We all know that mobile is the place to be. We’ve all heard about the explosion of the mobile market, the need to expand into mobile-optimzied ads, sites, content, and more. We know that mobile users are on the rise, mobile users are on the go, and mobile users are more action-oriented. But what are your customers really doing on their smartphones? Where are they spending their time and what are they doing on those mobile devices?
Its important businesses understand how mobile users are interacting with their smartphones if you want to leverage that information to better reach them, engage them, and encourage them to act.
Mobile Browsing in 2013
In a new study, 33% of time spent online happens on mobile devices. That means roughly 1 out of every 3 minutes of online-time is taking place on either smartphone or a tablet.
Not only is a significant portion of online-time conducted on mobile devices, but a huge portion of mobile users are relying more and more on mobile searches to find what they’re looking for, which is why mobile search is one of the top ways that businesses get found online today.
How to Improve your Mobile SEO and Make the Most of your Mobile Rankings
What’s important to keep in mind when it comes to mobile search engine optimization, especially mobile SEO in 2013, is that the mobile-search experience can be very different from the desktop-search experience.
Google has actually enforced the importance of having a mobile-optimized site as a mobile search factor, by prioritizing sites with mobile-friendly structure, better usability, and so on in their rankings. So, as any good SEO company or search expert would tell you, having a mobile-optimized site is essential in today’s competitive and mobile-focused market.
But there are other elements to consider besides just how to have a mobile-freindly website. One of the most important differences? Mobile users usually click within the first three search results, this isn’t big news and this isn’t too drastically different from what you see searchers doing on desktops. But what is different with mobile search, are shorter search terms and phrases and a heavier reliance on auto-complete suggestions from the search engines. So a mobile-specific SEO tip: try to focus on the keywords and phrases based on the themes of your pages and which autocompletion suggestions are most frequently offered.
Most Common Mobile Behaviors
So what are people today spending most of their time doing with their smartphones?
According to a recent study on mobile use and engagement, the number one mobile activity performed by U.S. adults between the ages of 18-44 is email. Followed closely by those who read news or content, and those who were engaging on social media sites or apps. And while all of these are on the rise, more and more mobile users are relying on their smartphones to engage through email. In fact, according to another study conducted at the end of 2012 showed that nearly half (41%) of emails were opened via mobile devices.
What Does This Mean for Your Business’ Mobile Marketing Campaign?
Today, over 40% of emails are opened on smartphones. More and more users are reading articles, content, and news stories on their phones, and social media and mobile are more married than ever before. That means you need to focus on generating mobile-friendly content all the way around–especially with your emails.
Have fonts and text sizes that work on mobile devices, keep content short, sweet and to the point where you can, and have calls-to-action that stand out in the midst of it all. Everything you share via email should be equally mobile friendly, whether its a link to a blog, a social media site, your website, an article or more.
The key to successful mobile marketing in 2013 is to make sure that everything from start-to-finish gives users a great experience. From a mobile search, to a click-to-map, an engaging mobile-friendly email, to a mobile optimized site,