A brief jaunt down memory lane
2000-2012:
total internet usage vs mobile data usage
12x
Source
2013’s big question:
“What should my mobile strategy be?”
What does this mean for mobile search?
And sure enough, in 2016...
And sure enough, in 2016...
Mobile has become the preferred way to browse the web.
We used to talk about mobile being used “on the go”, and desktop for “work” and “home”.
Now we recognize that mobile is used in all different environments and contexts, and often simultaneously with other devices.
We used to talk about whether you needed an app, and how it was differentiated from your web content.
Now we talk about app indexation.
We used to talk about whether you needed an app, and how it was differentiated from your web content.
Now we talk about app indexation.
We used to talk about how to prevent showrooming.
...that ship has sailed.
welcome to...
The Changing Landscape of Mobile Search
Bridget Randolph
Proof: the story from the stats. Ben Evans.
It wasn’t always like this.
2015
2020It’s because
this happened
2008
Source
now,
52% of UK internet users say that
mobile is their primary way to access the web.
up from only
24% in 2013.
Ben Evans, 2015
“It’s actually the PC that has the limited, basic, cut-down version of the internet...it only has the
web.”
It can take photos
It knows where it isIt can take
photos
It knows where it is
It knows who your friends are
It can take photos
It knows if you are walking, running, etc
It knows where it is
It knows who your friends are
It can take photos
It interacts with the world (beacons, pay, NFC)
It’s personal, signed-in, and taken everywhere It
interacts with the world (beacons, pay, NFC)
It’s personal, signed-in, and taken everywhere
It has natural multi-touch
It interacts with the world (beacons, pay, NFC)
It has notifications
It has natural multi-touchIt’s personal, signed-in, and taken everywhere It
interacts with the world (beacons, pay, NFC)
User Behaviour
Technological Advances
Ranking Factors
(Google)Search
MarketingThe Adaption Waterfall
User Behaviour
Technological Advances
Ranking Factors
(Google)Search
Marketing
Better UX
The Adaption Waterfall
4 key shifts
Mobile Friendlines
s as a Ranking Factor
Site Speed and
Page Load Times
App Integratio
n with Web
Search
Mobile First
Design of SERPs
#1
Mobile Friendliness as a Ranking Factor
Site Speed and
Page Load Times
App Integratio
n with Web
Search
Mobile First
Design of SERPs
Mobile Friendliness(we have to do something about poorly optimized mobile
experiences)
Google now provides all sorts of tools in Search Console and elsewhere to test mobile friendliness.
Some sites lost as much as
35% of top 3 rankings
within the first month after the update.Source
2 months on,
81%+ of the top 3 results are mobile friendly.
Google also announced a
5% increase in the number of mobile-friendly websites, within the 2 months between their announcement about the update and “Mobilegeddon”. Source
First step: make sure your site passes the basic mobile-friendliness tests.• Mobile Friendly Testing Tool • Search Console Reports• Separate tab on the Pagespeed Insights toolTool Tip: use URL Profiler to check URLs in bulk.
TAKE ACTION
Mobile Friendlines
s as a Ranking Factor
Site Speed and Page Load Times
App Integratio
n with Web
Search
Mobile First
Design of SERPs
#2
Mobile Site Speed and Page Load Times
(we have to do something about on-page user experience)
Facebook Facebook Instant Articles
Apple Apple Newsstand
Native Apps
AMP is a set of rules for developing webpages which guarantees speed and forces distribution.
It’s basically skeleton HTML which allows the page to...
a)load really quicklyb)be cached by
Google and served directly in the SERP
www.wsj.com/article-headline
www.wsj.com/amp/article-headline
https://amp.gstatic.com/v/s/www.wsj.com/amp/article-headline
First step: decide whether AMP is relevant to you.
You should use AMP if:
• Google News is an important traffic source for you
• You make a lot of content, particularly editorial content
• You want wider distribution of your content• You have a high proportion of mobile traffic
TAKE ACTION
Mobile Friendlines
s as a Ranking Factor
Site Speed and
Page Load Times
App Integratio
n with Web
Search
Mobile First
Design of SERPs
#3
Making Desktop Search More Like Mobile Search
(we have to do something about consistency of experience)
“Card” style format
The old “Google”
The new “Google”
No more sidebar ads
First step(s):
- Account for it in your reporting and tracking
- Consider creating more top-of-funnel landing pages
TAKE ACTION
Mobile Friendlines
s as a Ranking Factor
Site Speed and
Page Load Times
App Integration with
Web Search
Mobile First
Design of SERPs
#4
App Integration(we have to do something about “walled garden” app content)
Google needs to integrate app content
with the rest of the web
(or they risk becoming irrelevant)
app indexation.
If you don’t have an app, you may not need one. Ask yourself:
Would my app... • Add convenience?• Offer unique value?• Provide social value?• Offer incentives?• Entertain?
TAKE ACTION
First step:
If you do have an app, make sure it supports http:// (web) links.
And check out my blog post about how to set up an app for indexation by Google.
TAKE ACTION
Must-have
Avoid pitfalls
Recommended
Support deep-linkingUse web URLs for app views where possibleRegister the app in your Search Console
Allow appropriate URLs in robots.txtEnsure first click free in the app
Add markup to pages or sitemapsUse app indexing API to:
Index personal user contentAdd meta information to app viewsEnable activities such as voice actionsExpose popularity of app views to Google
Checklist for Android app indexing
Watch this space
Avoid pitfalls
Must-have
Support Universal LinksAdd your domain(s) to associated-domains in appAdd URLs handled by the app to apple-app-site-association on domain
Use web URLs for app views where possibleAdd GoogleAppIndexing registration to your app
Ensure first click free in the appEnable the back button
Watch out for Google announcing an iOS app indexing APIEnables indexing of personal contentAllows usage information to be sent to GoogleAdds meta information
Checklist for iOS app indexing (Google)
Endgame?
So where’s this all heading?
2 key search trendsspecifically regarding mobile technology
Implicit QuerySignals
IntelligentPersonal
Assistants
We’re moving towards a future of “queryless search”
(and intelligent personal assistants and lots of other cool stuff)
“My vision when we started Google 15 years ago was that eventually you
wouldn't have to have a search query at all.”
Sergey Brin,TED, 2013
Implicit Query
Signals
Intelligent Personal
Assistants
#1
Implicit Query Signals(we want to anticipate your personal context)
• NBED - WEARABLES
IMPLICIT SIGNALS: WEARABLES
IMPLICIT SIGNALS: MODE OF TRANSPORT
• NBED - PHYSICAL WEB
IMPLICIT SIGNALS: HYPER-LOCAL (BEACONS)
Mockup: Jack Morgan
IMPLICIT SIGNALS: READING SIGNS
First Step:
ask yourself which implicit signals could impact searchers trying to find you?
TAKE ACTION
Implicit QuerySignals
Intelligent
Personal Assistant
s
#2
Intelligent Personal Assistants(we want to anticipate your personal needs)
GOOGLE’S MISSION
Personal index + public index + app content
= a single interface for all searches
NOT JUST GOOGLE
MICROSOFT CORTANA
PROACTIVE SIRI
FACEBOOK ‘M’
AMAZON ECHO
First Step:
ask yourself how you can prepare to be the most useful source from a personal assistant app’s point of view?
TAKE ACTION
User Behaviour
Technological Advances
Ranking Factors
(Google)Search
Marketing
Source
Tim Allen, 2015“We used to talk about whether or not
we were in the year of mobile…but we are actually in
the Age of Mobile.”
www.distilled.net/searchscape
@BridgetRandolph @Distilled