Search engine queries from mobile phones are quickly catching up to their traditional desktop and laptop versions. User trends suggest that the bulk of people with smart phones access the Internet with their mobile devices and tablets, often before they access the website on their desktop or laptop PC. This mobile trend makes it important for companies to pay more attention to optimisation techniques for their websites to perform well in mobile search engine results.
A New Environment
Major search engines have been developed around the major providers. Yahoo Mobile, Bing Mobile and Google Mobile are positioned to be major factors in search engine results for a company website. Optimisation designed specifically for these mobile websites is necessary to generate traffic. Intricate indexing methods are used to generate search engine results based on a query executed. Physical businesses now need to pay as much attention to optimisation for the mobile web version of their site. A one-size-fits-all approach to mobile site optimisation isn’t enough to get the physical business placed well in the search engine results.
The Reality
In recent research conducted by Google, mobile searches comprised 25 percent of all searches. That number is expected to grow. An additional statistic from Local Corporation shows that 60 percent of consumers will conduct a preliminary mobile search for a physical business before making a purchase, according to Local Corporation research. Companies must observe the importance of optimizing their mobile sites to benefit from this trend.
Key Considerations
A physical business needs to capitalise on the 15-character search engine limitations. The mobile site relies on approximately 30 keystrokes to generate a query. Only 40 seconds is required to enter this search engine query, according to research published by Google. The very dimensions of the mobile device screen have to be considered. Screen size restrictions underscore the importance of a business website ranking in the very top results. Where Google is more forgiving, permitting optimization objectives to be accomplished with close to a dozen results, the mobile device requires a companies website to achieve the top five results for maximum visibility.
The mobile search engines are designed for faster queries for the impatient user. Predictive search elements designed to accommodate the user and create a more efficient searching experience means that any physical business with a website should be optimised separately to give the company an advantage in the mobile search engines. A company could capitalise off of pre-filled fields that populate by ensuring that the best keyword phrases most likely to be generated in the drop-down field are incorporated into the mobile site design. Thorough optimisation, with an emphasis on the pre-filled queries, the website of the physical business appears highest in results.
More mobile search engines and an increase in use of mobile devices for search engine queries show how important that any physical business with a website should optimise with mobile search in mind.
Michael is an account manager with Search Factory, a Brisbane, Australia based SEO and internet marketing agency. Michael specialises in developing cross-platform marketing strategies for clients, including mobile SEO and SEM campaigns for local and national businesses.
