Figment Research
SEO statistics UK 2026.
The figures UK businesses ask us about most: where people search, who gets the clicks, how long ranking takes and where the money goes. Each one is linked to its source.
What is a good click-through rate in Google?
Backlinko reports a 27.6% click-through rate for the first organic result (4 million results). Separate FirstPage 2023 data, cited by Backlinko, reports 18.7% and 10.2% for positions two and three; do not combine the samples. Backlinko also reports the top three results take 54.4% of all clicks, and 0.63% of searchers click anything on page two. Ahrefs associates AI Overviews with a 58% lower top-result click-through rate.
Key takeaways
- Google dominates UK search: it has a 91.39% share of UK searches (StatCounter, September 2026), 82% of UK online adults use it and it handles 3 billion searches a month (Ofcom).
- Position matters enormously: the #1 result gets a 27.6% click-through rate, the top three take 54.4% of all clicks, and only 0.63% of searchers click anything on page two (Backlinko).
- SEO takes time: only 1.74% of new pages reach Google’s top ten within a year, and the average #1 result is five years old (Ahrefs).
- Ofcom estimated AI Overviews appeared on about 30% of UK searches in 2025, and Ahrefs associates them with a 58% lower click-through rate for the top result.
- In a global survey of 371 SEO professionals, 43% said their company cut some SEO spending in the previous year (Search Engine Journal, September 2025).
Google search statistics UK.
In short: Google held a 91.39% share of UK search across all devices in September 2026, with Bing on 6.08% (StatCounter), and Ofcom counts 3 billion Google searches a month in the UK.
Start with who your customers use and how they get online. In the UK the answer is overwhelmingly Google.
Google click-through rate by position.
In short: Backlinko reports a 27.6% click-through rate for the first organic result (4 million results), and 0.63% of searchers clicking anything on page two. Positions two and three come from separate FirstPage 2023 data.
Ranking is not the goal. Clicks are. Backlinko reports the figures below. The benchmarks are not established as UK-specific.
| Position | Average click-through rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 27.6% | Backlinko, 4 million results (updated Apr 2025) |
| #2 | 18.7% | FirstPage 2023 data, cited by Backlinko |
| #3 | 10.2% | FirstPage 2023 data, cited by Backlinko |
| Top three combined | 54.4% of all clicks | Backlinko (updated Apr 2025) |
| Any result on page two | 0.63% of searchers | Backlinko (updated Apr 2025) |
Position one comes from Backlinko’s own study. Positions two and three come from FirstPage’s 2023 data, which Backlinko cites, so the rows are from different samples.
Treat these as averages. Click-through rates vary by industry, query type and whether a snippet, map pack or AI Overview sits above the result. Do not add the position rates together: they come from different samples. The 54.4% is a share of all clicks, not a click-through rate.
Zero-click search and AI Overviews statistics.
In short: SparkToro reported 68.01% of US Google searches ending without a click from January to April 2026, and Ahrefs associates an AI Overview with a 58% lower average click-through rate for the top result.
The best large-sample data on searches that end without a click is US-based, so we label it. AI summaries may be one factor, but these studies do not show it.
| Position in search results | Clickthrough rate impact |
|---|---|
| 1 | −58.0% |
| 2 | −50.8% |
| 3 | −46.4% |
| 4 | −38.8% |
| 5 | −32.6% |
| 6 | −30.5% |
| 7 | −29.7% |
| 8 | −28.8% |
| 9 | −29.7% |
| 10 | −19.4% |
Source: Ahrefs. Column headings are Ahrefs’ own. The cited text does not clearly define whether position means the organic result or the AI Overview, so do not read this as a forecast for an individual ranking. Ahrefs introduces this table as “the same analysis on AI Overviews appearing in lower-ranking positions”, noting “the already low click-through rates of positions 2-10”. These are correlations, not proof of cause.
For more on how AI answers are changing traffic, see our AI search statistics.
How long SEO takes: time-to-rank statistics.
