Keeping your brand visible in a hyperlocal, multiplatform world

OMCap Berlin| October 10, 2013

SEO In the Age of Apps

The Digital Ecosystem in 2006

Connected Surfaces

Connected Games

Connected Cars

Connected Consoles

Laptop

Desktop Digital Kiosks & Social Machines

Digital Out of Home, Theaters, Connected TV

Native Apps

Smartphones

Image Codes & AR

Tablets

The Digital Ecosystem in 2013

WearableTechnology

• Why mobile, why now?

It was a lot easier when our biggest worry was…

“Does it work in Internet Explorer on a Mac?”

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How do youget found in such a fast-

evolving landscape?

The challenge for brands is…

5

mobile web vs. mobile apps, mobile SEO options

The content conundrum

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Mobile search is a fundamental activity and discovery channel for smartphone consumers—particularly through the browser.

Search 47.7%

Social networking News

34.2%

33.0% Entertainment News 25.8%

18.7% Photo/video sharing service 17.5%Movie information

Stock/Financial news 17.2%

Bank accounts 17.0%

Maps

Restaurant information Classifieds

Online retail Business directories

Food/Cooking tips

16.9%

15.9%15.1%

14.0%12.2%

11.3%

US Smartphone Browser Activities comScore MobiLens, April 2012

Search is the #1 mobile browser activity

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App interfaces tend to be cleaner, faster, more user-centric, more navigable than mobile web interfaces—so much so that app design techniques are beginning to bleed over to the mobile web.

85% of people surveyed by Compuware Corporation in March 2013 said they prefer

mobile apps over mobile sites, according to a consumer

survey of 3,500.

More convenient

Faster

Easier to browse

Better UX

Easier to check account

Easier to shop

55%

48%

40%

28%

27%

26%

3%

11%

1%

Yet in terms of overall usability, people seem to prefer apps

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A poor post-click experience will torpedo your search campaign. A great mobile SEO or SEM strategy is meaningless without the right content.

61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site that they had trouble accessing from their phone.40% said they'd visit a competitor's web site instead.

19% would have a negative overall perception of a company if they were dissatisfied with the performance of its Web site on a mobile device.

% of US mobile users that say site performance affects their perception of, or connection with a brand (Google 2011)

Even if an app is used to search, the content found is likely to be a website

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•Bespoke: a totally separate site—new application server, database, and transport infrastructure.

•Hosted: a 3rd party provider repurposes the existing .com site for mobile and hosts the content for you.

•Adaptive: dynamic serving of separate site content existing site components leveraged, using built-in mobile modularity and building net new interfaces as needed.

•Responsive: a single HTML5/CSS3 site that modifies the way content is presented according to device –e.g. desktop, smartphone, tablet.

There are 4 main web mobilization options

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Pro• Fast time to market• Little or no need to integrate with your back-end environment

Cons• Little control over your content• 3rd party URLs• Templated Uis• You aren’t paying for a site—you’re paying for as service.

These vendors host your content on their own servers, creating a 3rd party facsimile of your web site. Great solution for microsites and landing pages. Ideal interim solution if you will be redesigning your site within the next 12-18 months.

The hosted mobile web

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Pros• Rich, native app-like interfaces• Centralized content management • Total control over URL structure and SEO• Seamless updates across desktop and mobile

• Total control over infrastructure and deployment schedules

Cons• Higher level of effort than hosted option• Longer time to market

These sites utilize your existing content– mobile page templates integrate content from a single CMS, keeping your desktop and mobile sites synched in the same .com environment. Ideal approach for mobilization of brand sites that are 2-3 years away from redesign.

The adaptive mobile website

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A responsive approach uses HTML5 and CSS3 to create a single, fluid site that reformats itself on the fly to fit the screen at hand. The preferred direction for both visibility and usability but usually requires a complete redesign and re-architecture. The #1 recommended approach for brands planning a completely new site.Pros• No need to duplicate SEO efforts

• Desktop and mobile URLs are identical so link equity is shared

• No need to duplicate Linking efforts to your mobile site/domain

Cons• Potential to compromise mobile site performance by forcing mobile browsers to load desktop content

• More code=more maintenance

The responsive design website (strict definition)

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A responsive approach uses HTML5 and CSS3 to create a single, fluid site that reformats itself on the fly to fit the screen at hand. The preferred direction for both visibility and usability but usually requires a complete redesign and re-architecture. The #1 recommended approach for brands planning a completely new site.Pros• No need to duplicate SEO efforts

• Desktop and mobile URLs are identical so link equity is shared

• No need to duplicate Linking efforts to your mobile site/domain

Cons• Potential to compromise mobile site performance by forcing mobile browsers to load desktop content

• More code=more maintenance

The RESS website (Responsive + Adaptive)

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Regardless of mobile site set up, the following best practices remain true for all platforms (as well as standard desktop SEO).

