Going Mobile

Mobile, mobile, mobile. If you had to pick a trend that had changed SEO and marketing in 2011, it would undoubtedly be mobile search. The meteoric rise of mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, has created an entirely new market for businesses, and a new set of rules for marketers and SEOs. Mobile spending is increasing, as is the necessity for optimising your site for the growing number of users who are accessing the Internet on the go.

According to a new State of Search Marketing Report, 40 percent of businesses singled out the increase of mobile Internet usage as having the biggest impact on search marketing. Another report, this from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers, indicates that mobile advertising is poised to make tremendous gains. Analysts predict that $550 to $650 million will be focused on search and display ads for mobile devices this year. These figures are for the United States, but analysts say the increases are prevalent around the world. In the UK, for instance, online advertisements and social media advertising have been credited for reviving the entire ad industry.

Optimising a site for mobile requires a different way of thinking about your website. Instead of flash, you are going for clean and simple. You want a pared down, lean site that loads fast and takes visitors exactly where they want to go quickly. Mobile users browse differently than traditional users, and sites need to accommodate their need for fast information.

In the next few years, mobile access will outpace desktop and laptop access, so focusing on mobile now is a sound business strategy. This is one trend that isn’t ending anytime soon.