10 Unique Small Business Search Marketing Statistics You Should Know

Search marketing plays a crucial role in the success of small to medium businesses (SMBs) today, helping them reach more customers and stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.

To get a clearer picture of how small businesses are utilizing search marketing, we conducted a survey and uncovered some interesting insights.

In this blog, we’ll dive into 10 unique statistics from our survey that reveal how small businesses are approaching search marketing and what challenges they face along the way.

1. Search Marketing Effectiveness

Search marketing for small businesses works. The vast majority of SMBs report that all three branches of search marketing are effective parts of their marketing strategy.

2. 3rd Party Tool Adoption

84% of small businesses purchase 3rd-party tools and software to help them with their search marketing efforts.

3. in-house vs. agency

Small businesses do most of their search marketing in-house as opposed to hiring an outside person or marketing agency.

4. Future Spend

Overwhelmingly, small business marketers plan to devote additional resources to all 3 search marketing efforts within the next 12 months.

5. Time spent on Search Marketing

38% of SMBs devote more than 40 hours per week to search marketing, up 15% from what small businesses reported in 2023.

6. Tracking

Across the board, SMBs firmly agree that they can easily track the effectiveness of their search marketing campaigns.

7. Paid Search Challenges

SMBs are finding it easier in 2024 to prove the ROI of paid search, accurately report on paid search, and stay on top of platform changes than in 2023.

8. Paid Search Retention

In 2024, 17% of small business marketers had tried paid search in the past but had since given up.

9. SEO CHallenges

Regarding SEO, small businesses had an easier time finding the time and resources, staying on top of search algorithm changes, and generating website links than in 2023.

10. on and off-page SEO

Finally, we found that in 2024 only 7% of small businesses focus on both on-page SEO efforts like keyword optimization and off-page efforts like link generation.

In Conclusion

These 10 unique statistics shed light on the current state of search marketing for small businesses. While many are embracing digital tools and strategies to grow their online presence, there are still challenges to overcome.

By understanding these trends and adapting to them, small businesses can refine their search marketing efforts and position themselves for greater success in the digital landscape.