More than 5.2 billion people were online in 2024, yet the shift in search behavior is even more striking. With DuckDuckGo at 1.7% of global search market share and 75% of users never making it past the first results page, ranking and speed metrics like mobile LCP and INP are increasingly where traffic is won or lost. Let’s connect the market signals, performance benchmarks, and click friction behind the numbers.
Key Takeaways
- 5.2 billion people used the internet worldwide in 2024, up from 4.9 billion in 2023
- The global search marketing market was forecast to reach $119.6 billion in 2024
- The global SEO software market was projected to grow to $3.8 billion by 2028 (from $2.1 billion in 2023)
- DuckDuckGo received 1.7% of the global search engine market share in May 2024
- In 2024, 60% of organizations were using AI in at least one marketing function
- In 2024, malware accounted for 17.1% of malicious URLs blocked by Google Safe Browsing
- In 2024, 34% of marketers invested in SEO because it has a better return on investment than other channels
- In 2024, Google Ads search click-through rate (CTR) averaged 3.17% across industries
- 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results
- PageSpeed Insights reports that the median mobile LCP is 2.5 seconds across surveyed sites (2024 benchmark)
- In Google’s measurement of web performance, the median mobile FID-equivalent (INP) target is <=200 ms for “good” user experience
- In a 2022 study, 37% of B2B marketers reported that SEO increased website traffic
- Users in the US report making 13 or more searches per week on average, based on survey data cited by Pew Research Center.
- In 2023, Google reported that it issued 13,406 DMCA takedown notices for search removals in the first half of 2023 (transparency reporting dataset).
- In 2023, Google received 1,271,000 requests for removal from Search under government takedown rules, as shown in its transparency report.
With billions online and SEO proving its ROI, search visibility depends heavily on fast, optimized pages.
Related reading
Market Size
15.2 billion people used the internet worldwide in 2024, up from 4.9 billion in 2023[1]
Single source
2The global search marketing market was forecast to reach $119.6 billion in 2024[2]
Verified
3The global SEO software market was projected to grow to $3.8 billion by 2028 (from $2.1 billion in 2023)[3]
Verified
4Microsoft Bing’s share of US desktop search queries was 5.1% in 2024, according to Comscore-reported estimates summarized by industry press.[4]
Single source
Market Size Interpretation
As internet usage climbed to 5.2 billion people worldwide in 2024, the search market also expanded sharply with projections of $119.6 billion for global search marketing in 2024 and SEO software growing to $3.8 billion by 2028, underscoring clear market momentum in the Market Size category.
More related reading
Industry Trends
1DuckDuckGo received 1.7% of the global search engine market share in May 2024[5]
Single source
2In 2024, 60% of organizations were using AI in at least one marketing function[6]
Verified
3In 2024, malware accounted for 17.1% of malicious URLs blocked by Google Safe Browsing[7]
Verified
4Baidu reportedly handled about 2.2 billion searches per day in 2020 in its public reporting summarized by industry press.[8]
Single source
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across industry trends, search and digital security are moving fast, with DuckDuckGo reaching 1.7% global share in May 2024 while Google Safe Browsing blocked malware on 17.1% of malicious URLs and, alongside that, 60% of organizations already using AI in at least one marketing function in 2024.
More related reading
Cost Analysis
1In 2024, 34% of marketers invested in SEO because it has a better return on investment than other channels[9]
Verified
2In 2024, Google Ads search click-through rate (CTR) averaged 3.17% across industries[10]
Single source
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In cost analysis terms, 34% of marketers leaned into SEO in 2024 because it delivers a stronger return on investment, while Google Ads search ads averaged a 3.17% CTR across industries, underscoring why many may view SEO as the more cost effective lever.
Performance Metrics
175% of users never scroll past the first page of search results[11]
Verified
2PageSpeed Insights reports that the median mobile LCP is 2.5 seconds across surveyed sites (2024 benchmark)[12]
Verified
3In Google’s measurement of web performance, the median mobile FID-equivalent (INP) target is <=200 ms for “good” user experience[13]
Single source
4Google says “good” Core Web Vitals for mobile include CLS under 0.1[14]
Verified
5In 2022, the average search result page loaded in 2.3 seconds on mobile across a dataset analyzed in a research paper on web search latency[15]
Verified
6In 2021, a peer-reviewed study found that adding structured data increased click-through rate by 30% on average in Google search results[16]
Verified
7In 2020 (published 2020), a Google research paper reported that using query rewriting reduced search latency by up to 15% for certain query classes[17]
Verified
8In 2023, the number of organic search visits to e-commerce sites increased by 5.7% year over year in a dataset reported by Similarweb[18]
Verified
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance Metrics show that users engage with search very quickly and shallowly, since 75% never go beyond the first results page while mobile LCP is typically 2.5 seconds and mobile responsiveness targets center on INP at or under 200 ms.
More related reading
User Adoption
1In a 2022 study, 37% of B2B marketers reported that SEO increased website traffic[19]
Verified
2Users in the US report making 13 or more searches per week on average, based on survey data cited by Pew Research Center.[20]
Verified
User Adoption Interpretation
For the User Adoption angle, the data suggests momentum is building as 37% of B2B marketers say SEO increased website traffic and US users average 13 or more searches per week, pointing to strong and sustained engagement with search.
More related reading
Compliance & Risk
1In 2023, Google reported that it issued 13,406 DMCA takedown notices for search removals in the first half of 2023 (transparency reporting dataset).[21]
Single source
2In 2023, Google received 1,271,000 requests for removal from Search under government takedown rules, as shown in its transparency report.[22]
Verified
Compliance & Risk Interpretation
In the Compliance and Risk realm, Google’s transparency reports show a surge of high-volume enforcement in Search with 13,406 DMCA takedown notices in just the first half of 2023 and 1,271,000 government removal requests that same year, underscoring the scale of regulatory compliance pressures on search content.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Search Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/search-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Search Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/search-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Search Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/search-statistics.
References
- 1datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-global-overview-report
- 2marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/search-engine-optimization-SEO-market-2785761.html
- 3grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/seo-software-market
- 4comscore.com/Insights/Rankings
- 5gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share
- 6salesforce.com/news/stories/ai-research/
- 7transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/overview?hl=en&gl=US
- 21transparencyreport.google.com/copyright/government-search/removals
- 22transparencyreport.google.com/government-removals/search?country=GLOBAL
- 8marketwatch.com/story/baidu-reportedly-processes-billions-of-search-queries-daily-2020-01-15
- 9searchenginejournal.com/seo-statistics/amp/
- 10wordstream.com/blog/ws/google-ads-benchmarks
- 11semrush.com/blog/seo-statistics/
- 12web.dev/metrics/
- 13web.dev/inp/
- 14web.dev/vitals/
- 15dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3503161.3547947
- 16arxiv.org/abs/2104.02655
- 17research.google/pubs/pub47850/
- 18similarweb.com/blog/digital-marketing/organic-search-growth/
- 19hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
- 20pewresearch.org/internet/2024/03/14/internet-use-and-selection-of-online-activities/