Mobile search catching up desktop search

NEW RESEARCH published by SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organisation) has highlighted the growing opportunities for mobile marketers and location based app developers, as the gap between mobile search and desktop search continues to narrow.

The research looked at the mobile market and examined the interrelationship of mobile and search.

"The gap between mobile and desktop searchers is getting much narrower. SEMPO felt it was important to examine this powerful shift in how consumers are searching and present some ideas, for not only marketing via mobile, but also creating compelling content that works optimally for the mobile search medium," says Sara Holoubek, SEMPO president.

"SEMPO's Emerging Technologies Committee developed the mobile paper to further identify what opportunities exist for search marketers in the mobile Web ecosystem and how they can best be leveraged," says Noah Elkin, eMarketer senior analyst, and committee co-chair with Rachel Pasqua, director, mobile strategy, iCrossing.

"Specifically, we wanted to examine what mobile channels show the most promise for search marketers, how search is evolving on mobile devices, and how marketers can optimize their consumer presence via mobile."

Key points raised in the research were that 64 million U.S. wireless subscribers surfed the mobile Internet in May 2009, compared to 36 million in January 2008. PricewaterhouseCoopers' "Global Entertainment and Media Outlook, 2009-2013" predicts that global mobile advertising spending will rise from $3.8 billion in 2008 to $9.2 billion in 2013. The U.S. is expected to account for approximately one-third of this spending, making it the largest single-country market for mobile advertising, followed by Japan, with the total EMEA region roughly analogous in size to the U.S. iPhone and iPod Touch own 60 per cent of the current market and Mobile networks are reporting click-through rates of anywhere from 5 per cent to 15 per cent on campaigns, putting the desktop Web's average of 2 per cent to shame.

Leave your comments:
(Please note all comments are subject to an approval process before publication, no HTML or scripts allowed.)