“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