PPC Workshop:

Why Mobile is an Important Part of Your Paid Search Strategy

Presented by KeywordFirst

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Mobile Search Overtakes Desktop*

According to BIA/Kelsey data, mobile search comprised 81.8 billion searches in 2015.Alphabet (parent of Google) announced late in 2015 that mobile search overtook searches done on the desktop.They expect to see a 23% increase in mobile searches and a decrease in desktop searches.Those trends are expected to continue.

*BIA/Kelsey expects to see 81.8 billion U.S. local searches conducted via mobile devices this year compared to only 64.6 billion desktop searches. They predict mobile searches will reach 141.9 billion by 2019.

*Data included in a recent report from eMarketer: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Outta-Town-PCs-Mobile-Takes-Over-Local-Search-Volume/1012543.

Why are Mobile Searches Increasing?

Ubiquity of mobile devices.Growth of the Millennial generation.There are now more Millennials than Baby Boomers.Millennials have never known a world without readily available mobile devices.They continue to rely on them as their method of choice for communication and connection.

*This is the first time that Boomers have been out-paced by any generation since they were born.

What Does This Mean to Marketers?Marketers whove paid little or no attention to their customers mobile experience or developing mobile-search strategies must quickly re-think their mindset.

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Its All about the User Experience.

User experience is critical, especially given the lack of patience the Internet has created.If a site doesnt work quickly and seamlessly, visitors are only a back button away from checking out a competitor.Once they hit that back button whether because a site isnt loading fast enough or it isnt readable on their mobile device you dont just lose that sale. It could have a significant effect on the lifetime value of that customer or prospect.

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How is Paid Search Affected?

Its important to understand if your online experience is welcoming visitors or driving them away so that you can invest in paid search effectively.The best way to do this is through an analytics package to understand:The number of visitors your paid search campaign is driving to your website.What theyre doing when they get there.How many of them are converting to customers.

*Analytics packages provide valuable information. For example, a high bounce rate tells you that people are coming to your site, but theyre not clicking through it. This could be beacuse your campaign isnt drawing the right people, or because the right people are having a poor customer experience. You can investigate further to determine the actual cause and adjust from there.

Make Sure Youre Hitting the Mobile Target.Ad groups, keywords and analytics are basically the same for desktop and mobile.Adjustments that may need to be made to optimize mobile include:Ad extensions: for example, change from click for more information to click to call to capitalize on the ability to directly place a call.Bid strategies: higher positions have a bigger impact on a mobile device. Its best to be in the top three.Web development strategy: check the key performance indicators (KPIs) youve identified for your analytics to ensure your mobile site is delivering the appropriate experience.

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B2B and B2C

These strategies apply to both B2B and B2C advertisers because many B2B searches now begin on a mobile device even if theyre ultimately fulfilled on a desktop.A poor mobile experience may mean that the customers may never get to the desktop.

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Summing UpAccording to BIA/Kelsey and Alphabet data, mobile search overtook desktop with 81.8 billion searches in 2015, and this trend is expected to continue.Mobile searches are increasing due to the ubiquity of mobile devices and the growth of the Millennial generation (now larger than the Baby Boomer generation).Customers mobile experiences are critical since theyre only a back button away from checking out a competitor, which could have a significant impact on the lifetime value of those customers.Its important to implement an analytics package to understand if your online experience is welcoming visitors and converting them to customers or driving them away so that you can invest in paid search effectively.

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Summing Up (continued)Although ad groups, keywords and analytics mostly stay the same for desktop and mobile, adjustments that may need to be made to optimize mobile include:Ad extensions: for example, change from click for more information to click to call.Bid strategies: higher positions have a bigger impact on a mobile device. Its best to be in the top three positions.Web development strategy: check the key performance indicators (KPIs) youve identified for your analytics to ensure your mobile site is delivering the appropriate experience.

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Mobile Search article on The Social Media Monthly Succeeding in Search Today Means Hitting a Mobile TargetSee analytics posts on our FirstWord blogGoogle Analytics tutorials

Contact:Mark Smith See Marks bio Co-Founder, KeywordFirstMark@KeywordFirst.com

Helpful Resources

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*BIA/Kelsey expects to see 81.8 billion U.S. local searches conducted via mobile devices this year compared to only 64.6 billion desktop searches. They predict mobile searches will reach 141.9 billion by 2019.

*Data included in a recent report from eMarketer: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Outta-Town-PCs-Mobile-Takes-Over-Local-Search-Volume/1012543.

*This is the first time that Boomers have been out-paced by any generation since they were born.*

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*Analytics packages provide valuable information. For example, a high bounce rate tells you that people are coming to your site, but theyre not clicking through it. This could be beacuse your campaign isnt drawing the right people, or because the right people are having a poor customer experience. You can investigate further to determine the actual cause and adjust from there.*

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