STATISTICS // SEO
SEO statistics, every number sourced.
Organic click-through rates, zero-click search, local pack data, backlinks, and ROI. The numbers that decide where the next SEO dollar goes. Last updated June 2026.
Statistics for your industry
ORGANIC CTR
What each ranking position earns
39.8%
Click-through rate for the #1 organic result.
Source: First Page Sage
18.7%
Click-through rate for the #2 organic result.
Source: First Page Sage
10.2%
Click-through rate for the #3 organic result.
Source: First Page Sage
68.7%
Share of all clicks taken by the top 3 organic results.
Source: First Page Sage
-32%
Year-over-year drop in position-1 organic CTR, largely from AI Overviews.
Source: First Page Sage
ZERO-CLICK & AI OVERVIEWS
The disappearing click
58.5%
Of US Google searches now end without a click to a website.
Source: SparkToro / Semrush
31%
Of Google search result pages now show an AI Overview.
Source: Search industry data, 2026
61%
Drop in organic CTR when Google shows an AI summary (roughly 15% to 8%).
Source: Ahrefs
53%
Of all website traffic still comes from organic search in 2026.
Source: BrightEdge
LOCAL SEARCH
Local intent and the map pack
46%
Of all Google searches carry local intent in 2026.
Source: Local SEO research, 2026
17.6%
Average CTR for the top Google Map Pack position.
Source: First Page Sage
+126%
More traffic for businesses in the Google 3-pack versus those ranked 4 to 10.
Source: Local SEO research, 2026
76%
Of local-intent searches result in a store visit within 24 hours.
Source: Local search data, 2026
BACKLINKS & RANKING
What still moves rankings
3.8x
More backlinks for pages ranking in Google’s top 10 than pages below.
Source: Backlinko
95%
Of all web pages have zero backlinks.
Source: Ahrefs
92.3%
Of the top 100 ranking sites in a category have at least one backlink.
Source: Backlinko
67.3%
Of marketers use digital PR as a link-building method, the most effective tactic.
Source: Link-building survey, 2026
94.74%
Of keywords get 10 monthly searches or fewer, favoring long-tail strategy.
Source: Ahrefs
ROI
What SEO returns
8x
Average ROI from SEO, roughly double the return of PPC, across 119 companies.
Source: First Page Sage
$0
Cost of the highest-converting local asset most businesses underuse: the Google Business Profile.
Source: GBP benchmarks, 2026
FAQ
SEO, plain answers.
What is the click-through rate for the #1 spot on Google?
The #1 organic result earns about 39.8% of clicks, the #2 result 18.7%, and the #3 result 10.2%, per First Page Sage 2026 data. The top three together take roughly 68.7% of all clicks, though position-1 CTR has fallen about 32% year over year as AI Overviews intercept clicks.
How many searches end without a click?
About 58.5% of US Google searches now end without a click to a website. When Google shows an AI Overview, the click-through rate on organic results drops roughly 61%, from about 15% to 8%.
Do backlinks still matter for SEO in 2026?
Yes. Backlinks remain a top-3 Google ranking factor. Pages in the top 10 have about 3.8x more backlinks than pages below them, and 92.3% of the top 100 ranking sites in a category have at least one backlink, while 95% of all web pages have none. Digital PR is the most effective link-building method.
Find the clicks you are leaving on the table.
Send your Search Console export. We send back the keywords, decaying pages, and AI Overview gaps. Free, 48 hours.
AEO Playbook
Everything we use to rank on AI. Do it yourself.
Get the Playbook