American desktop users perform 126 unique Google searches per month, on average, according to a new analysis of search behavior published by SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin. The median average was 53 Google unique searches per month.
By the numbers. Here are some additional findings about American searchers, beyond the headline statistic:
- 34% conducted more than 101 searches per month.
- 36% conducted 21-100 searches per month.
- 30% conducted 1-20 searches per month.
Google Search by vertical. A whopping 86.94% of Americans use Google.com (Google’s homepage search experience) to search. As for Google’s other vertical options:
- Images: 10.62%
- Video: 1.16%
- Maps: 0.64% (which “is almost certainly undercounted,” according to Fishkin)
- News: 0.38%
- Shopping: 0.23%
- Web: 0.04%
As the study notes about this section:
- “This breakdown is looking at the searches that happen in those tabs/sections, not the ones that simply result in a click on a Google News or Shopping result that appeared in the default Google search tab.”
Why we care. There’s been much speculation that AI tools and answer engines will negatively impact Google’s search dominance. However, this data confirms that Google’s search volume is still massive. Future updates to this study could reveal whether there is any truth to Gartner’s oft-cited prediction that traffic from search engines will fall by 25% by 2026.
The intrigue. Hours before this report was published, we reported that Google processes more than 5 trillion searches per year. Datos’ estimate for the number of annual Google searches: 5.9 trillion. According to Fishkin:
- “Our math above puts the number at 5.9 Trillion, a little high, likely because Datos’ panel focuses on wealthier countries where more search activity per person is to be expected. Still incredible that they’d come out with numbers the day we publish that help back up the veracity of these results, and the quality of Datos’ panel.”
About the data. Fishkin partnered with Datos (a Semrush company), which only tracks web browser activity. That means searches made within mobile apps (e.g., Google search, Google Maps) are excluded from this research. Only searches on Google.com and its five main vertical options were counted.
The research. How Often Do Americans Search Google? Which Search Verticals Do They Use?
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About the author
Goodwin has been editing and writing about the latest developments and trends in search and digital marketing since 2007. He previously was Executive Editor of Search Engine Journal (from 2017 to 2022), managing editor of Momentology (from 2014-2016) and editor of Search Engine Watch (from 2007 to 2014). He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise by a wide range of publications and podcasts.