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Why B2B businesses should look at their desktop search data differently – part 2

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Yes, because B2B buyers mostly research on desktop, where organic results hold up better. STAT's January 2026 analysis found organic results at position one on 49.8% of desktop results pages against 38.8% on smartphones, and UK results pages are less commercially crowded than US ones. Most SEO setups blend devices into one average position. Segment your ten or twenty highest-value search terms by device, look at what each results page shows on desktop, and write content deep enough for a buyer doing due diligence.

Why does device matter for B2B search?

Because B2B buyers research at a desk. Someone evaluating a software platform, a service provider or a consultancy is usually sitting at a screen with several tabs open, not scrolling on a commute. Most SEO advice is written with smartphones in mind, since mobile carries most global search volume and industry benchmarks skew towards consumers, so B2B businesses end up applying a framework built for a search experience many of their buyers are not having. The desktop and smartphone results pages have also diverged: STAT's January 2026 analysis found organic results at position one on 49.8% of desktop results pages against 38.8% on smartphones, an eleven point gap, because more features compete for the top of the page on mobile.

What does the UK picture add?

A further advantage for UK firms. UK results pages are less commercially loaded than US ones, with local packs, popular products, knowledge graphs and shopping results all appearing less often, and even though AI Overviews are slightly more common in the UK, organic takes a larger share of position one. Industry benchmarks lean heavily on US consumer behaviour, so a UK B2B business using them to set expectations may be underselling what is achievable.

What mistake do most B2B teams make with search data?

Tracking rankings without splitting by device. You get an average position, perhaps split by country, and the device split is skipped because the tooling needs extra configuration and nobody has asked for it. Decisions then rest on blended data that does not reflect how the audience searches, and you may be doing better or worse on desktop than the average suggests. There is a content cost too: desktop users tend to read more deeply and are more likely to be in a considered research phase, which content written for a mobile skimmer does not serve.

Will desktop's organic advantage last?

Not indefinitely. STAT's data shows desktop results pages moving towards the mobile experience, more visual, with more features competing at the top, and smartphone results have been a reasonable guide to where desktop is heading, a direction that became clearer in 2025. The advantage is real but temporary, which makes it worth building strong organic positions while it lasts.

What should a B2B business do with this?

Get device-segmented data for your ten or twenty highest-value terms and look at what the results page shows for each on desktop and mobile. Work out which desktop features for those terms are winnable, since local packs, popular products and image carousels behave differently on each. Then revisit the content for queries mostly searched on desktop by buyers in a considered process: depth, specificity and clear expertise convert better there than summaries written for a skimmer.

Related evidence: 55 digital audits. Here’s what I found.. Earlier in this journey: Your organic rankings are fine. So why are clicks falling? part 1.

Questions people ask

Are industry SEO benchmarks reliable for UK B2B firms?

Treat them with caution. They lean heavily on US consumer behaviour, while UK results pages are less commercially loaded, so they can undersell what is achievable.

What content suits B2B buyers searching on desktop?

Deeper, more specific content. Desktop users tend to spend longer on a page and are more likely to be researching a considered purchase than skimming for a quick answer.

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