Thursday, February 12, 2015

Mobile SEO: More than a Smaller Screen

Google 'Mobile SEO best practice', and you would see experts and enthusiasts giving countless bullet points on how to succeed over a handheld device.

Some top results have given explicit details on 'make your website mobile friendly', 'content optimization plus mobile ads' as well as other definitely 'do's for website managers and business owners. I attach two useful links in case you would like some background information. Optimizing for Mobile - Moz Best Practices for Mobile SEO | Mobile Marketing

However, it takes a lot more than that to adapt to the emerging mobile market. A recent report claimed that in holiday season 2014, mobile device drove 39% of paid traffic in 2014 Q4, and the share is still growing. Besides adding a mobile url to your website or calling up the mobile ads sales rep, there are a few trends to take into account for both marketers and search engine operators (Baidu I'm talking to you!).

1. Shorter key words
Mobile searchers often type in shorter phrases - especially with non-Roman languages. Who wants to tap out a long sentence on a touchscreen keyboard? Longer phrases such as 'what's the best pizza in Upper West' could be shortened as 'pizza upper west' or even 'pizza UWS', and the basket of keywords would be optimized if more typos are considered. 

2. Geographic information
Phones go wherever users go, while desktops stay still in homes and offices. For the local business who hesitated to build up a website and start a campaign, now it is the time. Either it is a pastry shop or a food truck, start with small and attract those nearby.

3. Search on the go (and in the bed)
Mobile searchers move fast, act fast, and expect the results to appear in the first screen. More impatient than traditional searchers, they are also more interested in actionables. Those considering promoting sleep remedy or instant in-store coupon might find mobile ad a worthier investment.

5. Revised algorithm
Type 'Bose' in regular Google you get a handful of ads. Type the same keyword via phone and you get one - sometimes, none. The search engine giants are more cautious with what to place in front of their users - quality score, especially measured by websites' mobile device performance, take a larger portion compared to bidding price.

6. Bye search hi apps
Search engine got all the users flow on desktops. But this is no more the situation with mobile users. Yelp, Accuweather, Chase and other apps are giving users shortcuts avoiding search engines. Can't rule Google? Go for Yelp, or your own app to promote your business.

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