All-purpose mobile SEO best practices

https://developers.google.com/webmasters/smartphone-sites/details

– Crawler Access• Allow access for all crawlers to both desktop and mobile

websites to fully understand page structure, importance and consolidate signals.

– Page Load Speed • Ensure quick page load speeds, as mobile users are typically on slower

connections

– User Experience• Ensure visitors can find the information they are looking for and

interact with the website suitable

– Content Optimization• Optimize important page elements and content to identified keywords

– Crawlability Obstacles• Code the website free from Obstacles, such as Flash and obstrusive

JavaScript

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Additional mobile SEO recommendations

– Responsive Design & Adaptive Sites• Use CSS Media-Queries to format size to screen (responsive only)• Return a Vary: User Agent response in the HTTP header to signal to

search engines that content has changed, and why

– Separate Mobile and Desktop URLs• Operate a separate subdomain or subdirectory for mobile visitors

(Google does not favor one format over the other).• Redirect devices and crawlers based on User Agent

– Include Vary Header in HTTP response code and be clear to users and crawlers why a redirect took place

• Redirects can be either unidirectional or bidirectional – decide based on user experience but give users an option to override the redirect if they choose.

• Use ‘switchboard tags’ to connect Desktop and Mobile URL signals, avoiding duplicate content and consolidating link value

•Desktop URL –> rel=“alternate” to Mobile URL•Mobile URL -> rel=“canonical” to Desktop URL

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Vary Response

HTTP vary redirects

https://developers.google.com/webmasters/smartphone-sites/redirects

Requested URL

Response Code

Mobile URL

http://www.example.com

GET / HTTP/1.1Host: www.example.comUser-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4.1 like Mac OS X; en-us_ A….Accept: text/html,application/xhtml,application/xml;q=0.9,*/*;q=0.8 Accept-Language: en-US,en;q=0.5Accept-Encoding: qzip, deflateConnection: keep-alive

HTTP/1.1 302 Moved TemporarilyServer: ApacheLocation: http://www.example.comContent-Length: 0Cache-Control: max-age=300Expires: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:30:37 GMTVary: User-AgentDate: wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:25:37 GMTConnection: keep-aliveSet-Cookie: JSESSIONID=83D8D08297F7C62D46FB8145130EF666.worker6;Path=/;HttpOnly

• Treat search engine bots, including Googlebot and Googlebot-Smartphone like any other user-agent and redirect accordingly.

• Include Vary in HTTP response to explain redirect• Redirect to a specific mobile URL – not the homepage (Match the switchboard tag with the

redirect URL)• Either 301 or 302 redirects are fine• Give users a way to override redirects for UX using cookies

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Use canonical and alternate tags to connect mobile and desktop URLs together Avoid duplicate content

Combine authority and popularity signals

This change can also be reflected in the standard sitemap.xml file

Canonical tags

http://searchengineland.com/switchboard-tags-like-canonical-tags-but-for-mobile-seo-127676

<link rel=“alternate”media=“only screen and (max-width: 640px)href=http://m.example.com/page-1>

<link rel=“canonical”Href=“http://www.example.com/page-1>

<url><loc>http://www.example.com/page-1/<loc><xhtml:link

rel+”alternate”Media=“only screen and (max-width: 640px)”Href=“http//m.example.com/page-1></url>

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Getting indexed within native mobile apps

App Search

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• As users gravitate towards apps for search purposes, content result types diversify—it’s not just about the browser anymore.

• Search destinations diversify as well—most brands must focus on the major search engines plus a variety of niche search

apps.

• The old SEO rules still apply but, new SEO best practices are evolving that will govern

the app search ecosystem.

