How the Rise of Mobile & Tablet affects Optimization

 

 

Is 2013 when we will all reach peak mobile surfing? Will we discard our laptops for good and do all our surfing on mobile devices? I'm still waiting for us to go full circle and return to the typewriter, life is cyclical after all…

 

Today, 13% of all global internet traffic is through mobile, furthermore 1.1 billion people have a smartphone (with Asia as the fastest growing region). If we also factor in the current 5 billion phone users who could potentially turn into smartphone users - it becomes quite obvious that web companies need to look into optimization for mobile. 

 

 

Tablets are a little different as their use is not as straightforward as smartphones. If you have a smartphone you will most likely carry it around with you constantly, whereas you may only have your tablet on you some of the time. 

 

It turns out that in the US, 31% of the population used a tablet in 2012. More so in the home than outside. Factors such as time spent commuting in public transport will most likely affect these numbers. Therefore, people in densely populated areas (Hong Kong) will use their tablets differently than those who get around mostly by car (LA) or horse and carriage (Wales).

 

 

First of all, the difference between static searches and those made on mobile devices is that mobile ones are more likely to include localization. Indeed, searches for the closest coffee shop or subway station will make up a significant part of mobile searches. 

 

Furthermore, over half of Facebook's users connect to it via mobile - this means there is great scope to engage via social networking campaigns and localization at the same time. 

 

More and more companies are also developing apps to increase their image and visibility on the web. Although these can become very useful tools, they are not adapted to the nature of every type of business. 

 

 

Thus, it is clear that marketers will be obliged to face mobile and tablet trends in using the web and that search optimization for these devices is paramount for websites to stay relevant in search engines. 

 

Although both tablet and mobile are used differently from each other, they both bring something new to internet usage and are forever changing search patterns and the rules that surround it.