Mobile is becoming an increasingly important traffic channel, and given recent developments like app indexation and AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), as well as the addition of new types of devices like wearables and smart tech, understanding how it fits into the bigger search marketing picture is more crucial than ever. This session will take a look at the history of mobile search, how mobile search behaviour has impacted on desktop search, the growing significance of app content and developments such as AMP and app streaming within the search marketing landscape, and some thoughts on where the future of search is heading.
13. Ben Evans, 2015
“It’s actually the PC that has the
limited, basic, cut-down version of
the internet...it only has the web.”
14.
15.
16.
17. We used to talk about mobile being used “on the go”, and
desktop for “work” and “home”.
Now we recognize that mobile is used in all different
environments and contexts, and often simultaneously with
other devices.
18. We used to talk about how to prevent showrooming.
...that ship has sailed.
23. 4 key shifts for Google
Mobile First
Mobile
Friendliness
App
Integration
with Web
Search
Page Load
Times and
AMP
24. Mobile
Friendliness
as a Ranking
Factor
Site Speed
and
Page Load
Times
App
Integration
with Web
Search
Mobile First
Design of
SERPs
#1
Mobile First
Mobile
Friendliness
Page Load
Times and
AMP
31. First step(s):
- Account for it in your reporting and tracking
- Consider creating more top-of-funnel landing pages
- Optimize for instant answers and enhanced search -
structured data, rich snippets
Take action
32. - Look for Universal Results reports in common tracking
tools, including
- STAT Analytics
- SEMRush
- Brightedge
- Structured data testing tool
- Content Everywhere by Sara Wachter-Boettcher (2012)
Tools and tips
33. ● Better integration of content within apps
○ Opening developer access to iMessages, Maps
● Cross-device integration
○ Universal Clipboard on OS
○ Siri remote for AppleTV
○ ApplePay on websites
● Less device-specific dependencies
○ Android Wear 2.0 doesn’t require phone
○ Google Auto can integrate directly with car system
Where’s it heading?
34. #2
Mobile
Friendliness
as a Ranking
Factor
Site Speed
and
Page Load
Times
App
Integration
with Web
Search
Mobile First
Design of
SERPs
Mobile First
Mobile
Friendliness
Page Load
Times and
AMP
39. Google also announced a
4.7%
percentage point increase
in the number of mobile-friendly websites, within
the 2 months between their announcement about
the update and “Mobilegeddon”.
Source
40. First step: make sure your site passes the basic
mobile-friendliness tests.
● Mobile Friendly Testing Tool
● Search Console Mobile Usability Report
● Separate tab on the Pagespeed Insights tool
Take action
41. ● use URL Profiler to check URLs in bulk with the Google
mobile-friendliness tool
● use BrowserStack to simulate mobile browser
experiences
Tools and tips
42. ● Mobile first approach to rankings
○ Mobile page speed will be ranking factor
○ Mobile index will be primary index
● Content accessibility needs don’t stop with smartphones
○ Google Home and similar devices
○ Android Wear 2.0 and other wearables
○ Smart cars and vehicle-integrated apps
● Mobile search is tied to voice search and physical context
○ Optimizing for conversational search and geolocation
Where’s it heading?
43. Mobile
Friendliness
as a Ranking
Factor
Site Speed
and
Page Load
Times
App
Integration
with Web
Search
Mobile First
Design of
SERPs
#3
Mobile First
Design of
SERPs
Mobile
Friendliness
Page Load
Times and
AMP
56. For the Washington Post, implementing AMP
pages increased mobile return visitors by 23%.
These AMP pages showed 88% faster load time
when compared with regular mobile pages.
Case study: Washington Post
57. Originally AMP was
pitched as a platform
for Google News and
other editorial content.
But it’s now being
supported more widely.
58. First step: decide whether AMP is relevant to you.
You should use AMP if:
● You make a lot of content, particularly editorial content
● You want wider distribution of your content
● Your industry has a high proportion of mobile traffic
● It’s compatible with your business model
Take action
59. Next step: AMP implementation.
● Create AMP supported versions of the pages you want
supported
● If you’re a Wordpress user, you can use a plugin like
Automattic AMP and/or Glue by Yoast
● For ecommerce sites, Google recently posted this guide
to getting started with AMP.
