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Mobile web and mobile search strategy
Do you have a mobile web and mobile search strategy?
You should have one.
Why?
People love their mobile phones so the mobile web is affecting all aspects of online behaviour and marketing. More internet users will access the web through mobile devices than PCs by 2015. YouTube is predicting mobile devices will be the main way to view videos in the UK by 2013. Today 10 to 15% of searches are from mobile, and that figure is growing every day and Google reports: “...after a search, nine out of 10 Smartphone users take action and half of those users wind up making a purchase.”
Let’s look at some figures:
- Mobile search is growing fast with year on year mobile search ad impressions are up 317% and spend is up 269%*
- 30% of UK phones are already 'Smartphone’s'**
- 53% of Smartphone users already access the web - most of them daily**
- 94% of those accessing the web via mobile use a search engine**
- 81% of them are doing local searches**
- 80% of them take action after looking up local content**76% of them use their Smartphone to access a social network**
- 28% have purchased on a Smartphone**
- 85% of mobile devices sold will be web enabled in 2012**
and the top actions taken after looking up local information**:
- Looked up business or service on a map/got directions
- Made a purchase
- Visited a business
- Called a business or service
- Visited the website of a business or service
* Source forbes.com January 2012
** Global Insights on Smartphone Users & Mobile Marketers June 2011
So, mobile is likely to change the way that customers do business. Not to the same extent for everyone, but the change will be dramatic for most businesses none the less.
So what should you do?
Mobile site design and mobile search actions
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The most important element of a mobile strategy is ensuring that all your customers can view your website correctly on their wireless device. Mobiles have smaller screens and, generally, slower connections, so you probably want to simplify things so that usability is high and you improve the customer experience and increase the likelihood they'll make a purchase or take a desired action.
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For this a single column structure tends to work best. Having said that, modern Smartphone’s and tablets are can read many normal and well built websites and, as Google has said in its Webmaster Central BlogSpot: “For now, we expect Smartphone’s to handle desktop experience content so there is no real need for mobile-specific effort from webmasters. However, for many websites it may still make sense for the content to be formatted differently for Smartphone’s, and the decision to do so should be based on how you can best serve your users.”
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Make sure your mobile site is search-engine friendly. Don’t use Flash, the iPhone does not support it and Adobe will cease to support it on Android.
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Mobile search is different from desktop search so your approach to search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) needs to reflect this. Mobile searchers make more local searches. Last May, Google’s Marissa Mayer was quoted saying that 40% of all mobile searches are local. Microsoft has said that 53% of mobile searches on Bing have a local intent. So, if you have local content optimize it for mobile.
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Mobile searchers are task focused, specific and time related. Bing says someone shopping on their desktop computer takes on average a week to take action while someone on their mobile takes on average an hour. Mobile users are looking for information or assistance to help them make buying now, in store, outside etc. so mobile landing pages need very specific information and clear calls to action.
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Mobile SEO works the same as desktop SEO and in most cases the order in which search results are ranked is the same in mobile and desktop searches. However, mobile searchers misspell more often so include high volume misspellings in your campaigns and optimization.
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Mobile PPC works somewhat differently as searchers’ attention spans are even more limited so mobile specific ads, clickable phone numbers and geo-targeted maps are more important. The AdWords interface can show you what portion of your clicks and conversions come from mobile vs. desktop, and if 10 percent or more of a campaign come from mobile devices, consider targeting separately. Securing position in the top two paid results is imperative with the limited viewing area on mobile devices.
Written by Richard Hill
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