“We used to talk about whether or not we were in the year of mobile…

but we are actually in

the Age of Mobile.”

where we’ve come from...

2000-2012:total internet usage vs mobile data usage

12x

Source

2013’s big question:

“What should my mobile strategy be?”

Proof: the story from the stats. Ben Evans.

It wasn’t always like this.

It’s because this happened

2008

Source

It’s because this happened

2008

Source

2016

It’s because this happened

2008

Source

2020

2016

now,

52% of UK internet users say that

mobile is their primary way to access the web.

up from only

24% in 2013.

And sure enough...

Mobile has become the preferred way

to browse the web.

Ben Evans, 2015

“It’s actually the PC that has the limited, basic, cut-down version of the internet...it only has the web.”

Source

Finnish mobile internet usage forecast

201675.51%

Source

Finnish mobile internet usage forecast

201675.51%

202085.3%

From 2014-2015, there was a

60% increase in mobile data usage in the Nordic region.

Source

Finland is the biggest

for mobile data usage

in this region, using

2.5x more mobile data than Sweden in second place.

Source

These trends are shaping our conversations around mobile search.

Photo byTina Leggio/ CC BY

We used to talk about how to prevent showrooming.

...that ship has sailed.

OH WELL

welcome to...

The Changing Landscape of Mobile Search

Bridget Randolph

Technological Advances

ReactiveApproach

User Behaviour

Technological Advances

ReactiveApproach

User Behaviour

Technological Advances

Ranking Factors

(Google)

ReactiveApproach

User Behaviour

Technological Advances

Ranking Factors

(Google)Search

MarketingReactiveApproach

What if we could get a head start?

User Behaviour

Technological Advances

Ranking Factors(Google)

Search Marketing

Google I/O 2016

Apple WWDC 2016

4 key shifts for Google

Mobile First Mobile

Friendliness

App Integration with Web

Search

Page Load Times and

AMP

Mobile Friendliness as a Ranking

Factor

Site Speed and

Page Load Times

App Integration with Web

Search

Mobile First Design of

SERPs

#1

Mobile FirstMobile

Friendliness

Page Load Times and

AMP

In the news

Nov 4, 2016---

“We’ve begun experiments to make our index mobile-first.”

-- Google Webmaster Blog

They’re already starting

to roll this out.

The old “Google” - listing style

The new “Google” - card style

No more sidebar ads

Content

has to become

more flexible.

Mobile user experience

is crucial.

A “mobile site” cannot afford to exclude any desktop content we want to rank for.

We have to

think creatively with our strategies...

...and start optimizing for

● Instant Answers● Knowledge Graph● Voice Search

Make sure that your

mobile content is

well-optimized for

search and for users.

Quick tip

● Mobile-first index

● Cross-device integration○ Universal Clipboard on OS

○ Siri remote for AppleTV

○ ApplePay on websites

● Less device-specific dependencies○ Android Wear 2.0 doesn’t require phone

○ Google Auto can integrate directly with car system

● Mobile-first to Machine learning-first

Where’s it heading?

● Mobile-first index

● Cross-device integration○ Universal Clipboard on OS

○ Siri remote for AppleTV

○ ApplePay on websites

● Less device-specific dependencies○ Android Wear 2.0 doesn’t require phone

○ Google Auto can integrate directly with car system

● Mobile-first to Machine learning-first

Where’s it heading?

● Mobile-first index

● Cross-device integration (content everywhere)○ Universal Clipboard on OS

○ Siri remote for AppleTV

○ ApplePay on websites

● Less device-specific dependencies○ Android Wear 2.0 doesn’t require phone

○ Google Auto can integrate directly with car system

● Mobile-first to Machine learning-first

Where’s it heading?

● Mobile-first index

● Cross-device integration (content everywhere)○ Universal Clipboard on OS

○ Siri remote for AppleTV

○ ApplePay on websites

● Less device-specific dependencies○ Android Wear 2.0 doesn’t require phone

○ Google Auto can integrate directly with car system

● Mobile-first to Machine learning-first

Where’s it heading?

#2

Mobile Friendliness as a Ranking

Factor

Site Speed and

Page Load Times

App Integration with Web

Search

Mobile First Design of

SERPsMobile First

Mobile Friendliness

Page Load Times and

AMP

Mobile Friendliness

They started with a “positive” incentive

approach.

Google now provides all sorts of tools in Search Console and elsewhere to test mobile friendliness.

81%+ of the top 3 results are mobile friendly.

Post-Mobilegeddon, Google announced a

4.7%

percentage point increase

in the number of mobile-friendly websites. Source

Make sure that your

site passes the basic

mobile-friendliness

tests.

