Mobile Basics: SEO & PPC

By the end of 2013 mobile Internet usage will surpass desktop Internet usage. At the same time mobile search will surpass desktop search. To put it another way: in about a year many companies will be more likely to be found on a mobile device than on desktop screens. 

Mobile is taking over the marketing world.

Every marketer at every company needs to understand the basics of mobile SEO and PPC or they will be left behind. And that’s what I want to do today, provide you the basics of mobile SEO and PPC. This is a topic that isn’t written about enough and needs more attention. 

Mobile SEO 
Mobile search is different than desktop search. The rules are different. The metrics are different and the definition of success is different. If you understand the basics of ‘regular’ SEO, you will need to tweak some of your beliefs slightly and then move ahead with mobile SEO. Here are a few basics: 

Get Position 1 or 2 – The higher the better. That’s true of desktop search and mobile search, of course, But, this rule is more extreme and important in mobile than in desktop. Google relayed a stunning statistics during a presentation in Q4 of 2011. They said that CTR dropped 90% from search result position 1 to position 4 on a mobile phone. 90%! The numbers are nowhere near that dramatic in desktop search. If you are in position 4 on a mobile phone you simply do not exist. 


The Phone is Back - Google says that 61% of mobile searches result in a phone call. It is clear from this early period of mobile search that a phone call is the most common and most natural form of engagement for mobile users following a search. Mobile searchers want immediacy and answers. They don’t want to do in-depth research on their mobile phones. They want to make a phone call. The propensity of mobile users to make a phone call is not a bad thing. Your close rates will probably be higher. Our research indicates that you are 15 – 20 times more likely to close a deal if a prospect calls you than if they fill out a form. It just means that rather than focusing on traditional web metrics like CTR or abandon rates, phone metrics will have to enter your marketing analytics picture. 

Local Wins – 40% of Google searches on mobile phones have local intent. Google clearly values local results in the mobile space. If you are a local company, a small business, or even a national company with a local presence, you need to have a Google Places listing, optimize that Google Places listing and get ready for mobile phone calls. 

Other Rules Apply – Backlinks and great content still rule the SEO world. This is true of mobile and desktop. 

PPC Basics 

Shoot for the Call – Google says that click-to-call PPC ads produce 6% to 8% higher conversions than standard mobile PPC ads. Enough said. 

Ad Copy – Mention the call. Even if your ad is not a click-to-call ad it should, at least, contain phrases like ‘call today’ or ‘call right now.’ Phrases like this will increase the likelihood that a mobile searcher will call you. And Google recommends it. 

Separate your mobile campaign in Adwords – The default Google Adwords setting is to simply apply desktop settings to mobile. You shouldn’t. They should be separate because the keywords, ad groups and landing pages (offers) are distinctively different. 

Bid for position 1-2 – Adwords that are below position 2 or 3 will never appear on page 1 in mobile. 

Keyword strategies and Day-Parting - Mobile searches include more misspellings and shorter phrases. This is vital to remember during the buying process. It means you should start broad to discover mobile keyword phrases and then optimize from there. Also, research shows that mobile users use their devices at home and on-the-go. They don’t use their devices at work. This means that desktop Adwords off-hours are mobile on-hours. Run your mobile PPC ads on evenings and weekends. 

Landing Pages – I could (and should) write an entire post about mobile landing pages, but I’ll give you the short version here. The rules for mobile landing pages and desktop landing pages are totally and completely different. Desktop landing pages focus on getting the most information possible from a visitor via filling out a form, while at the same time minimizing friction. Mobile landing pages should focus on producing a phone call or, possibly, getting someone to give you their email address. Mobile forms—if you insist on having one—should have one field in them as opposed to 7-9.

Think click-to-call on the landing page. 

Jason Wells, CEO, ContactPoint

Jason Wells is the CEO of ContactPoint. Their new product, LogMyCalls, represents the next generation of intelligent call tracking and marketing automation. Prior to joining ContactPoint, Jason served as the Senior Vice President of Sony International, where he led the creation and international expansion of Sony’s mobile business line from London. Jason has spoken on marketing topics at SES New York, SES Toronto, Ad Tech, Digital Hollywood, Nokia World, CTIA and elsewhere. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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