It’s important to understand app-based search channels because:

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The stats • Estimated 84% of the world’s mobile search market.1

• 53% of the mobile ad revenue in the US.2

• 3 out of 4 most popular US apps belong to Google (Google+, YouTube, and Google Maps.3

Getting found• Sources results from the main Google index as well

as other Google properties.• A well-optimized mobile site should result in good

Google mobile app visibility as well.• Prominent links to Goggles, Voice, and Apps create

divergent pathways away from the browser.• As use of app search increases, so will importance

of non-traditional content channels.| 1 StatCounter, 06.2013 | 2 eMarketer, 08.2013 | 3 GlobalWebIndex, 08.2013 |

Much like the desktop, Google still rules the roost with 97% market share. Yet most searches performed with the Google App lead to browser content.

Google search app: web results

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The Google Search App homepage routes users away from general, mobile web-based results with a strong prompt to other Google Apps.

Google search app: app results

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Likewise, the Google Search App offers a prominent link to voice search vs. browser results. As user uptake increases, SEOs will need to optimize for natural language queries vs. keywords.

• Still not quite sematic—Google Voice utilizes speech-to-text and text-to-speech.

• Available in the Google Search App and Google Apps Browser App

Google search app: voice results

• Focus less on keywords and more on answers to the most relevant questions a real-time search users might ask.

• Increased relevance for local content.

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The Google Search Apps also present a prominent prompt to engage in visual search via Google Goggles. As image recognition becomes more refined, users are bound to become more reliant on visual search via mobile camera.

• Optimize all images by using them contextually on the page and utilizing the ALT tag with sematic and geospatial statements to identify them.

• Utilize sematic file names—using both image/logo brand name in image file URLs e.g. “YOUR_NAME_company-logo.png”

• Use the Rel tag to visually define logos and icons.

• Use your brand logo on Google Places and Google Plus pages

• For retailers add your products to Google Shopping, which should give your listing preferential treatment over listings without images.

Google Goggles (and, eventually, Glasses)

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The stats • Approx. 74% of local search volume is mobile.1

• Mobile local search volume will outpace desktop by 2015.2Getting found

• Google Places is gone—many listings carried over to Google+ Local and Google+ Business but many did not, so claim or create your listing.

• Google+ App sources results from Google+ web—optimization tactics should carry over.

• Business details—e.g. phone number, store hours, payment options—and video are are especially relevant to mobile users.

• As overall Google+ uptake increases, the Google+ Local app will become a significant local traffic source.

| 1 Chitika 10.2012 | 2 BIA/Kelsey 04.2012 |

Smartphone search is heavily oriented towards action-oriented, real-world activity—Google+ Business and Google+ Local are key discovery pathways.

Google+ Local, Google+ Business

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The stats • 94% of smartphone owners look for local info.1

• 90% take action as a result.2

• 59% visited a local business as a result of a mobile search.3

Getting found• Maps info is fed by Google+ Local And Google+ Business

listings—strive for a complete listing with special emphasis on hours, photos, videos, and other locally relevant content.

• Citations from 3rd party apps like Yelp boost rank. Be sure your listing is claimed/created, accurate and not duplicated.

• Destination search frequently starts—and almost always ends—with the maps app. Visibility for brick and mortar businesses is indispensible.

| 1-3 Google and Ipsos OTX Media CT 05.2012 |

Google Maps is the acknowledged leader in the mobile maps and GPS space. For businesses with physical locations, it’s a vital mobile search channel.

Google Maps

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The stats • While Android devices outnumber iOS in circulation and

shipment, iOS users continue to be the most avid consumers of mobile web and app data.

Getting found• Sources results from a proprietary Apple database—

core data providers are Localeze, Acxiom, and Factual• If your listing isn’t appearing in Apple Maps, be sure to

proactively create listings with these providers.• Reviews and additional content syndicated from Yelp,

hence Yelp optimization boosts Apple Maps visibility. • Apple is committed to improving the Maps

experience– as quality gets better, user uptake will grow.

Despite a shaky start, Apple Maps is still native to iOS6 and OS7 which account for the majority of iOS, iPad, and iPod touch devices.

Apple maps

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The stats • Yelp's mobile application was used on 9.2 million

unique mobile devices on a monthly average basis during Q4 2012.2.

• Approximately 40% of all searches on Yelp came from their mobile app.3

Getting found• Yelp licenses content from 3rd party data providers

but much of it comes from users and business owners.

• Much like Google+Local, locally oriented content such as store hours, photos, and service offerings are key.

• Ratings and reviews also figure heavily in rank• Yelp is a key feeder of results for many big

engine search apps.

