Weekly Marketing Update: Mobile Search Booms
Mobile search and site solutions claim the spotlight in this week’s digital marketing news, as mobile usage surpasses that of desktop for the first time in Internet history.
BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu discusses the mobile search boom and optimizing for the user experience in his column for the Huffington Post, why going responsive is not a “one-size-fits-all” mobile solution at Marketing Land, and how to select a mobile site configuration for Search Engine Watch readers.
In other digital marketing news, there is a solution for Google’s “Zero Moment of Truth” conundrum, and the CMO may be usurped by the CDO (chief digital officer).
Intrigued? Read on!
Content from the CEO
“The Mobile Boom Is Here: Deliver the Best Experience, No Matter the Device” by Jim Yu
In his column for the Huffington Post, BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu urges brands to optimize for the explosive growth in mobile organic search by delivering the best possible user experience, whether via tablet or smartphone.
Citing data from the BrightEdge 2014 Mobile Share Report , Jim says “mobile now equates to fully a third of today’s organic search traffic” and that “in the coming year, smartphone share is poised to balloon by at least another 50 percent.”
Noting that “just because you’re ‘doing mobile,’ doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing it right,” Jim advises organizations to choose their best “mobile path,” depending upon the conversion performance of their most heavily-trafficked Web pages.
“Going All Responsive Is Not Always ‘One Size Fits All’ With Mobile” by Jim Yu
“What if I told you that you could recover upwards of 200 percent in lost smartphone traffic by ensuring your site’s mobile experience was implemented well?” BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu asked Marketing Land readers .
Jim explains:
2014 BrightEdge data featured in our Mobile Share Report shows that 27 percent of the websites studied wrongly implemented their mobile solutions, which yielded an average of 68 percent loss in smartphone traffic. If these sites could recover the full potential of traffic coming from smartphone users, that would equal more than a 200-percent gain from that they are experiencing today.
Of the three types of mobile website configurations supported by Google (responsive, dynamic, and separate URL), the search giant recommends responsive Web design as “the best mobile solution.” However, going all responsive doesn’t necessarily translate into higher search rankings. BrightEdge’s Data Cube research found only slight variations in website ranking among the three mobile solution options:
Jim concludes that a responsive mobile configuration is not a one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, he states, “sites that are exploring a hybrid approach are innovating at the mobile level” as they “further personalize the mobile experience for visitors.”
“Mobile Site Configuration 101: How to Choose” by Jim Yu
With smartphone’s share of the organic search market now at 23 percent, and eMarketer projecting over half of the mobile audience to use the mobile Internet next year, marketers who aren’t “doing mobile” – and well – may expect their sites to suffer in search results.
This is how BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu describes the mobile search outlook for Search Engine Watch readers. Assuming you don’t want to be left behind in the SERP dust, you’ll first have to decide which type of the three Google-supported mobile configurations to use when choosing a mobile solution for your site:
How to decide which configuration is best? It depends on your goals and the Web traffic insights gleaned from your analytics. Jim outlines three different scenarios, each suggesting an optimum mobile configuration (responsive, dynamic and separate URL).
He also notes the common implementation problems associated with dynamic and mobile URL redirects, and offers tips for optimizing responsive design.
Content from the Bright Ideas Blog
“Google Webmaster Tools: Best Practices for Boosting SEO” by Mark Mitchell
Google’s (free) Webmaster Tools (GWT) offers businesses the information they need to boost their SEO, reports Mark Mitchell for the Bright Ideas blog. In this helpful how-to article, Mark walks you through the best practices for configuring your site’s GWT settings, as well as insights into how to generate the reports you need for improving your site’s search performance.
“Solving for ‘X’ in the ZMOT Equation” by Andy Betts
Google’s “Zero Moment Of Truth” (ZMOT) challenges digital marketers to deliver the right message to the right individual at the right time. As Andy Betts writes in his Bright Ideas post, “the dizzying array of variables” you need to address in meeting the ZMOT challenge is like solving for “X” in a complicated algebra problem – without a calculator.
Andy then describes the ZMOT solution, Adobe’s Experience Manager and Content Optimizer (the latter powered by BrightEdge’s Data Cube). This cloud-based technology is the digital marketer’s calculator, enabling enterprise-level organizations to efficiently “bridge the gap between SEO experts and content creators,” and solves the seemingly impossible ZMOT conundrum.
In-Depth Articles from the Marketing Community
“BrightEdge CEO Illuminates Evolving Content Landscape for B2B Startups” by Christine Parizo
In an exclusive interview with BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu for Examiner.com, Christine Parizo asks for his insights into the shifting content marketing makeup of B2B startups.
Jim advises new B2Bs to understand their buyers’ persona in creating content targeted to the buying cycle and in the right format, involving research into the topics and keywords they might use. He also advised B2B startups and entrepreneurs to create mobile content, “as this year, over 30 percent of search traffic comes from mobile devices.”
“Is the CMO Dead?” by Susan Kuchinskas
The chief marketing officer (CMO) may be at a crossroads, as “the trendy new title of chief digital officer (CDO) may supplant not only the title, but the CMO’s traditional role – according to some, at least” writes Susan Kuchinskas for ClickZ.
Citing white papers by Gartner and several industry analysts, Susan serves up a number of different scenarios for the evolving role of the CMO, centering on the need for organizations to bring marketing into alignment with IT.
Search Marketing News
Mobile Now Exceeds PC: The Biggest Shift Since the Internet Began
If you haven’t “gone mobile” yet, now is the time. In her article for Search Engine Watch, Rebecca Murtagh reports that the digital marketing landscape “has recently experienced a tectonic shift” as mobile Internet usage surpassed that of PCs earlier this year.
Among Rebecca’s notable points are that B2B decision-makers prefer mobile over desktop for researching products and services, making the most use of their smartphones and tablets in the evenings. She also emphasizes the competitive advantage of mobile solutions, concluding:
Some organizations may continue to view mobile as an “add-on” or supplementary effort when planning for digital interaction with customers. However, those who embrace the shift in behavior and deliver what their customers want and need to make a purchase decision will likely be the ultimate winners.
Events
Global Brands and Industry Transformation at Share14
It’s on the horizon – BrightEdge’s Share14 ! Our annual digital marketing conference brings global brands, industry thought leaders and social marketers together. This year, we’ll be holding it at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel, August 20 to 22.
Learn all the details, including our featured speakers, with this Bright Ideas article by Joshua Crossman. And remember, discount pricing will end August 7.
Feel free to test your knowledge with BrightEdge Digital Marketing Quiz or SEO Quiz .
Enjoy your weekend!