Quick tip

● Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash

● Uses text that is readable without zooming

● Sizes content to the screen so users don't have to scroll horizontally or zoom

● Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped

Remember:

This stuff is the bare minimum, not the finish line.

Google’s basic criteria

● Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash

● Uses text that is readable without zooming

● Sizes content to the screen so users don't have to scroll horizontally or zoom

● Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped

Remember:

This stuff is the bare minimum, not the finish line.

Google’s basic criteria

Run user testing on

your checkout

process to ensure

that mobile users

can complete a

transaction.

Quick tip

● Mobile first approach to rankings ○ Mobile page speed will be ranking factor

○ Mobile index will be primary index

● Content accessibility needs don’t stop with smartphones○ Google Home and similar devices

○ Android Wear 2.0 and other wearables

○ Smart cars and vehicle-integrated apps

● Mobile search is tied to voice search and physical context○ Optimizing for conversational search and geolocation

Where’s it heading?

● Mobile first approach to rankings ○ Mobile index will be primary index

○ Mobile page speed will be ranking factor

● Content accessibility needs don’t stop with smartphones○ Google Home and similar devices

○ Android Wear 2.0 and other wearables

○ Smart cars and vehicle-integrated apps

● Mobile search is tied to voice search and physical context○ Optimizing for conversational search and geolocation

Where’s it heading?

● Mobile first approach to rankings ○ Mobile index will be primary index

○ Mobile page speed will be ranking factor

● Content accessibility needs don’t stop with smartphones○ Google Home and similar devices

○ Android Wear 2.0 and other wearables

○ Smart cars and vehicle-integrated apps

● Mobile search is tied to voice search and physical context○ Optimizing for conversational search and geolocation

Where’s it heading?

● Mobile first approach to rankings ○ Mobile index will be primary index

○ Mobile page speed will be ranking factor

● Content accessibility needs don’t stop with smartphones○ Google Home and similar devices

○ Android Wear 2.0 and other wearables

○ Smart cars and vehicle-integrated apps

● Mobile search is tied to voice search and physical context○ Optimizing for conversational search and geolocation

Where’s it heading?

Mobile Friendliness as a Ranking

Factor

Site Speed and

Page Load Times

App Integration with Web

Search

Mobile First Design of

SERPs

#3

Mobile First Design of

SERPs

Mobile Friendliness

Page Load Times and

AMP

Mobile Page Load Times and AMP

40% of users will

abandon a page that takes too long to load.

3G Is the dominant network type worldwide.

even a

1sec delay was found to lead to a

7% decrease

in conversions.

In the newsIn the news

Facebook Instant Articles

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 quickly

b) be cached by Google and served directly in the SERP

a) load really quickly

b) be cached by Google and served directly in the SERP

www.wsj.com/article-headline www.wsj.com/amp/article-headlinehttps://amp.gstatic.com/v/s/www.wsj.com/amp/article-headline

For the Washington Post, implementing AMP

pages increased mobile return visitors by 23%.

These AMP pages showed 88% faster load time

when compared with regular mobile pages.

Case study: Washington PostCase study: Washington Post

Implementing AMP increased mobile return visitors by 23%.

These pages were 88% faster than regular mobile pages.

Originally AMP was pitched as a platform for Google News and other editorial content.

But it’s now being supported for ecommerce and eBay have rolled out the first large-scale test.

Isn’t this just for publishers?

PWAs, or “progressive web apps”, are another approach for making mobile content faster and better for users.

Tip: in an ecommerce context, this is particularly useful for markets where users are data-sensitive.

There’s also PWAs…..

Indian startup Housing.com

developed a PWA because they

realized their users were struggling

with poor connectivity and low

data availability.

Case Study: Housing.com

Results

● 38% more conversions

● 40% lower bounce rate

● 10% longer average session

● 30% faster page load

Case Study: Housing.com

Where’s it heading?

Where’s it heading?

A single interface for everything - from

first query to checkout.n

○ e.g. using a personal assistant app

like Siri or Allo to see a task

through from start to finish.

Where’s it heading?

A single interface for everything - from

first query to checkout.n

○ e.g. using a personal assistant app

like Siri or Allo to see a task

through from start to finish.

Where’s it heading?

A single interface for everything - from

first query to checkout.n

○ e.g. using a personal assistant app

like Siri or Allo to see a task

through from start to finish.

Mobile Friendliness as a Ranking

Factor

Site Speed and

Page Load Times

App Integration with Web

Search

Mobile First Design of

SERPs

#4

Mobile First Design of

SERPs

Mobile Friendliness

Page Load Times and

AMP

App Integration

Google needs to integrate app content

with the rest of the web

app indexation.

why

is this important?

howdoes it work?

