90 Google Search Statistics for 2024: Usage & User Behavior Data

The first stop for any type of query on the internet is Google, the world’s most popular search engine. The site has become such a household name that the term “google” actually became part of the English language in 2006. Now that the internet is home to over 4 billion users, Google is busier than ever. Besides furnishing a multitude of digital services, it handles billions of searches per day and trillions per year. How many exactly? The latest Google search statistics have the answers and more.

In this article, we train the spotlight on Google usage, its market size, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Google searches. The write-up sheds light on how many Google searches are there per day in 2020. It also notes down the most searched queries as well as the most visited sites on the internet. In reading through the article, marketers get to know more about the site on which they run their SEO software. Meanwhile, new business owners will recognize the general interests of digital audiences worldwide.

Google Search Engine Statistics
Statistics on Google Search Usage
Google Search Statistics
Statistics on SERP Features
Google Search During COVID-19 Pandemic
Future of Google Search

Google Search Engine Statistics

The domination of Google isn’t only among search engines; it extends to the entire digital sphere. According to the latest Google search engine statistics, it is the most visited website in the world. Google is also the most used search engine across all platforms by a vast margin. With this, the site amassed over 180 billion in profits in 2020, and it looks to further increase that amount through 2021. It’s no surprise that Google is among the most valuable brands on the globe.

Statistics on Google Revenue

Google’s revenue in 2020 amounted to $182.53 billion with year-over-year growth of 13%. (Alphabet, 2021)
Meanwhile, it recorded a net income of $41.22 billion in 2020. (Alphabet, 2021)
Furthermore, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, gained $104.06 billion in revenues from Google searches and $19.77 billion from YouTube ads. (Alphabet, 2021)
Based on the latest statistics on Google revenue, Google Services amassed $168.63 billion in revenues. (Alphabet, 2021)
In the 4th quarter of 2020 alone, Google accumulated $56.7 billion in revenue. (Alphabet, 2021)
In addition, Alphabet’s overall revenues increased by 23% in 2020. (CNBC, 2021)
Its advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of 2020 amounted to $46.20 billion. (CNBC, 2021)
In terms of market capitalization, Google is the 5th most valuable company in the world, with a market value of $1.18 trillion. (Value, 2021)
French company Brand Finance, however, ranks Google as the 3rd most valuable brand in the world, with an estimated brand value of $191.22 billion. (Brand Finance, 2021)
The 5 most valuable brands in the world in 2021, which include Google, are all tech companies. (Brand Finance, 2021)
Meanwhile, the world region that provides the most revenue to Google is the United States, which accounts for 47%, followed by Europe, the Middle East and Africa (30%), the APAC region (18%), and the rest of the Americas (5%). (Alphabet, 2021)

Source: Alphabet 2021

Google Traffic Statistics

According to the latest Google search engine statistics, Google is the most visited website in the world with 80.93 billion visits in February 2021. (SimilarWeb, 2021)
This is echoed by Alexa, which ranks Google 1st in terms of global internet engagement. (Alexa, 2021)
Meanwhile, the biggest sources of Google traffic, as of February 2021, were the US (27.61%), Brazil (4.63%), the United Kingdom (4.15%), India (3.77%), and Japan (3.41%). (SimilarWeb, 2021)
The average time spent on Google daily is 16 minutes and 21 seconds. (Alexa, 2021)
Google has indexed approximately 5.18 billion webpages. (WorldWideWebSize.com, 2021)
In February 2021, Google had a bounce rate of 27.68%. (SimilarWeb, 2021)
The search terms used to find Google are 91.96% organic and 8.04% coming from paid ads as of February 2021. (SimilarWeb, 2021)

Google Market Share Statistics

Google dominates the search engine market with a 92.05% share across all platforms as of February 2021. It is followed by bing (2.69%), Yahoo! (1.47%), Baidu (1.33%), and Yandex (0.65%). (StatCounter, 2021)
Moreover, Google is the faraway leader in the desktop search engine market with a share of 86.6%. It is followed by bing (6.7%), Yahoo! (2.71%), DuckDuckGo (0.9%), and Yandex RU (0.64%). (StatCounter, 2021)
Google also leads all mobile internet searches with a market share of 95.03%, followed by Baidu (1.8%), Yahoo! (0.8%), Yandex (0.73%), and DuckDuckGo (0.48%). (StatCounter, 2021)
In addition, Google is the search engine leader for tablet users, with a market share of 90.35%, followed by bing (5.6%), Yahoo! (1.73%), DuckDuckGo (1.06%), and Yandex (0.54%). (StatCounter, 2021)
Meanwhile, Google Chrome is the most used browser as of February 2021 with a share of 80.6%, followed by Firefox (6.6%), Edge (5.4%), Safari (3.9%), and Opera (2.3%). (W3Schools, 2021)
In 2021, the market size of search engines in the US is an estimated $106.7 billion, with an annual growth rate of 7.8%. (IBISWorld, 2021)

