What You Need to Know About Mobile Search

I’ve spoken and written about mobile marketing a lot lately on our blog, BlogMyCalls, and I find that one of the biggest mistakes marketers make is not paying attention to mobile search. Hopefully this article will change that.

By the end of 2013 mobile Internet usage will surpass desktop Internet usage. At the same time mobile search will surpass desktop search. To put it another way: in a little over a year many companies will be more likely to be found on a mobile device than on desktop screens.

And mobile searchers are unlike desktop searchers in a variety of ways. They take action quicker (70 percent take action within an hour). Their searches are more directed and focused. They enter the funnel lower than traditional searchers. They prefer making a phone call to filling out a form on a landing page.

These are all critical differences. But the biggest difference is the mobile search itself. Mobile SEO and PPC are very different from their desktop brothers.

Here’s the point: mobile search is taking over the marketing world in a very literal way. So, it is critical to understand the basics of mobile search right now.

In this blog post I’ll give you concrete fundamentals of mobile SEO and PPC.  Let’s get started.

Mobile SEO

Must Get Position 1-3 –Google relayed a stunning statistics during a presentation in Q4 of 2011. They said that CTR dropped 90 percent from search result position one to position four on a mobile phone. 90 percent! The numbers are nowhere near that dramatic in desktop search. If you are in position four on a mobile phone you simply do not exist. The reason for this is obvious, there just simply isn’t enough room on the screen to show more than two or three results.

The Phone is Back- Google says that 61 percent of local mobile searches result in a phone call. It is clear that a phone call is the most common and most natural form of engagement for mobile users following a search. Mobile searchers want immediacy and answers. They don’t want to do in-depth research on their mobile phones. They want to make a phone call.The propensity of mobile users to make a phone call is not a bad thing. Your close rates will probably be higher. Our research indicates that you are 15 – 20 times more likely to close a deal if a prospect calls you than if they fill out a form. It just means that rather than focusing on traditional web metrics like CTR or abandon rates, phone metrics will have to enter your marketing analytics picture.

Landing Pages – We could write an entire post on mobile landing pages. (Wait, we did). But suffice it to say that they are very, very different. Mobile landing pages should have a phone number (remember, phone calls are what mobile is all about) and a simple, short offer. If you insist on having a form to fill out, ensure that you have only 1 or 2 form fields. Anything more than that is too much to write with thumbs.

Mobile PPC

Goals – ‘Regular’ PPC campaigns seek to produce demos, White Paper downloads, purchases or other sign ups. Mobile PPC goals need to be very different. Remember, mobile users want to take action now (70 percent of the time within the next hour) and they want to make a phone call.

Shoot for the Call – Google says that click-to-call PPC ads produce 6 to 8 percent higher conversions than standard mobile PPC ads.

Call-Friendly Ad Copy – Mention the call. Even if your ad is not a click-to-call ad it should, at least, contain phrases like ‘call today’ or ‘call right now.’ Phrases like this will increase the likelihood that a mobile searcher will call you. And Google recommends it.

Distinguish your mobile campaign in Adwords – The default Google Adwords setting is to simply apply desktop settings to mobile. You shouldn’t. They should be separate because the keywords, ad groups and landing pages (offers) are distinctively different.

Bid for position 1-2 – Adwords that are below position 2 or 3 will never appear on page 1 in mobile.

Keyword strategies and Day-Parting – Mobile searches include more misspellings and shorter phrases. This is vital to remember during the buying process. It means you should start broad to discover mobile keyword phrases and then optimize from there. Also, research shows that mobile users use their devices at home and on-the-go. They don’t use their devices at work. This means that desktop Adwords off-hours are mobile on-hours. Run your mobile PPC ads on evenings and weekends.

Adwords& Call Extensions – Call extensions make it easier for customers to call you directly via your ad and allow you to measure the phone calls that your ads generate. They also give you additional real estate in the ad itself. We recommend using a call tracking number to track the calls these ads generate. These call extensions increase CTR and click-to-call pricing is still cheaper than standard PPC models.

About Jason Wells

Jason Wells is the CEO of ContactPoint. Their flagship product, LogMyCalls, provides inexpensive tools for businesses seeking to optimize marketing, lead quality and minimize lost leads. These tools—phone call tracking, call recording, mobile marketing automation and call performance scoring—allow businesses to determine which advertising methods are effective and improve their ability to secure business over the phone. Prior to leading ContactPoint, Jason was Senior VP for Sony Pictures Television where he led the creation and international expansion of the mobile business line from London. For more information, visit www.logmycalls.com or call 866-811-8880.

Website: http://www.contactpoint.com