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The World of Mobile Search!

Posted on March 16, 2011 in Mobile, SEO, Articles, Articles
 

How Users Are Affected By the World of Mobile Search

It’s an age when more people think of a smartphone instead of an edible fruit from the Rosaceae family when they hear the word “blackberry.”  It’s an age when people spend more time chatting with their friends on mobile social networking sites rather than in person.  It’s an age when mobile technology has moved beyond geek-speak and into world conquering mode.

From spying on their high school exes on Facebook to keeping up with the latest in celebrity gossip, consumers engage in a smorgasbord of activities on their mobile phones.  Mobile phones are appropriate for light internet usage because they are portable, convenient, and allow users to access the internet on the run, without the need for a wireless hotspot.  Needless to say, the mobile search phenomenon is booming, and one cannot deny its prominence in online sales and advertising.  The Kelsey Group released statistics showing a 130.5% growth rate for local mobile search from 2008 to 2013.

Mobile users can access information instantly, when and where they need it.  The problem occurs when users can’t find every available option on their mobile phones.  Companies that fail to optimize their sites for mobile search not only let their customers down, they also let business slip into the hands of the competition.  As a business owner with an online presence, you’re leaving money on the table if your site isn’t optimized for mobile search.

The Deadly Importance of Creating a Mobile-Friendly Website

Despite the explosive growth of mobile search, the vast majority of websites are still not optimized for the mobile web.  Most businesses don’t even have basic mobile websites.  Advanced smartphones, such as the iPhone and Google Nexus One, allow users to view web pages as they are without stripping them of any features.  However, since everyone and their mother doesn’t own a smartphone quite yet, businesses must ensure that their websites are also compatible with basic cell phone models that have web-browsing capabilities.

Although most businesses don’t have to build entirely new websites for the mobile platform, they do need to attach a cascading style sheet (CSS) to their existing websites.  A CSS feeds information to the mobile search engines.  Screen space on mobile phones is limited, so avoid using images, multiple colors, advertising, fancy fonts, and plug-in content in the CSS.  It’s recommended to use basic black text on a white background for the optimal user experience.

Mobile Search vs. Desktop Search

Consumers use the mobile web in different ways and for different purposes than desktop internet.  Mobile phones are obviously not built like desktop computers, and most users are on the run when they conduct searches.  Mobile phones feature a small keypad, and on the go, users may type their search queries with one hand.  As a result, mobile searchers have lower patience thresholds and want quick, direct answers.  They hate spending time browsing through pages of content and want everything to be short, sweet, and ready for consumption.

How to Achieve Mobile SEO Success

Mobile search engines are still relatively new to the scene, so mobile search engine optimization (SEO) is still in diapers if you compare it to desktop SEO.  At the time of writing, a separate ranking algorithm for mobile devices hasn’t been created, and the rankings are fairly consistent between mobile search engines and standard search engines.

Local search is particularly important on the mobile web because mobile users tend to search for information about their local area, such as the address and contact information of the nearest sushi restaurant or bank.  As such, it’s important that mobile sites target keyword phrases related to the specific location name and immediate needs of users.  In addition, submit a full profile of your website to local search directories like Google Local and Yahoo Local.

To make it easier for consumers to conduct searches on their mobile phones, mobile search engines now offer predictive searches.  Predictive searches are query suggestions that enable mobile users to conduct searches and access relevant results more quickly.  Be sure to optimize your mobile site for predictive search phrases in order to increase traffic and rankings.

Websites that are well optimized by traditional SEO standards are most likely thriving on the mobile platform as well.  Nevertheless, it’s important for businesses to develop a separate mobile marketing campaign to stay abreast of the latest changes and updates in the ever-evolving field of mobile search.  And remember to build your mobile site with the needs of your customers in mind because ultimately, mobile search engines will assign the most value to websites that best answer the queries of the searching populace while providing a pleasant user experience.

Incredible Marketing, Inc. is a world-class organization who specializes in marketing strategies. Their clients utilize the most robust knowledge of the industry to create and execute marketing campaigns, ranging from Internet Marketing (Web Development, Search Engine Optimization), to Corporate Identity packages (Logo, and brochure designs). Other services Incredible Marketing provide include e-mail marketing, database systems for online shopping carts, as well as general marketing consulting.