The Australian digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly. Understanding current trends and benchmarks helps businesses make informed marketing decisions. Here's what the data tells us about digital marketing in Australia in 2024.
Australian Internet Usage Statistics
Australia has one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world:
- Internet users: 24.4 million (91% of population)
- Mobile internet users: 21.3 million
- Average daily internet time: 6 hours 13 minutes
- Social media users: 21.3 million (80% of population)
These numbers underscore why digital presence is non-negotiable for Australian businesses.
Search Engine Statistics
Google Dominance
Google's market share in Australia remains overwhelming:
- Google: 94.21% of search market
- Bing: 3.67%
- Yahoo: 1.13%
- DuckDuckGo: 0.59%
- Other: 0.40%
This concentration means SEO strategy essentially equals Google strategy for most Australian businesses.
Search Behaviour
- 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine
- 46% of all Google searches have local intent
- 75% of users never scroll past the first page of results
- 28.5% click the first organic result
- Mobile searches now exceed desktop in Australia
Australian E-commerce Growth
E-commerce continues its post-pandemic growth trajectory:
- Online retail value: $63.8 billion (2024)
- Year-on-year growth: 12.3%
- Online share of total retail: 19.3%
- Mobile commerce: 58% of online purchases
Key categories driving growth:
- Home and garden
- Health and beauty
- Food and liquor
- Electronics
Social Media Usage in Australia
Platform Popularity
Active users by platform (monthly active users):
- Facebook: 16.8 million
- YouTube: 21.5 million
- Instagram: 11.5 million
- LinkedIn: 13.2 million
- TikTok: 8.5 million
- X (Twitter): 5.8 million
- Snapchat: 8.0 million
Age Demographics
- 18-24: TikTok and Instagram dominant
- 25-34: Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
- 35-54: Facebook and LinkedIn primary platforms
- 55+: Facebook remains dominant
Digital Advertising Spend
Australian digital ad spend reached $15.1 billion in 2024:
Channel Breakdown
- Search advertising: 42% ($6.3 billion)
- Social media advertising: 24% ($3.6 billion)
- Display advertising: 18% ($2.7 billion)
- Video advertising: 12% ($1.8 billion)
- Other: 4% ($0.6 billion)
Industry Spending
Industries with highest digital ad spend:
- Retail and e-commerce
- Financial services
- Automotive
- Travel and tourism
- Telecommunications
SEO and Content Marketing Trends
Content Consumption
- 70% of Australians prefer learning about products through content rather than ads
- 60% of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content
- Video content consumption up 32% year-over-year
- Voice search used regularly by 27% of Australians
SEO Investment
- 61% of marketers say improving SEO is their top priority
- Average SEO spend for SMEs: $1,500-$3,000/month
- 70% of marketers see SEO as more effective than PPC for long-term ROI
Email Marketing Statistics
Email remains highly effective in Australia:
- Average open rate: 21.3%
- Average click-through rate: 3.2%
- Average ROI: $42 for every $1 spent
- Best performing days: Tuesday and Thursday
- Optimal send time: 10am-11am local time
Mobile Statistics
Mobile-first is reality in Australia:
- Mobile traffic: 58% of all website visits
- Mobile conversion rates: Still 50% lower than desktop on average
- Page speed expectations: 53% abandon sites taking more than 3 seconds
- Mobile ad spend: 68% of total digital advertising
Key Trends Shaping 2024
AI and Automation
- AI-generated content usage increasing but quality concerns remain
- Chatbots used by 35% of Australian businesses
- Marketing automation adoption up 25% year-over-year
- Google's AI Overviews changing search behaviour
Privacy and Data
- Third-party cookie deprecation driving first-party data strategies
- Privacy concerns cited by 67% of Australians
- Consent management becoming mandatory for many businesses
Local and Personalisation
- "Near me" searches continue rising
- Personalised experiences expected by 76% of consumers
- Local businesses prioritising Google Business Profile optimisation
What This Means for Your Business
Opportunities
- Local SEO remains undersaturated for many industries
- Video content offers high engagement with relatively low competition
- Email marketing delivers strong ROI with proper execution
- Mobile optimisation gaps in competitors present opportunities
Challenges
- Increasing ad costs require better targeting and conversion optimisation
- Privacy changes demand new data collection strategies
- AI disruption in search requires content strategy adaptation
- Rising consumer expectations for personalisation and speed
Actionable Takeaways
- Prioritise local SEO if you serve geographic areas—the opportunity is significant
- Invest in mobile experience—the gap between mobile traffic and mobile conversions represents lost revenue
- Build first-party data strategies now, before cookie changes fully impact tracking
- Diversify beyond Facebook—platform-specific strategies for TikTok and LinkedIn show strong results
- Focus on video content—consumption is up, but most businesses underinvest
The Australian digital landscape offers tremendous opportunity for businesses willing to invest strategically. The data is clear: digital marketing works. The question is whether you're doing it effectively.