Every industry behaves differently in search.

Some rely on high-volume informational queries, others compete in tight local SERPs, and some face extreme competition from aggregators, marketplaces, or government sites.

That's why comparing your organic performance to overall averages is almost meaningless; however, SEO benchmarks by industry reveal whether your SEO strategy is underperforming, competitive, or truly market-leading.

This guide breaks down SEO benchmarks by industry, including insights from major data providers like HubSpot, Ahrefs, Semrush, and Backlinko. The goal is simple: help you contextualize your metrics, identify gaps, and prioritize what will actually move the needle.

What Are SEO Benchmarks (and Why They Matter)

These represent the average performance metrics businesses achieve within SEO traffic benchmarks by industry vertical.

Typical KPIs include:

• Organic traffic
• Keyword rankings
• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Conversion rate
• Domain authority (DR)
• Backlink velocity
• Content output and indexing frequency

Examining SEO benchmarks by industry enables brands to compare their performance to realistic expectations, rather than arbitrary goals.

Here's why these benchmarks matter:

Identify Performance Gaps

SEO benchmarks by industry highlight whether low traffic or weak rankings are an industry-wide challenge or isolated to your SEO strategy. These comparisons offer a clear perspective on your performance against competitors. Understanding these differences is crucial for effective strategy adjustments.

Inform Realistic Forecasting

Forecasts become more accurate when grounded in vertical-specific averages. This precision allows for better strategic planning. Therefore, leveraging industry benchmarks is crucial for reliable forecasting.

Track Year-Over-Year Improvements

SEO benchmarks by industry create long-term baselines that help evaluate growth beyond vanity metrics. They provide a standardized way to measure performance against industry standards or competitors over time.

Overall Average SEO Benchmarks (Across All Industries)

SEO audits and performance vary widely depending on the industry, target audience, and competitive landscape. However, there are common benchmarks and metrics that can provide a baseline for comparison.

Before diving into the SEO benchmarks by industry, here are general performance averages most sectors fall near:

• Average CTR (position 1–3): 18–28%
• Average organic conversion rate: 1.7–3.5%
• Average DR/DA for competitive rankings: 40+
• Average monthly organic sessions for mid-market brands: 6,000–20,000
• Average content output for growth: 4–12 pages/month
• Average backlink acquisition: 8–20 referring domains/month

These are starting points. The following industries deviate significantly depending on competition, search intent, and regulatory constraints.

Healthcare & Wellness

Healthcare relies heavily on E-E-A-T: expertise, authority, and trust. Content and copywriting must be accurate, compliant, and medically validated.

Benchmarks for this industry include:

• CTR (top 3): 16–24%
• Conversion rate: 3–5% (higher than average due to urgency)
• DA/DR needed for competitive terms: 50+
• Organic traffic growth window: Slower due to compliance and content review cycles

Ranking requires medically vetted content and authority signals such as expert authors, citations, and robust about pages.

Legal Services & Law Firms

One of the most competitive SEO landscapes. High CPC and high-value cases drive aggressive competition.

Here are four legal benchmarks for legal services and firms:

1. CTR (top 3): 14–21%
2. Conversion rate: 2–7%
3. DA/DR required for page one: 40–60
4. Organic traffic benchmarks: Lower volume but higher value

Local SEO is dominant. Reviews, citations, and location-based content matter more than keyword volume.

SaaS & B2B Technology

SaaS search behaviour is education-heavy. Readers move from awareness to problem to solution to product comparison.

Here are a few benchmarks to consider:

1. CTR (top 3): 12–20%
2. Conversion rate: 0.8–2.5% (longer buying cycles)
3. DA/DR required for page one: 45–70
4. Content output: Industry-leading brands publish 8–20 articles/month

Comparison pages, "X vs Y," templates, tutorials, and inbound-led content dominate.

eCommerce & Retail

Transactional intent dominates. Speed, structured data, and UX greatly influence search performance.

Here's a closer look.

SERP features (shopping carousels, reviews, FAQs) reduce CTR, making schema markup critical.

Real Estate

Hyper-local, heavily influenced by Google Business Profiles. High churn in local SERPs.

Key SEO benchmarks include a CTR of 13–22% for the top three results, a Conversion Rate ranging from 2–3.8%, and Domain Authority/Domain Rating (DA/DR) requirements between 25 and 45. Traffic benchmarks are characterized by lower volume but consistent local intent.