In short: Only 1.74% of newly published pages reached Google’s top ten within a year in Ahrefs’ study of 1 million URLs, and the average #1 ranking page is five years old.
The honest answer to “how long will it take?” is longer than most people hope, and the data backs it up. Established pages dominate the top of Google.
Older pages predominate in this sample; the study does not establish why. This does not mean new sites cannot win, so a sensible plan is to pick winnable terms first and build up. For realistic timelines by situation, see our guide to how long SEO takes.
Ranking factor statistics: links, content and Core Web Vitals.
In short: The #1 Google result has 3.8 times more backlinks on average than positions two to ten (Backlinko, 11.8 million results), and 48% of mobile sites have good Core Web Vitals (HTTP Archive, 2025).
These are correlations from large studies, not Google’s rulebook. They show what winning pages tend to look like.
The reported average word count is descriptive, not a recommended target. The Backlinko and local-pack figures are not established as UK-specific, but it shows why a complete Google Business Profile matters for any business serving a local area.
SEO and search marketing spend statistics.
In short: UK advertisers spent £17.9 billion on paid search in 2025, 44% of all UK digital ad spend (IAB UK); no reliable public figure exists for total UK SEO spend.
There is no reliable public figure for total UK SEO spend, so we show the closest published data: paid search and a global survey of SEO professionals.
Figment’s Google click data from 18 UK business sites.
We track Google Search Console data for the UK business websites we work with. Figures are aggregated and anonymised.
Sample: 18 UK business websites with full Search Console data. Small sample, mostly professional and local services. Full method in State of AI Search 2026.
All sources.
Third-party figures above link to their publisher or, where we used secondary reporting, to that report. This table lists them in one place so you can check or cite them. Figures were checked against the source pages on 30 October 2026.
| Section | Figure | Publisher | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK search | 91.39% – share of UK search across all devices held by Google. Bing has 6.08% | StatCounter Global Stats | Sep 2026 |
| UK search | 82% – of UK online adults use Google Search | Ofcom | 2025 (published 10 Dec 2025) |
| UK search | 3 bn – searches a month on Google in the UK | Ofcom | 2025 |
| UK search | 30% – of UK searches showed an AI Overview in 2025, per Ofcom; 53% of adults said they see them often | Ofcom | 2025 |
| UK search | 1.8 bn – UK visits to ChatGPT in the first eight months of 2025, up from 368 million | Ofcom | Jan to Aug 2025 |
| UK search | 33% – of overall website traffic comes from organic search on average (800+ domains, seven industries, global) | Conductor | 2024 |
| Clicks & CTR | 27.6% – click-through rate for the #1 organic result (4 million results) | Backlinko | Updated 16 Apr 2025 |
| Clicks & CTR | 18.7 / 10.2% – click-through rate for positions two and three, from FirstPage data cited by Backlinko | Backlinko | 2023 data, updated Apr 2025 |
| Clicks & CTR | 54.4% – of all clicks go to the top three results | Backlinko | Updated 16 Apr 2025 |
| Clicks & CTR | 0.63% – of searchers click anything on the second page | Backlinko | Updated 16 Apr 2025 |
| Zero-click & AI | 68.01% – of US Google searches ended without a click | SparkToro | Jan to Apr 2026 (US, Similarweb panel) |
| Zero-click & AI | 60.45% – in SparkToro’s 2024 US study. Different data panel, so not like-for-like | SparkToro | 2024 (US) |
| Zero-click & AI | 58% – lower average click-through rate for the top result when an AI Overview is present | Ahrefs | Dec 2023 vs Dec 2025 |
| Zero-click & AI | 8 vs 15% – of visits with a click on a normal result with and without an AI summary (US, 900 adults) | Pew Research Center | Mar 2025 |
| Zero-click & AI | 1.76 to 0.61% – organic click-through rate on informational queries with an AI Overview | Seer Interactive | Jun 2024 to Sep 2025 |
