and increase the conversion of prospects into actual customers.
- The effectiveness of content marketing strategies often hinges on lead generation, ranked as the third most crucial metric.33
- Growing revenue and sales is the top priority for 22% of marketing leaders.1
- 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions, with 76% feeling disappointed when these expectations are unmet.34
- Nearly 78% of brands need help accessing immediate customer data, hindering their ability to deliver relevant personalized experiences.35
- Lead nurturing proficiency leads to 50% more sales-ready leads at a 33% lower cost.36
- Sales from nurtured leads tend to see a 47% higher order value.37
- AI tools are employed by 15% of organizations for lead generation and nurturing within their content marketing strategies.35
- The average conversion rate for paid search landing pages is 2.35% across industries.38
- Media and entertainment sectors enjoy the highest conversion rates, averaging over 18%.35
- Only 10% of marketing teams have a dedicated Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) budget, with more than 30% not allocating any budget for optimization.35
- Digital analytics tops the list of effective CRO tactics, rated over 80% effective, followed by A/B testing, UX design, and copywriting.35
- Cross-selling modules are utilized by 100% of the top-performing retailers for effective Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).35
- Webinars are viewed by over 53% of marketers as the most effective top-of-the-funnel format for generating high-quality leads.1
- Implementing additional account-level fields is seen by 28% of marketers as a way to improve lead scoring.1
Companies can increase their lead quality and conversion rates by targeting specific audiences online. It's about leveraging channels and data to drive actionable insights and outcomes. This approach is essential to boosting sales performance.
15. More than 60% of marketers report an increase in Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) over the past three years.1
16. 44% of marketers believe the data on their target audiences is high quality.1
17. In 2023, 61% of sales leaders automated their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.1
18. Companies with an active Service Level Agreement (SLA) are 31% more likely to hire additional sales staff to meet demand.1
19. 78% of sales leaders affirm that their CRM systems enhance sales and marketing alignment.1
20. CRM software usage has increased sales revenue for 45% of companies.1
21. Top-performing salespeople spend 18% more time on CRM system updates than their peers.1
22. 96% of prospects conduct research before engaging with a sales representative.1
23. Over half of sales leaders utilize sales enablement content, with 79% deeming it crucial for sales success.1
24. Businesses employing social selling strategies outperform those that do not by 78%.1
25. LinkedIn sales professionals with a high social selling index encounter 45% more sales opportunities.1
26. Brand message exposure on LinkedIn increases conversion likelihood by six times.1
27. Prioritizing social selling enables 51% of businesses to meet their sales quotas more effectively.1
Digital marketing is a good tool for a strategic approach to sales and lead generation, offering precision in targeting and efficiency in conversion.
Moving onto the next section, we focus on how content and email marketing play pivotal roles in marketing. These elements are integral to reinforcing connections and nurturing leads into consistent customers.
Content and email marketing statistics
Content and email are important components of digital marketing. Effective content marketing attracts and retains audience interest, setting the stage for solid brand connections.
Email marketing complements this by delivering personalized messages to individuals, encouraging direct engagement and action. This combination proves critical for nurturing leads and boosting customer loyalty.
- 59% of Americans find most of the emails they receive unhelpful.39
- Generative AI for email creation is deemed "effective" by 95% of marketers, with 54% rating it as "very effective."40
- One in two writers employ AI tools to enhance the performance of their content.1
- While 43% of content marketers use AI for idea generation, only 3% rely on it to compose entire articles.41
- Measuring web traffic is a primary indicator of content marketing success for many.1
- In 2024, 50% of marketers intend to increase their content marketing budget.42
- Podcasts or other audio content are utilized by 25% of marketers within their content strategies.1
- Digital audio advertising expenditure is expected to surpass $10 billion in 2023, reaching $13 billion by 2028.1
- Podcast advertisements have the highest recall rate among 86% of consumers.43
- Short-form video is identified as the leading trend by marketers in 2023.1
- Marketing videos typically garner less than 10,000 views 8% of the time, under 1,000 views 16% of the time, and over 100,000 views 16% of the time.1
- The global email user base was 4.26 billion in 2022, which is anticipated to increase to 4.73 billion by 2026.1
- Content marketing is actively employed by 29% of marketers.1
- 43% of generative AI users find it most beneficial for crafting email content.1
- 41% of email opens occur on mobile devices, and for Gmail users, this percentage rises to 75%.44
Businesses can effectively connect with customers by creating compelling messages and leveraging targeted email campaigns, driving interest and action. This approach enhances visibility and creates a loyal community around your brand.