Must-have

Avoid pitfalls

Recommended

● Support deep-linking● Use web URLs for app views where possible● Register the app in your Search Console

● Allow appropriate URLs in robots.txt● Ensure first click free in the app

● Add markup to pages or sitemaps● Use app indexing API to:

○ Index personal user content○ Add meta information to app views○ Enable activities such as voice actions○ Expose popularity of app views to Google

Checklist for Android app indexing

Watch this space

Avoid pitfalls

Must-have

● Support Universal Links○ Add your domain(s) to associated-domains in app○ Add URLs handled by the app to apple-app-site-association on domain

● Use web URLs for app views where possible● Add GoogleAppIndexing registration to your app

● Ensure first click free in the app● Enable the back button

● Watch out for Google announcing an iOS app indexing API○ Enables indexing of personal content○ Allows usage information to be sent to Google○ Adds meta information

Checklist for iOS app indexing (Google)

Where’s it heading?● Blurred lines between app content and web content

○ Firebase as centralized app platform

○ App streaming and progressive web apps (PWAs)

○ Google Instant Apps

● Greater integration between apps○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing

with calendar and location

○ Single sign-on for Apple TV

● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps○ iMessage, Maps, Siri

Where’s it heading?● Blurred lines between app content and web content

○ Firebase as centralized app platform

○ App streaming and progressive web apps (PWAs)

○ Google Instant Apps

● Greater integration between apps○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing

with calendar and location

○ Single sign-on for Apple TV

● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps○ iMessage, Maps, Siri

Where’s it heading?● Blurred lines between app content and web content

○ Firebase as centralized app platform

○ App streaming and progressive web apps (PWAs)

○ Google Instant Apps

● Greater integration between apps○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing

with calendar and location

○ Single sign-on for Apple TV

● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps○ iMessage, Maps, Siri

Where’s it heading?● Blurred lines between app content and web content

○ Firebase as centralized app platform

○ App streaming and progressive web apps (PWAs)

○ Google Instant Apps

● Greater integration between apps○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing

with calendar and location

○ Single sign-on for Apple TV

● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps○ iMessage, Maps, Siri

Bonus Round

The mobile search ecosystem today - beyond Google

Photo byJaime Olmo/ CC BY

Mobile browser search -Safari autocomplete

Mobile assistants - Siri, Cortana

Img Src

iPhone Spotlight

Google Play, Apple App Store

App store search - Google Play, Apple App Store

Img Src

Allo, Facebook M

Mobile assistants - Allo, Facebook ‘M’

Img Src

Personal Index - emails, calendar, photos

● Google Auto

● Google Home

● Android Wear 2.0

● Apple Air Pods

● Siri on MacOS

Where’s it heading?

● Google Auto

● Google Home

● Android Wear 2.0

● Apple Air Pods

● Siri on MacOS

Where’s it heading?

● Google Auto

● Google Home

● Android Wear 2.0

● Apple Air Pods

● Siri on MacOS

Where’s it heading?

● Google Auto

● Google Home

● Android Wear 2.0

● Apple Air Pods

● Siri on MacOS

Where’s it heading?

● Google Auto

● Google Home

● Android Wear 2.0

● Apple Air Pods

● Siri on MacOS

Where’s it heading?

● Google Auto

● Google Home

● Android Wear 2.0

● Apple Air Pods

● Siri on MacOS

Where’s it heading?

The future of mobile...

“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

“The [Google] assistant is an ambient experience that will work seamlessly

across devices and contexts. ...It builds on all our years of investment in deeply

understanding users' questions.”

Sundar Pichai, Google I/O, 2016

An Intelligent Personal Assistant(“Machine Learning First”)

● Assistive search

● Getting things done

● In your world

● Powers other services...

Google Assistant

● Case study: WashingtonPost

● Case study: eBay

● Case study: Onnit

Google Home

Allo and Duo

Personal index + public index + app content

= a single interface for all searches

a single interface for all searches+ implicit context+ machine learning+ artificial intelligence

= intelligent personal assistant

User Behaviour

Technological Advances

Ranking Factors

(Google)Search

Marketing

● physical interaction with individuals and

environment

● Device- and app-agnostic integration

● voice recognition and conversational interaction

Key themes in new technology

how can my content be the most useful result

for a personal assistant (app)?

Ask yourself...

Resources

www.bridgetrandolph.com/ecom-growth-day

www.distilled.net/searchscape

@BridgetRandolph @Distilled