Top 5 Tips for Mobile Success in 2014
So, here’s what we know. Mobile usage is growing. Massively. Not only that, we also know 
that when a user is browsing on a mobile phone they are much more likely to convert/purchase/take action – which ever verb you want to use – this is great news for those who already have their mobile SEO strategy in place for 2014.
Below are some statistics in bullet-point form for easy reading this early on in the year..
- 40% of mobile device searches have local intent
- 94% of smartphone users have looked for local info and 84% have taken action as a result
- And.. because of the smaller screen size results which rank high in a mobile SERP will tend to have more prominence than they would on a desktop.
If you want to invest in your online marketing, then a mobile SEO strategy is recommended to take advantage of all the above points. At Dental Design we are now seeing that around 35-40% of traffic to our clients’ websites come from a mobile device.
Here are our 5 Top Tips for Mobile SEO success in 2014
1) Focus on the Mobile User Experience.
Arguable the single most important factor, as mobile users are even more fickle than PC users, so ensuring users receive a great experience during all the processes of their visit to your site via mobile is really important. Also, industry buzz indicates that Google wants to reward sites that give great user experience. Without knowing any details, rest-assured it is best to focus on user experience rather than just rankings and traffic. All the below points come back to this important tip.
2) Have a mobile friendly -site
Whether a responsive design of your site (which adapts to any screen size, be it mobile, tablet et al) or a dedicated mobile version, a site that looks good on a mobile is the objective. Have a look at your site through a smartphone. is it easy to navigate, engage and even perform any tasks?
3) Increase Mobile Page Load Speeds
Page speed has a real impact on mobile-user experience. Google states that they want mobile pages to load in one second or less to deliver a positive experience and then keep users engaged. Whilst it isn’t clear how much of a direct impact mobile page load speed has on rankings, Google does stress its importance for user experience, and what is good for user experience is usually good for rankings. The average mobile page load speed is 7 seconds, as of 4th January 2013
4) Incorporate Clean Design With a Focus on Usability
The smaller screen bring with it design challenges, but there are some great intuitive and easily digestible formats that work such as using big buttons and clear call-to-actions. Great design is great, but usability should trump design. Always.
5) Understand Mobile-User Intent
Understanding the introduction of the Hummingbird algorithm leads to understanding user intent including conversational search queries and voice search which will be essential to mobile SEO success for 2014 and beyond. Smartphone users in particular are often looking for something local and have purchase intent. In fact, a recent Mobile Path to Purchase Study conducted by Nielson (a global consumer and media insights company) shows that users are 55% more likely to take action within 1 hour of researching (browsing) on a mobile device.
Local businesses (dental practices) can make their hours of operation, and contact information readily available to mobile searchers through a mobile –friendly website and their Google+ Business Listing, which improves conversion. Also with conversational search, Mobile keyword strategy should reflect user intent. No longer will a combination of one keyword and location be enough to target mobile users.
Far more likely is a search term (typed or voiced) along the lines of “where is the nearest dentist?” rather than “dentist + location”. Since these search results are determined, in large part, based on a mobile users location, an SEO strategy that promotes the dental practice location and incorporates conversation search terms within its content, may have an edge over competing dental practices in the same area.
Conclusion
Whilst these five elements are essential to the success of mobile SEO in 2014, mobile SEO should no longer be considered separate from desktop SEO. Rather they are two parts of a complete SEO strategy. Call us at Dental Design on 01202 677277 to chat through how we can help you succeed in your mobile strategy in 2014.
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