The state of search 2023

Do you often wonder how to keep up with an ever-changing digital landscape?

The Searcher’s behavior is constantly evolving and it can be difficult to adapt as a brand so dependent on online performance. However, there are two reasons why you can rest a little easier on this reality: (1) you are certainly not the only one in such a position, and (2) you have found that the Search Study to end all Search Studies. We published the State of Search, Semrush’s annual 360-degree analysis of Google updates, search behavior and SEO activity – you’ll find the full report in our State of Search 2023 infographic.

The study used our vast array of tools and reports, including data from the Semrush Sensor database, Domain Analytics, Traffic Analytics, and more, to help you optimize your SEO strategy and outperform the competition. Our analysis highlights trends using recent search data, but also compares 2022 to 2021 to unpick how people searched, industries performed and SERPs changed around the world. Here’s a taste of our discoveries before diving into the infographic.

What were this year’s traffic trends?

We calculated the total traffic trend in 2022 based on the top 100,000 domains in the US from the Semrush .Trends Rank and Traffic Analytics (Clickstream data). These websites received an average of about 140 billion visits per month and, with the mid-year recession in mind, the traffic trend seems to follow economic activity in 2022. There was a slight decline in mid-2022, and...