Yelp’s importance lies in the fact that so many other search apps rely on it to calculate relevance.

| 1-3 Yelp 01.2013 |

Yelp

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The stats • According to app discovery portal XYO.net, Bing

downloads on iOS and Google devices number roughly 15 million.Getting found

• Like Google, Bing sources app results from the main index—mobile optimization of your .com site will create a halo effect of visibility for the Bing app.

• Despite a slow start in mobile, Bing’s foothold on Windows devices and the Kindle, plus the integration of Bing into Siri in iOS7 earn it a certain amount of consideration and effort from SEOs.

Native to all Windows Mobile devices as well as Blackberry, Nokia, and Kindle—it’s footprint is likely to grow expansively in 2013/14 now that Bing powers Siri.

Bing

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The stats • 67% of Siri users actually use the search functionality.1

• The most active Siri users are 40-49, the least active 20-29.2

• Men are more frequent users of Siri than Women.3

Getting found• Siri often bypasses traditional search results, skipping

right to social results like Yelp—ranking in Siri requires attention to curating your presence in social spaces.

• Siri totally disregards PPC—if your strategy up until now was heavily paid, you’ll need to relegate more resources to SEO.

• Apple is committed to improving the Siri experience– as quality gets better, user uptake will grow.

Less of a search engine and more of a “mobile assistant”, Siri has been slow to catch on due to the challenges posed by speech recognition.

| 1-3 Besirious.com11.2012 |

Siri

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The stats • Video accounted for 51% of all mobile traffic by the end of

2012.2• People watch one billion views a day on YouTube mobile.3• YouTube is available on 400 million devices.4Getting found• Always include keywords in the video file name

and video headline.• Adding a video script in the description as well as

uploading a script for closed captioning, will boost relevance for voice.

• Smartphone and tablet users alike are active video consumers—YouTube presents a significant opportunity to create mobile search visibility.

YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world and one of the most mobile centric—25% of global YouTube views come from mobile devices1.

| 1 YouTube 03.2013 | 2 Cisco 02.2012 | 3-4 YouTube 03.2013 |

YouTube

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Google Now is Google’s foray into creating an intelligent personal assistant. Now not only answers search queries but also makes recommendations and delegates actions to web services.

Basically, it’s a search app that eliminates your need to search.

Google Now

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The stats • 192M Android, 147M iPhone, 48M iPad2

• Facebook's mobile monthly active users grew 57 percent from early 2012 to 680 million in 20133

• Over 50% of Facebook’s total traffic is now mobile4

Getting found• Having a well optimized Facebook presence is

essential given this app’s importance but it’s also a boost to your visibility in other important mobile applications.

• Facebook is a results-feeder for many search engines—high visibility, carefully curated content and positive endorsements will benefit visibility in big engine apps.

Facebook is the most popular mobile app in the US, used actively by 76% of smartphone owners1—it’s arguably as important as Google.

| 1 comScore, Inc. “2013 Mobile Future in Focus” 02.2013 | 2 TechCrunch 01.2013 | 3 Facebook 01.2013 | 4 Facebook 03.2012 |

Facebook

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The stats • 25 million users, 1 million businesses, 10.4 million

monthly users (various sources).

Getting found• Foursquare content is difficult for bots to crawl—SEO

relies on submitted XML sitemaps to enable search engine visibility.

• True visibility within the app is contingent on proximity, ratings and reviews.

• For all its popularity with the digerati, Foursquare has been slow to gain traction with the general populace.

Of all social networks, only Foursquare is primarily mobile and app-based. For brick and-mortar brands, it grows in importance as a search channel.

Foursquare

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A significant amount of app discovery happens within mobile apps. Many crawl app stores to collect new listings but most also allow for submission as well. Rank is generally calculated on a combination of newness, user ratings, and page views.

Hot App Finder

Appolicious AppGrooves Best Apps Market

Appsmart Share Apps Best App Finder

App for Execs

AppStart App Advice

Appshopper 148 Apps AppShaker Fluke Moms with Apps

Apps to discover apps

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Music Business Dating Fun AR QR

Real Estate

Deals Hotels Shopping Shopping Tickets

Wikipedia Travel Recipes Creative ReviewsAutomotive

Vertical search, meta search

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More information: www.mobileanhouraday.com

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"Nothing gets you closer to your consumer than mobile. And nothing gets to closer to mobile marketing perfection

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The Definitive Guide to Real-Time Content Marketing

About Mobile Marketing

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