By Rob Stokes on 2010/12/20
Having been in the search marketing business for over 10 years now, I have seen the attitudes of corporate marketers towards this channel evolve over the years. I remember pitching SEO in 2001 and all they could do was look at me incredulously as if to say, “what is this geeky ginger talking about?”
Today, that has come full circle and, for the most part, the job of explaining, “why I need SEO” doesn’t need to be done.
That said, there has been a further evolution in search marketing over the past two years or so, and as of yet it seems very few marketers are really giving it the attention I think it deserves. Mobile search engine marketing may be a part of the bigger picture of search, but without doubt it has its major differences. It also has its unique appeal to marketers wanting to reach a new target market in those who do not use PCs to access the Web.
Word from Google is that locally there are about 2 000 000 unique mobile searches performed each day, representing about 25% of the total search market. Incredibly, this number rises to 65% on the weekends. Mobile search is growing fast, with Google reporting that mobile queries are up 500% in 24 months and searches on Android are up 300% from last year. To me these are signs of a really important trend.
At present mobile advertising, which includes a range of approaches, including push campaigns such as SMS, MMS and USSD and pull advertising such as search marketing, mobile banner ads (PPC) and branded content channels, all combine to constitute less than 1% of global ad spend, yet there are three times as many mobile phones as there are televisions! There is, as you can imagine, tremendous room for growth and many opportunities to capitalise on the first mover advantage.
The most important learning is not to treat mobile like fixed-line Internet. There are marked differences directly related to differences in user behaviour when at a desktop, compared to when on the move with a mobile phone. Mobile users classically tend to “snack” on the Internet in small sessions while waiting for an appointment, or during a dull moment at school or en route to work on the Gautrain. They generally access the Web for a bit of entertainment, or when they need a quick, instant answer. Mobile is the ideal tool for time-poor people in a rush or on the move. Compared to desktop search, mobile search is far more goal-driven.
Essentially, the majority of mobile searches are navigational (Where should we go to eat? Where is the closest Mr. Price? What is the phone number for the hotel?) rather than informational (what witty and wise quote can I use as my Facebook status today?). Mobile users know what they are looking for, they just need to know where to find it, therefore brand and product names are likely to deliver better results as keywords than generic names. Even competitor brands as keywords work well. Nielsen reports that mobile users are highly “search dominant”, in other words they use search to return to a site even if they know the URL.
Part of the reason for the current trends in mobile search is the constraints of the device. A smaller screen, and a really poor input device (requiring regular zooming, and difficulty clicking on small links) means that users need the right information delivered quickly and effectively with as little clutter and fuss as possible.
Anatomy of the Mobile SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
Search engines strive to deliver the most relevant, useful results based on the query and other available data, which in mobile includes location. If one is logged into a Google account, personalised search is far more accurate. However, mobile search engines also have less site history and fewer inbound links to use as ranking figures. This opens up an opportunity for local businesses to rise up the rankings, especially those that list their business addresses on Google Places. Universal Search has become far more prominent, often taking up all the screen real estate “above the fold” on a mobile device, so businesses listed on Google Places will appear in the Universal Search results above the organic search results.
High quality, keyword-rich, properly formatted content is still vital to good rankings. It is important to make sure all content is visible to search engines, with good URLs and mobile XML site maps that are code compliant. Also make sure Google knows your site is a mobile site by featuring the word “mobile” in the copy, using a mobile subdomain or suffix and using location modifiers in tags and content. Is your standard site competing with your mobile site? This could be halving your impact, so be sure to detect this and redirect traffic or link between the two.
AdWords in Mobile
It is easy enough to simply flick the mobile switch when applying your AdWords to mobile but due to the differing conversion rates, a separate campaign should be set up for mobile users .You may choose to use the same basic architecture as your standard AdWords campaign, but tweak it over time to optimise for the different channels. I would advise you to start with a lower CPC than your desktop campaign and adjust up for the AdWords that are working well, as mobile is generally cheaper but can be more risky. Retest conversion rates of all keywords, as some are better for mobile and some don’t perform at all well in this channel.
When delivering AdWords on mobile, you have some choice as to whom to target. These choices are based on location, operating system, phone type among other things. For the best results, strive to deliver the perfect message (or ad) that matches the technological components of the phone and the demographic information available. For example, people with Smartphones are searching more, and phones with better browsers are obviously better for accessing the Internet. It is best to keep campaigns for Smartphones and WAP phones separate.
Mobile ads are shorter than normal text ads, at only 18 characters. It is therefore important to get your message across as succinctly as possible. A good tip is to use phone numbers in mobile ads as mobile users are more inclined to call. Another tip is to reduce expectations and keep users in the funnel by giving them a reason to come back to your offer, or share the information further. Users are less likely to buy from a mobile, so avoid losing them by creating a next step that does not involve the final transaction.
Mobile Landing Pages
What comes after the click-through is often where mobile falls apart. You are dealing with an impatient user and you have less space to impress them on the mobile screen. Be sure to optimise your landing page/site for the mobile browser. This also applies more widely, as mobile users are increasingly accessing their email via their phones and will often attempt to follow a link in an email from this environment. Websites that don’t optimise for mobile are losing out on this potential traffic. When optimising for mobile, remove non-essential images that take up screen space and take long to download. Also be sure to include a phone number high up on the mobile landing age as this is often the very information mobile searchers are looking for. To aid reading on a small screen, use strong, contrasting colours and simple fonts – a clean design is key. Then organise content rationally into short lists, and “bold” important terms.
App Store Search
Already 5 billion apps have been downloaded worldwide. Apps are a great way to deliver your branded content and almost guarantee your visitors will return for more once they have committed to downloading your app, but with thousands of apps added to app stores daily, users still need to find you in the haystack. Using good keywords in the app name and copy will help users find your app and by encouraging reviews you can also raise the ranking of your app. A second tip would be to time the promotion of your app cleverly to boost popularity in a short space of time. You might also choose to promote your app through your social media channels and other communities. Enticing screenshots of your app also help to encourage downloads. Some app-developers are seeing success by offering ‘lite’ or free versions to boost popularity before requesting payment.
Before evolving to offering apps, however, it is best to get the basics of your mobile strategy in place. Mobile allows you to target and develop long-term, one to one relationships with huge numbers of potential customers. To get the most out of your mobile strategy, know your market and find the perfect message that matches their handsets and mobile browsing behaviour. With a little know how, mobile can be an extremely lucrative marketing channel and early adopters in this space stand to reap great rewards.