Take action
60. ●
● Mobile-specific tab on the Pagespeed Insights tool
● Resource for running webpagetest.org speed tests multiple times in a Google
spreadsheet
AMP-specific:
● Google’s AMP validation testing tool
● Resource from SEW on AMP implementation for Wordpress
● Google tutorial on implementing AMP
● eBay’s notes on what went well and what was tricky in their implementation
Tools and tips
61. Where’s it heading?
● A single interface for everything - from first query to
checkout.
○ Using a personal assistant app like Siri or Allo to see a
task through from start to finish...
○ e.g. schedule a dinner with calendar, book a table,
order an Uber to the restaurant, and pay for the meal
62. Mobile
Friendliness
as a Ranking
Factor
Site Speed
and
Page Load
Times
App
Integration
with Web
Search
Mobile First
Design of
SERPs
#4
Mobile First
Design of
SERPs
Mobile
Friendliness
Page Load
Times and
AMP
68. First step:
If you don’t have an app, you may not need one. Ask
yourself:
Would my app...
● Add convenience?
● Offer unique value?
● Provide social value?
● Offer incentives?
● Entertain?
TAKE ACTIONTake action
69. First step:
If you do have an app, make sure it supports http:// (web)
links.
And check out my blog post about how to set up an app for
indexation by Google.
TAKE ACTIONTake action
70. Must-have
Avoid pitfalls
Recommended
● Support deep-linking
● Use web URLs for app views where possible
● Register the app in your Search Console
● Allow appropriate URLs in robots.txt
● Ensure first click free in the app
● Add markup to pages or sitemaps
● Use app indexing API to:
○ Index personal user content
○ Add meta information to app views
○ Enable activities such as voice actions
○ Expose popularity of app views to Google
Checklist for Android app indexing
71. Watch this space
Avoid pitfalls
Must-have
● Support Universal Links
○ Add your domain(s) to associated-domains in app
○ Add URLs handled by the app to apple-app-site-association on domain
● Use web URLs for app views where possible
● Add GoogleAppIndexing registration to your app
● Ensure first click free in the app
● Enable the back button
● Watch out for Google announcing an iOS app indexing API
○ Enables indexing of personal content
○ Allows usage information to be sent to Google
○ Adds meta information
Checklist for iOS app indexing (Google)
72. ● Bridget’s original blog post on app indexation (2015)
● Cindy Krum on Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
● Google guidance on deep linking and app indexation
● Introduction to Firebase
○ Cindy Krum’s Mozcon presentation
Tools and tips
73. Where’s it heading?
● Blurred lines between app content and web content
○ Firebase as centralized app platform
○ App streaming and progressive web apps (PWAs)
○ Google Instant Apps
○ Single sign-on for Apple TV
● Greater integration between apps
○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing
with calendar and location
● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps
○ iMessage, Maps, Siri
75. ● Mobile browser search (Safari autocomplete)
● Mobile assistants (Siri, Cortana)
● iPhone Spotlight
● App store search (Google Play, Apple App Store)
● Mobile chatbots (Allo, Facebook M)
● Personal index (My Photos, Calendar, Messages)
● ...and more.
The mobile search ecosystem
today - beyond Google
76. ● Google Auto
● Google Home
● Android Wear 2.0
● Apple Air Pods
● Siri on MacOS
Where’s it heading?
78. “My vision when we started Google 15 years
ago was that eventually you wouldn't have
to have a search query at all.”
Sergey Brin, TED, 2013
79. “The [Google] assistant is an ambient
experience that will work seamlessly
across devices and contexts. ...It builds on
all our years of investment in deeply
understanding users' questions.”
Sundar Pichai, Google I/O, 2016
88. ● physical interaction with individuals and
environment
● Device- and app-agnostic integration
● voice recognition and conversational interaction
Key themes in
new technology