You see them every day, Smartphones and Tablets in the hands of people on the street, in restaurants and in the car. According to Nielsen, over 50% of US mobile phone users own smartphones and a predicted 70 million people will own tablets by the end of the year. This represents a huge increase in the mobile market and more importantly, represents where a lot of search traffic is coming from.
This means that when creating a new SEM campaign or improving upon an already established SEM campaign, it’s important to target the mobile market. Following are three mobile trends that will help out any search marketer.
1. Mobile Traffic is Growing at a Fast Rate: According to Marin Software’s State of Mobile Search in the US, mobile devices account for 25% of all paid search ad clicks within Google’s network which is up 5% from last year. The click through rates (CTRs) on mobile devices is also 72% higher than they are on desktops. Another figure to look at is that 25-30% of mobile device clicks are coming from the retail sector.
2. Tablets comprise of a higher Return on Investment (ROI) The cost per click (CPC) of an ad is directly proportional to the ROI of the ad, this we know. However, when it comes to tablet traffic CPCs are 30% lower and they convert 20% better than desktops. This translates into tablets having an ROI of 70% better than desktops. This is due to the fact that smartphones don’t convert as well as desktops when it comes to CPCs, but the ROIs are almost identical between them.
3. Mobile Device Used Affects the ROI Research shows that the ROI varies depending on the mobile device used. This is because of a range of reasons that consist of demographics, form factor, the user’s experience and how the devices are being used. What this means for you, the search marketer, is that when building that SEM campaign, it’s important to consider the devices your campaign will be viewed on and who will be viewing it.
As a search marketer, the lesson to take away from this is that mobile devices are becoming a larger part of the market and it isn’t a sector to be ignored. When creating a SEM campaign, consider the demographics and the devices they use and build around that information. It could be the difference between a good campaign and a great campaign.
SearchPro Systems
2024