| Zero-click & AI | 35% – higher average organic click-through rate for brands cited in an AI Overview than when not cited. This does not establish causation | Seer Interactive | Sep 2025 |
| Time to rank | 1.74% – of newly published pages reach Google’s top ten within a year (1 million URLs) | Ahrefs | Published 15 May 2025 |
| Time to rank | 72.9% – of pages in Google’s top ten are more than three years old, up from 59% in 2017 | Ahrefs | Published 15 May 2025 |
| Time to rank | 5 yrs – is the average age of the #1 ranking page | Ahrefs | Published 15 May 2025 |
| Ranking factors | 3.8x – more backlinks on average for the #1 result than for positions two to ten (11.8 million results) | Backlinko | Updated 14 Apr 2025 |
| Ranking factors | 1,447 – words is the average length of a Google top-ten result | Backlinko | Updated 14 Apr 2025 |
| Ranking factors | 48% – of mobile sites have good Core Web Vitals (56% on desktop) | HTTP Archive Web Almanac | Jul 2025 |
| Ranking factors | 42% – of local searchers click a result in the Google Maps pack | Backlinko | 2024 study, updated 22 Dec 2025 |
| Spend | £17.9 bn – spent on UK search advertising in 2025, up 6% (paid search, not SEO) | IAB UK / Oliver Wyman | 2025 |
| Spend | 44% – of UK digital ad spend went to search | IAB UK / Oliver Wyman | 2025 |
| Spend | £40.5 bn – is the total UK digital advertising market | IAB UK / Oliver Wyman | 2025 |
| Spend | 43% – of companies cut any SEO spending in the year before the survey; 65% expected no cuts in the following year (371 SEO professionals, global; September 2025 survey) | Search Engine Journal | Published 10 Sep 2025 |
How we compiled this page. Sources are linked beside third-party figures, and secondary reporting is named where we used it (for example Backlinko citing FirstPage). Several figures are US or global, or not established as UK-specific, because UK-only equivalents are not published. Benchmarks such as click-through rates vary by industry, so use them to set expectations, not to forecast.
Frequently asked questions.
What percentage of UK searches happen on Google?
About nine in ten. StatCounter measured Google’s share of UK search at 91.39% across all devices in September 2026, with Bing on 6.08%. Ofcom reports that 82% of UK online adults use Google Search, which handles about 3 billion UK searches a month. Market share changes monthly, so check the live source for today’s figure.
What is a good click-through rate in Google?
For the #1 organic result, about 27.6%, the average in Backlinko’s study of 4 million results. Separate FirstPage 2023 data, cited by Backlinko, gives 18.7% and 10.2% for positions two and three. Beating the average for your position is good. Expect lower rates when an AI Overview, map pack or ads sit above you.
How long does SEO take to work in the UK?
Usually many months, and longer for competitive terms. Ahrefs found only 1.74% of newly published pages reach Google’s top ten within a year, and the average #1 page is five years old. Specific, less competitive terms can move faster. Our guide to how long SEO takes covers realistic timelines.
Are zero-click searches growing?
SparkToro reported 68.01% zero-click searches in its US January to April 2026 study and 60.45% in its 2024 study. The studies used different panels, so these figures alone do not establish a like-for-like increase. The evidence we checked gives no UK-only estimate.
How much do UK businesses spend on SEO?
There is no reliable public total for UK SEO spend. What is published is paid search: IAB UK reports £17.9 billion spent on UK search advertising in 2025, 44% of all digital ad spend. A September 2025 Search Engine Journal survey of 371 SEO professionals found 43% said their company cut some SEO spending in the previous year.
Cite this page.
You are welcome to quote these figures. Please cite the original publisher for third-party figures (linked beside each one) and this page as the place you found them. For Figment’s own figures, cite State of AI Search 2026.
Figment (2026) SEO statistics UK 2026. Updated 30 October 2026. Available at: https://www.figmentagency.com/seo-statistics-uk/
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