Mobile devices command 57 percent of Google search traffic

Users are increasingly turning to their mobiles and tablets to search the internet according to a new report that finds mobile devices now account for 57 percent of Google search traffic.

BrightEdge – the search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing provider – also report that search traffic can be different for mobiles and desktops. Search engine optimization involves trying to get a webpage at the top of search engine results.

Consumers are increasingly turning to smartphones when they want to act on a need, learn or buy something.  Image: pixabay -1868730

They found that entering the same query into the same search engine gave different rankings on mobile and desktop 79 percent of the time.

That is, while the search might return the same sites on mobile and desktop, there was a 79 percent difference in the order in which they were listed.

Just looking at the top 20 positions showed that 47 percent of the results occupied different ranking positions on mobile compared with desktop search results.

Different content on mobile and desktop

When they analyzed Google search traffic in June, BrightEdge found that not only does the search engine rank mobile results differently to desktop ones, it is also “surfacing different content across mobile and desktop 23 percent of the time.”

BrightEdge say that these, and other results in their report, show that if firms want to offer “the best customer experience,” then they must optimize their marketing for both mobile and desktop browsing.

Brands seeking to make the most of “micro-moments” need to be aware of how customer intent is discharged differently through these different channels.

Raising expectations of brands

Google suggest that micro-moments are “game changers for both consumers and brands.” In these moments, consumers’ expectations “are higher than ever.”

And the smartphone is the device that consumers are increasingly turning to when they want to act on a need, learn or buy something.

The instant availability of so much computing power in our pockets is raising our expectations of brands, “we want things right, and we want things right away.”

Mobile first

BrightEdge suggest that firms must become very familiar with how customer intent varies and is driven by use of different devices when they search.

If they do not think “mobile first,” then they may find traffic arriving on their pages with expectations that are completely at odds with what the pages actually offer.

“Brands that have developed their marketing systems on desktop tend to see the world through a desktop view. In a mobile-first world, the relevance and accuracy of that view is challenged,” say BrightEdge, who work with 57 Fortune 100 companies.

Carlos Spallarossa, Director of SEO at L’Oréal, the popular global beauty brand, says:

“Mobile traffic is huge for us and our industry – above the 57 percent BrightEdge is reporting. We are developing content with a mobile-first perspective to connect with our users with info, use advice, and reviews – especially when they are near a store where they can easily purchase.”