Source: StatCounter 2021

Statistics on the History of Google

Looking back, the very first Google search occurred in 1998, with “Gerhard Casper” as the first searched term. (The New Yorker, 2012)
Google introduced its first two logos in 1996. (Hubspot, 2019)
Google began in 1996. The domain google.com was registered in 1997. And the company was incorporated in 1998. (Mirrorview, 2019)
In addition, Google had 795.2 million searches in 1999, a year after its launch. (Internet Live Stats, 2021)
Moreover, the search engine first reached a trillion annual searches in 2011 (1.11 trillion). It hasn’t looked back since. (Internet Live Stats, 2021)

Statistics on Google Search Usage

The number of Google searches has progressively grown over the years. From a mere 795 million in 1999, the figure has ballooned to more than 2.8 trillion in recent times according to the latest statistics on Google search usage. After all, more people are left to fiddle with their phones and computers at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak, signaling an increased use of mobile phones during the pandemic. Marketers likewise have more internet data to work with using their site search solutions.

Number of Google Searches

As of March 2021, 90,460 Google searches occur per second. (Internet Live Stats, 2021)
This means there are 5.4 million Google searches per minute, 325.65 million per hour, 7.81 billion per day, 54.71 billion per week, 237.75 billion per month, and 2.85 trillion per year. (Internet Live Stats, 2021)
With 54.46% of users browsing the internet on mobile, we can estimate that 49,210.24 Google searches occur on mobile per second. (StatCounter 2021; Internet Live Stats, 2021)
This means 2.95 million mobile Google searches happen per minute, 177.16 million per hour, 4.25 billion per day, 29.76 billion per week, 129.34 billion per month, and 1.55 trillion per year. (StatCounter 2021; Internet Live Stats, 2021)
Meanwhile, 42.63% of users browsing the internet are on desktops. From this, we can estimate that 38,563.098 desktop Google searches occur per second. (StatCounter 2021; Internet Live Stats, 2021)
This means 2.31 million Google searches on desktop occur per minute, 138.83 million per hour, 3.33 billion per day, 23.32 billion per week, 101.35 billion per month, and 1.22 trillion per year. (StatCounter 2021; Internet Live Stats, 2021)
Google searches increased by 22% in 2020 compared to 2019. (Semrush, 2021)
According to the latest Google search usage statistics, 45.3% of mobile searches are voice searches. (DataReportal, 2021)
Google properties account for 87.96% of all internet searches. (Hatchwise, 2019)

Source: Internet Live Stats 2021, FinancesOnline 2021

Other Google Search Usage Statistics

32.9% of searches were performed with image recognition tools. (DataReportal, 2021)
Moreover, a Google user, on average, visits 6.87 pages. (DataReportal, 2021)
SimilarWeb presents an even higher estimate at 8.83 pages. (SimilarWeb, 2021)
33.9% of internet users discover brands through search engines like Google. (DataReportal, 2021)
Similarly, 53.1% of internet users research brands through search engines like Google. (DataReportal, 2021)
66% of all website visits in 2020 were on mobile. (Semrush, 2020)

Google Search Statistics

2020 was an eventful year and every major event and personality was reflected in the year’s top Google searches. The latest Google search statistics reveal that social media sites, video streaming sites, and chat applications as the most sought-after items. This is expected given the progressively growing number of social media users. Meanwhile, a large number of people got to know more about Joe Biden, tried their hand at making dalgona coffee, and asked about their IP addresses.

Statistics on SERP Features

SERP pertains to the search engine results page, and Google’s happens to contain a significant amount of information besides the actual page results. The statistics on SERP features reveal that questions similar to the user query appear most often in Google searches, along with the corresponding answers. Moreover, the latest SEO trends show that Google queries, on average, hardly reach two words.