Map Pack visibility drives most conversions. Local backlinks and location pages are essential.

Education & E-Learning

Dominated by informational queries and long-tail discovery content.

Key SEO benchmarks show that a strong CTR for the top three search results ranges from 18% to 29%, with a typical conversion rate between 1.0% and 3.2%. To achieve national rankings, a Domain Authority/Domain Rating (DA/DR) score of 50 to 80 is generally necessary. Overall traffic benchmarks are considered high, driven by significant search volume.

Long-form guides, interactive tools, and glossary content perform exceptionally well.

Finance & Banking

Highly regulated and extremely competitive. YMYL (Your Money Your Life) factors apply.

Here are the important benchmarks for this sector:

1. CTR (top 3): 12–18%
2. Conversion rate: 2.5–6%
3. DA/DR required: 60+
4. Traffic benchmarks: Moderate due to intense SERP competition

Compliance slows content output. Trust signals and authoritative referencing are mandatory.

Hospitality & Travel

Search volume is high and seasonally influenced. Visual assets and UX have a significant impact on bookings.

Based on common SEO benchmarks, if your content ranks in the top three search results, you should aim for a CTR between 20% and 30%. When users land on your site, a healthy conversion rate is typically between 1% and 4%. To compete for national rankings, your website generally needs a Domain Authority/Rating (DA/DR) in the 40–55 range.

Expect very high traffic volumes, as consumers tend to do extensive research in this space.

SERPs contain heavy competition from booking platforms, reducing visibility for smaller brands.

Manufacturing & Industrial

Lower search volume but extremely high conversion value. Technical content performs best.

Benchmarks here include:

• CTR (top 3): 17–27%
• Conversion rate: 2.5–6%
• DA/DR needed for competitive terms: 35–55
• Traffic benchmarks: Moderate but stable

Whitepapers, spec sheets, and process-focused pages attract the highest-quality leads.

Marketing & Agencies

Oversaturated. Marketers compete with other marketers who all know SEO.

Here things are a little different:

1. CTR (top 3): 10–19%
2. Conversion rate: 0.7–2.0%
3. DA/DR required: 50–70
4. Traffic benchmarks: Competitive and content-heavy

Thought leadership, strong topical clusters, and high content velocity separate average performers from leaders.

Key Takeaways & Optimization Tips

The following key takeaways and optimization tips provide a high-level summary of the latest SEO benchmarks and insights. Use these findings to inform your strategy, prioritize high-impact opportunities, and ensure your efforts are aligned with current industry trends and user intent.

CTR Drops as SERP Features Expand

Zero-click searches impact almost every sector. Combat this trend by implementing rich snippets, FAQ schema, and compelling titles. These strategies help capture visibility and provide immediate value directly on the search engine results page.

Industry Intent Matters

SEO success is not a one-size-fits-all endeavour.

The strategies and SEO benchmarks by industry that drive visibility and organic traffic vary significantly depending on the industry and the user intent behind the search.

To effectively optimize your online presence, it's crucial to understand the distinct focus areas for different business models.

Here is a closer look:

1. B2B → deeply educational content

2. B2C → UX, speed, and transactional SERP features
3. Local → proximity, reviews, citations

By focusing on deep educational content from B2B SEO services, a flawless transactional experience for B2C or D2C, and a strong local reputation for brick-and-mortar businesses, you ensure your efforts are targeted, relevant, and drive measurable organic growth.

Benchmarks Are Context, Not Goals

Use these SEO benchmarks by industry to prioritize opportunities for improvement. They serve as valuable indicators for strategic decision-making. However, remember they should be viewed as guiding figures, not definitive or final performance targets.

Judge SEO ROI Using Conversion Rate + CTR Together

Traffic alone doesn't indicate whether a strategy is working. Pair engagement metrics with conversions to identify true performance.

That's how you win!

Find Out Your SEO Benchmarks by Industry

If you want a deeper, industry-specific audit or support with content, technical SEO, or inbound strategy, Roketto can help you benchmark your performance, diagnose gaps, and build a roadmap that aligns with revenue growth.

Book a discovery call with Ulf, and let's optimize your content for search engines and most importantly, your audience.