16. A mobile-first or responsive design is adopted by 35% of email marketers.1
17. 40% of email users have 50 or more unread messages in their inbox.1
18. Daily marketing emails are sent by 22% of marketers, with 21% sending two to three emails daily.1
19. The highest email engagement rates are recorded between 9 a.m. and noon.1
20. Segmented emails result in 30% more opens and 50% more click-throughs than non-segmented ones.1
21. 78% of marketers find subscriber segmentation their most effective email campaign strategy.1
22. Emails are personalized by segment by 64% of marketers.1
23. 48% of social media marketers repurpose content across platforms with slight changes, whereas 34% create unique content for each platform, and 17% share identical content across all platforms.1
24. Blog posts are the most utilized content format, with 90% of marketers leveraging them to meet content objectives.1
25. Businesses that maintain blogs produce 67% more monthly leads than those that do not.1
26. Only 3% of brands consistently publish blog posts exceeding 2,000 words.1
As we wrap up the section on content, email and digital marketing, remember that these tools are essential to maintain long-lasting relationships with customers.
Integrating advanced digital marketing technologies opens up new avenues for optimizing these strategies as we move forward.
Digital marketing technology statistics
With over 4.5 billion people using the internet globally, digital marketing technology has become indispensable for businesses.
These technologies, including analytics, automation, and advanced targeting, allow marketers to launch precise and adaptable campaigns.
The ability to analyze and respond to consumer behavior in real-time means messages are more likely to hit the mark.
- In 2023, B2B marketing technology spending in the US increased by 12%, reaching $7.68 billion, with expectations of surpassing $8.7 billion in 2024.45
- 14% of marketers have incorporated Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) into their strategies, with 49% planning to boost their investment in these technologies in 2024.1
- Mobile messaging is utilized by 25% of marketers.1
- WhatsApp sees 2 billion users monthly, making it the top messenger app.46
- Most consumers view their text messages within five minutes of receipt, with one-third checking within a minute.47
- 70% of consumers are willing to receive texts from businesses, and 61% desire two-way texting capabilities with businesses.47
- The global marketing technology market grew over 31% in 2023 compared to the previous year.45
- According to a global study on marketing technology, over 11,000 MarTech solutions were available in 2023, reflecting nearly a 60% increase from 7,000 in 2019.45
- Pinterest Analytics dominated the marketing analytics software market in 2023 with a 53% share, followed by Chartbeat at around 6%.45
- As of June 2023, 44% of the US SMB owners and marketing decision-makers were interested in adopting AI and automation technologies, though they still needed to do so.45
MarTech is essential for digital marketing, but it's also useful for enhancing marketing strategies across all channels.
11. Around 26.6% of marketing budgets globally are allocated solely to MarTech.48
12. The MarTech sector is expected to grow by 18% from 2020 to 2027.48
13. 75% of marketers implement marketing automation technologies.48
14. 49% utilize customer journey mapping technologies to enhance customer experiences.48
15. 47% use data-driven marketing technologies to improve customer experiences.48
16. 24% adopt form-filling and creation technologies to gather customer preferences.48
17. 12% employ predictive analytics technologies to refine digital marketing strategies.48
18. The value of through-channel marketing automation platforms is projected to exceed $13 billion by 2028.48
19. About 70% of SaaS and technology firms use integrated MarTech tools, indicating their widespread adoption in the industry.48
20. A significant 75% of organizations are categorized as digitally immature due to needing more technical experts proficient in coding.48
21. Company leaders are 1.4 times more likely to integrate technology into marketing efforts than other executives.48
Digital marketing technology is important for today's business strategies, providing efficient tools to ensure business growth.
It adapts to market changes and consumer needs, helping businesses maintain competitiveness. Utilizing the appropriate technologies enhances marketing effectiveness and offers tangible metrics for success.
Frequently asked questions
Why is digital marketing important?
Digital marketing helps you reach a larger audience than you could through traditional methods and target the prospects who are most likely to buy your product or service. It's often more cost-effective than traditional advertising and enables you to measure success on a daily basis and pivot as you see fit.
How much does digital marketing cost?
The cost of digital marketing varies significantly based on the size of your business, your specific goals, and how you execute your campaigns. You can start small with organic strategies such as SEO and social media marketing, which are cost-effective. Paid advertising costs will depend on your budget and bidding strategies.
Can I do digital marketing myself?
Yes, it's possible to do digital marketing yourself, especially if you're a small business with a tight budget. Start by educating yourself on digital marketing basics and best practices, then experiment with different strategies to find what works best for your business. For more complex strategies and tools, you might need professional assistance.
How do I get started with digital marketing?
To get started, it's important to clearly define your objectives (e.g., increasing brand awareness, sales, engagement), understand your audience, and identify the digital marketing channels that will help you reach your audience and achieve your goals. It may be beneficial to hire a digital marketing professional or team, or to take an online course to familiarize yourself with the essentials.
How do I measure the success of my digital marketing efforts?
Success can be measured using various metrics, depending on the goals of your campaigns, including:
- Traffic: The number of visitors to your website.
- Leads: The number of potential customers who have shown interest in your product or service.
- Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who take the desired action.
- Customer Acquisition Cost: The cost associated with convincing a customer to buy your product/service.
- ROI: The return on your digital marketing efforts compared to the investment.
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