Presentation given at the VT Web Marketing Summit on being found on mobile using search engine optimization (SEO) tactics. Mobile approaches such as domain, sub-domain, and responsive design were covered.

1. Being Found on Mobile!
Mobile Search Strategies, Tips, and Tactics

2. Speaker Bio
Dan Ouellette, @DOuellet
Director of Product Management SEO/SEM –
Catalyst Online
12 years of internet experience ranging from
design & development to SEO and product
management
8+ years of search marketing experience
working small as well as Fortune 1000
businesses
Regular contributor to industry blogs,
featured author in Search Marketing
Standard, webinar presentations, search
training
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3. Mobile Search Landscape
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4. Today’s Mobile Search Landscape
Mobile statistics
• mobile searches have reportedly
increased 200% to date in 2012
• 25-percent of YouTube traffic
and 40-percent of YouTube
views now stem from mobile
devices, a 300-percent increase
in 2012
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5. Today’s Mobile Search Landscape
60% of consumers use mobile searches
before buying.
Over 90% of mobile
searches end in some type of
action…visiting a business or
purchasing, for example.
mobile searches will
make up 25% of all
searches in the world this
year.
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6. Mobile Search Considerations
Why you need to focus on mobile search….
 At The Open Mobile Summit - 3 Google executives said that a
majority of Google's users will access its services through mobile
devices in 2013
 % of mobile traffic to your site is growing
 You continue to recognize the incredible trending growth of
mobile devices and you want to be prepared
 Mobile is and continues to be a disruptive platform
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7. Ways to Connect with Mobile
Audiences
• SMS (short message service/text) MMS (multimedia
message service)
• Email
• Social Media
• Mobile Apps
• Mobile Websites (search)
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9. Approaches to Mobile
1 Domain Based Strategy
2 Responsive Web Design
3 Dynamic Serving
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11. Approaches to Mobile
Domain Based Strategies
1 • www.brand.com
• m.brand.com
• www.brand/mobile.com
• www.brand.mobi
Why?
• If you’re attracting an audience for a unique mobile
experience make sure you deliver!
• Different screen
• Different browser
• Got there via different search behavior
You’re trying to attract mobile users not desktop users
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12. Approaches to Mobile
Grass stains
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13. Approaches to Mobile
Domain Based Strategies
Pros Cons
Easier Implementation Costs of Maintenance
Unique Mobile Content Duplicate Content?
Better mobile experience Site popularity
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14. Approaches to Mobile
Responsive Web Design
2 • Google recommends
• Single HTML code irrespective of the mobile device accessing it,
however, formatted using CSS.
• Device agnostic.
Advantages of the responsive design approach:
• 1 URL for search engines
• More efficient crawling of content
• Might attract more general audience
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15. Approaches to Mobile
Responsive Web Design
Reformatting desktop pages isn’t a mobile search solution.
Pros Cons
1 URL, no content duplication Possible redesign
Less expensive for maintentance Same content, not unique
Popularity of site is a non-issue Mobile focus isn’t there
No redirects needed
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16. Approaches to Mobile
Device-specific HTML
3
• Dynamic Serving
• consumer experience will be better with different HTML
depending on the device type, you can use the same URL to
dynamically serve different HTML/CSS based on the user agent or
device profile.
• Vary HTTP header.
Pros Cons
1 URL, no content duplication Complexities w/implementation
Less expensive for maintentance Costs for maintenance
Different content
No redirects needed
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17. So what’s my Mobile Search Approach?
 Mirroring content on the site?
 Highly customizable
 Unique mobile experience?
 Business Objectives
 Target market/audience
 How are you trying to engage
a mobile user?
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18. Your Mobile Search Strategy
Discovery/ KP Content - Amplify &
Insights Strategy Optimize Promote
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19. Your Mobile Search Strategy
Mobile Users are different
Disc - What are you user needs
How is mobile being used for your business
- What tasks do you want them to accomplish
on the mobile site?
- What is the time & place where they might
need your mobile site? i.e. Staples
What are the mobile site goals?
- expand your reach and engage an
audience through multiple channels
- Reviews – Amazon to Yelp
- Revenue target
- Brand or product awarenes
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20. Your Mobile Search Strategy
Disc. Look at your internal analytics data
- What devices are they using
- What keywords are driving mobile visitors
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21. Mobile Keywords
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22. Keyword Selection
Google Adwords Keyword Research Tool
KWs
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23. Keyword Selection
Consider long tail keywords
KWs - Higher conversion rates
- Lower bounce rates
Compare mobile vs. desktop keyword terms
- Who owns the content?
- How will I promote it?
Stay away from highly competitive terms
- Little chance of winning unless = authority/expert
- Check out the Google results pages
How do the terms integrate into other
channels?
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24. Mobile Content & Optimization
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25. Content & Optimization
Content
Accessible Content
No access, no relevance
Call-to-Action!
Decrease bounce rate
Increase time on site
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26. Content & Optimization
Content
Page Load Time
Mobitest
GoMoMeter
HowToGoMo.com
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27. Content
Content
Be Short
& Shareable
Limited real estate
Shorter titles & Meta “Razor”
- Keyword centric focused
keyword
term
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28. Content
Content
KW centric
image
naming &
Image Naming ALT tags
& ALT
Add relevance Gillette-proglide-
- Keyword centric power-razor.jpg
- Bandwidth preservation
Gillette Proglide
Power Razor for
Men
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29. Content
Content
Readability
&
Thumb Friendly
Smaller devices
“Tap Errors”
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30. “This is the Switchboard”
Optimization
Avoid Duplicate Content and
Content
use “Switchboard Tags”
Be Canonical Desktop
<link rel=”alternate” media=”only screen and (max-
Single source width: 640px)” href=”http://m.example.com/page-1″
of content >
Mobile
<link rel=”canonical”
href=”http://www.example.com/page-1″ >
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31. Optimization
Personalize
titles/meta with city
Content or metro area names
List a nearby
locations
Localize
Populate location
Geo-targeting page with:
Your mobile • zip, city, state
Landing pages • Services/products
• Unbranded KW
• Map
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32. Content
Websites that serve only mobile content can provide
Content Google with an XML sitemap. Non-mobile URLs should not
be included.
Mobile
Sitemap
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33. Mobile Promotion & Amplification
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34. Amplification
Announce your mobile site on your
Promotion
desktop site
Optimize your desktop site!
Mobile site may outrank desktop site
Blog about it (is it a unique mobile offer,
etc..
Ability to sign in via social networks
Social sharing on your mobile site
Mobile coupons (local intent)
Media Plan
Email Marketing Integration!
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35. Amplification
Linking
Promotion
Ability to give a site authority via “vote”
Desktop vs. Mobile
 Responsive & Dynamic = yes!
 Domain based = depends
- Clear segmentation of desktop
vs. mobile content
- Effort could be doubled
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36. Cross Channel Optimization & Promotion
Areas of opportunity
 Media Plan
 Content Calendar
 Paid Campaign
 Display Ads
 Social Media
 Twitter
 Facebook
 Forums
 Guest Blogging
 Local Search/maps
 Apps
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37. What’s the Future?
Personalization
Social & Mobile
Disruptive
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