Google Page Results Statistics

The average loading time of websites on the first page of Google searches is 1.65 seconds. (Backlinko, 2020)
In terms of browsing speed, Google on desktop has a Lighthouse performance score of 98 out of 100, which is higher than most websites. (Google, 2021)
Unfortunately, the mobile version of the search engine scores only 68 out of 100. (Google, 2021)
97.6% of searches carry at least one SERP feature. (Backlinko, 2020)
On average, a Google first page result has 1,447 words. (Backlinko, 2020)
Moreover, the top search result often contains 3.8 times more backlinks than the websites occupying positions 2-10. (Backlinko, 2020)
As for the most common Google SERP features, People Also Ask comes out on top with 19.5%, followed by image packs (19.4%), video results (17.9%), Top Stories (15.5%), and Sitelinks (11%). (Backlinko, 2020)
Due to the popularity of mobile searches, 8% of websites belong to m-dot domains. (Semrush, 2021)
Furthermore, 31% of URLs and 8% of page domains don’t appear on mobile Google searches. (Semrush, 2021)
Images appear organically 12 times more often in mobile searches. Meanwhile, videos appear three times more often. (Semrush, 2021)
On the other hand, Google ads appear 2.5 times more often and Featured Snippets twice more often on desktop searches. (Semrush, 2021)
61% of Google users agree or strongly agree that the site has improved in showing trustworthy news while 72% share those views in regard to medical information. (Moz, 2020)
37% of people often trust the medical information they found on Google, and 39% carry the same sentiments for financial information. (Moz, 2020)
Interestingly, 24% of internet users rarely trust the legal information they found on Google, and 23% share the same view on medical information. (Moz, 2020)

Source: Backlinko 2020

Google Keywords Statistics

Google searches, on average, contain 1.9 words. (Backlinko, 2020)
In addition, 91.8% of searches on Google are long-tail keywords. (Backlinko, 2020)
Interestingly, 14.6% of all Google searches come in the form of a question. (Backlinko, 2020)
Surprisingly, 15% of Google searches each year are considered new or haven’t been searched previously on the platform. (Digital Information World, 2020)
Moreover, over 50% of searches end with no clicks to the pages populated. (Search Engine Land, 2019)

Google Search During COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 came as the biggest event in 2020, and for a good reason. It paralyzed the industrial realm and left most people stuck at home. As such, the pandemic influenced the aforesaid 22% increase in the number of Google searches that year. Statistics on global google search during COVID-19 pandemic also revealed the coronavirus to be the most trending topic in 2020. With the rollout of vaccines came an inflow of queries.

The most searched news theme in 2020 was the coronavirus. (Google, 2021)
Moreover, the coronavirus was the sixth most searched keyword on Google in 2020 with a search index of 61 while the term “corona” came in 12th with a search index of 30. (DataReportal, 2021)
In March 2020, “COVID 19” was the fastest-growing Google search relating to the coronavirus, posting a 3,650% increase, followed by “Coronavirus tips” (2,650%) and “COVID-19” (1,950%). (DataReportal, 2021)
According to Ahrefs, there were 43.5 million searches for “coronavirus” in 2020. (Ahrefs, 2021)
On the other hand, Semrush shows a much higher count, with the term “coronavirus” receiving 64.4 million searches. (Semrush, 2020)
As of March 2021, the top COVID-19 questions in the US asked on Google are “Where to get COVID vaccine?,” “How long does COVID last?,” and “How long does the COVID vaccine last?” (Google, 2021)
Spain has the largest interest in the keyword “coronavirus,” making up 72% of all pandemic-related searches. (Google, 2021)
Meanwhile, the term “COVID” is mostly used in the Philippines while the keyword “COVID-19” is most prevalent in Japan. (Google, 2021)
As of March 2021, the number of Google searches for “vaccine” is at an all-time high worldwide. (Google, 2021)

Source: DataReportal 2020

Future of Google Search

Google Search continues to evolve rapidly, and its future is shaped by several emerging trends in technology, user behavior, and artificial intelligence (AI). Here’s a look at what we can expect from Google Search in the coming years:

Increased Use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Google has already integrated AI into its search algorithms with innovations like BERT and RankBrain. In the future, we can expect even deeper integration of AI to enhance result relevancy and user experience. AI will help Google understand context better, deliver more personalized results, and even predict what a user might want to search before they type it.
Voice Search Dominance: Voice search is growing rapidly with the rise of smart speakers and virtual assistants like Google Assistant. As more people use voice commands to search, Google will refine its search capabilities to handle natural, conversational queries. This shift will change how websites optimize content and how search results are presented.
Search for Visual and Video Content: With the growth of platforms like YouTube and visual search engines, Google will continue to enhance its ability to search for images and videos. Google Lens is an example of how Google enables users to search using images. We can expect more advanced visual and video search functionalities in the future.
Integration of Augmented Reality (AR): Google has already experimented with AR in search results, such as with 3D models and location-based information. As AR technology advances, we could see a more immersive search experience where users can visualize products, locations, or concepts directly in their environment through Google Search.
Personalization and Hyper-Localization: Search results will become more personalized as Google collects user preference data. This includes more localized search results based on user history, geographic location, and behavioral patterns. This trend will make searches more relevant and tailored to the individual.
The Rise of Knowledge Graphs and Featured Snippets: Google’s Knowledge Graph and featured snippets have already begun to change how we interact with search results. These features aim to give users instant, concise answers to their queries. In the future, we might see even richer snippets and more detailed information directly on the search results page.
More Interactive and Dynamic Search Results: Future searches may not just show static results. Instead, we can expect more dynamic results that allow users to interact with the information, such as real-time data updates, interactive maps, or live feeds that can be customized according to user needs.

How to Use Google Search Statistics

Google continues its dominance as a search engine and a tech brand, posting unimpeded growth in revenues and its userbase. With a market share of over 92%, the site hosts a vast majority of internet users who depend on it for information. As far as the most looked-up items are concerned, YouTube and Facebook have the lion’s share of searches. This goes to show that social media and video streaming are the most relevant subjects on the planet.

But there’s more to learning the latest google search statistics than simply knowing the answer to the question “What is the most searched thing on Google ever?” Google searches, as a whole, reflect human interest as well as the personalities and events that made the most impact. For instance, the most trending topics in 2020 were the coronavirus, the US election results, and Kobe Bryant. And each of those moments carved out a lasting impression on people worldwide.

Now, if we apply the same logic on a micro-scale, we can decipher the conditions surrounding an industry or a company. Google searches, along with other relevant data, about a subject illustrate what draws and turns away people from it. Leveraging such information leads to strategies that address the specific interests of a company’s target audience. For this reason, data analytics has become a widely used tool for sales and marketing.

With this, you might need a software solution that lets you in on the actual preferences of your clientele. Browse our list of the best data analytics software available right now.

Key Insights

Google’s Dominance: Google is the most visited website in the world and the leading search engine across all platforms, commanding a market share of over 92% as of February 2021.
Revenue and Profit: In 2020, Google generated $182.53 billion in revenue, with a net income of $41.22 billion. Its parent company, Alphabet, reported $104.06 billion from Google searches and $19.77 billion from YouTube ads.
Traffic and Usage: Google handles billions of searches daily, with an average of 7.81 billion searches per day in 2021. The United States is the largest source of Google traffic.
Market Share: Google leads the market in desktop, mobile, and tablet searches, as well as browser usage, with Google Chrome holding an 80.6% share.
Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic significantly increased Google searches by 22% in 2020, with “coronavirus” being the most trending topic.
Top Searches: In 2020, the most searched terms globally were “YouTube,” “Facebook,” and “Google.” Joe Biden was the most searched person, and “dalgona coffee” was the most searched recipe.
SERP Features: The majority of Google searches feature SERP elements such as “People Also Ask,” image packs, and video results, enhancing the user experience with quick answers and additional resources.

FAQ

How many searches does Google handle per day? Google handles approximately 7.81 billion searches per day as of 2021.
What is Google’s market share in the search engine industry? As of February 2021, Google holds a 92.05% market share across all platforms.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect Google searches? The pandemic led to a 22% increase in Google searches in 2020, with “coronavirus” being the most trending topic of the year.
Which are the most searched terms on Google in 2020? The most searched terms globally in 2020 were “YouTube,” “Facebook,” and “Google.”
What is the average revenue generated by Google annually? In 2020, Google generated $182.53 billion in revenue, reflecting a 13% year-over-year growth.
How often do Google searches include SERP features? Approximately 97.6% of Google searches include at least one SERP feature.
What is Google’s impact on the digital advertising market? Google significantly influences the digital advertising market, with substantial revenue from both Google searches and YouTube ads, contributing to its position as one of the most valuable brands globally.
What are the most common SERP features in Google searches? The most common SERP features include “People Also Ask,” image packs, video results, Top Stories, and Sitelinks.

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By Jenny Chang

Jenny Chang is a senior writer specializing in SaaS and B2B software solutions. Her decision to focus on these two industries was spurred by their explosive growth in the last decade, much of it she attributes to the emergence of disruptive technologies and the quick adoption by businesses that were quick to recognize their values to their organizations. She has covered all the major developments in SaaS and B2B software solutions, from the introduction of massive ERPs to small business platforms to help startups on their way to success.