A Large-Scale Study of European Mobile Information Access Karen Church Adaptive Information Cluster University College Dublin WebCamp on the Emerging Mobile Internet 17 th May 2007

Our Goal To understand the information access behaviours of mobile users Our first study was carried out last year Are their parallels between emerging mobile search and early Web search? We found some similarities, however we also found some significant differences  Nearing the end of a second study Has the Mobile Internet evolved?

To understand the information access behaviours of mobile users

Our first study was carried out last year

Are their parallels between emerging mobile search and early Web search?

We found some similarities, however we also found some significant differences 

Nearing the end of a second study

Has the Mobile Internet evolved?

Outline Motivations behind our work Briefly discuss first mobile study Describe current mobile study Present key findings Has the Mobile Internet evolved? Conclusions

Motivations behind our work

Briefly discuss first mobile study

Describe current mobile study

Present key findings

Has the Mobile Internet evolved?

Conclusions

Motivations Mobile world is growing rapidly > 2.5 billion subscribers in 2006 28% of subscribers have browsed the Internet via mobile phone (Ipsos Insight) Browsing dominates the Mobile Internet However, search activity is increasing 31% of users searched for 1 st time in 2006 (Mobile Marketing Association) Search will play a more crucial role as users begin to explore off-portal content However, very little is understood about mobile subscribers and how they access information

Mobile world is growing rapidly

> 2.5 billion subscribers in 2006

28% of subscribers have browsed the Internet via mobile phone (Ipsos Insight)

Browsing dominates the Mobile Internet

However, search activity is increasing

31% of users searched for 1 st time in 2006 (Mobile Marketing Association)

Search will play a more crucial role as users begin to explore off-portal content

However, very little is understood about mobile subscribers and how they access information

Mobile Study 1 Data from 2005 Major European mobile operator > 30 million requests > 600,000 users Single day in 2005 1.1 million sessions 94% browsing, 6% search 400,000 search queries

Data from 2005

Major European mobile operator

> 30 million requests

> 600,000 users

Single day in 2005

1.1 million sessions

94% browsing, 6% search

400,000 search queries

Results - Mobile Study (2005) Browsing is dominant but search is richer Duration, bytes downloaded, requests Access devices are sophisticated Large screens, XHTML support, color interfaces Google is most popular search engine 76% of queries Search patterns Avg query length = 2.06, Google = 2.25 Lots of modifications to queries Adult content is most popular query category

Browsing is dominant but search is richer

Duration, bytes downloaded, requests

Access devices are sophisticated

Large screens, XHTML support, color interfaces

Google is most popular search engine

76% of queries

Search patterns

Avg query length = 2.06, Google = 2.25

Lots of modifications to queries

Adult content is most popular query category

Mobile Search vs. Early Web Search Similarities: Query length (2.06 vs. 2.35) Use of advanced search features (3% vs. 5-10%) Niche interest areas (Adult content) Differences: Searches per session (8.7 vs. 4.9) Unique queries (22% vs. 52-57%) Repeat Queries (76% vs. 39-43%) Higher rate of query modification in mobile space

Similarities:

Query length (2.06 vs. 2.35)

Use of advanced search features (3% vs. 5-10%)

Niche interest areas (Adult content)

Differences:

Searches per session (8.7 vs. 4.9)

Unique queries (22% vs. 52-57%)

Repeat Queries (76% vs. 39-43%)

Higher rate of query modification in mobile space

Mobile Study 2 Early 2006 Major European mobile operator Single week (full 7 days) > 290 million requests Almost 10 million sessions 2.6 million unique users > 5 million queries Approx. 5 months between the two datasets

Early 2006

Major European mobile operator

Single week (full 7 days)

> 290 million requests

Almost 10 million sessions

2.6 million unique users

> 5 million queries

Approx. 5 months between the two datasets

Session Analysis Number of sessions and users has increased significantly Breakdown of search sessions vs. browsing sessions has remained the same Session duration has also remained similar to previous study Bytes downloaded during searches has increased

Number of sessions and users has increased significantly

Breakdown of search sessions vs. browsing sessions has remained the same

Session duration has also remained similar to previous study

Bytes downloaded during searches has increased

Number of Sessions The number of sessions has risen from approx 1.1 million to 1.4 million per day (on average)

The number of sessions has risen from approx 1.1 million to 1.4 million per day (on average)

Number of Users The number of users has risen from approx. 600K to 745K per day (on average)

The number of users has risen from approx. 600K to 745K per day (on average)

How popular is search? The percentage of search vs. browsing sessions has remained similar Browsing remains dominant on Mobile Internet 7% 93%

The percentage of search vs. browsing sessions has remained similar

Browsing remains dominant on Mobile Internet

How many users search? The percentage of users who search vs. users who only browse for information has remained static 8% 92%

The percentage of users who search vs. users who only browse for information has remained static

How long do people spend online? On average users spends 3 times as long searching than they do when browsing 13 m 59 s

On average users spends 3 times as long searching than they do when browsing

How rich are sessions (bytes downloaded)? On average users download 5 times as much content than they do when browsing 322 Kb 270 Kb First Study

On average users download 5 times as much content than they do when browsing

Search Engine Analysis Breakdown of queries by search engine > 30 different mobile search engines Google still dominates Mobile Search Use of operator-specific search has decreased Use of mobile-specific search has decreased

Breakdown of queries by search engine

> 30 different mobile search engines

Google still dominates Mobile Search

Use of operator-specific search has decreased

Use of mobile-specific search has decreased

Search Engine Popularity 0.1 0.03 Misc (Includes: image and ringtone search) 7 0.4 0.19 Other Major Search Engines (Includes: AskJeeves, AllTheWeb, MSN, AOL, etc) 6 1.6 0.82 Wap Search Engines/Directories (Includes: TagTag, Click4Wap, Mooobl, Ithaki, etc.) 5 1.6 1.77 eCommerce Search 4 5.7 3.61 Yahoo 3 14.4 8.66 Operator-Specific Search 2 76.2 84.91 Google 1 2005 % Queries 2006 % Queries Search Engine No

Query Analysis Search on mobiles is growing! The number of queries per day has doubled (on average) in the 5 month period Query length has increased Use of advanced search features decreased  Showing signs of evolution

Search on mobiles is growing!

The number of queries per day has doubled (on average) in the 5 month period

Query length has increased

Use of advanced search features decreased

 Showing signs of evolution

Number of Queries The number of queries per day has doubled!

The number of queries per day has doubled!

Number of Unique Queries When we examine unique queries, the number has increased significantly

When we examine unique queries, the number has increased significantly

Query Length 2.15 terms per query on average Up from 2.06 terms per query in Mobile 2005 Google queries are longer in length 2.22 terms (2005) 2.26 terms (2006)

2.15 terms per query on average

Up from 2.06 terms per query in Mobile 2005

Google queries are longer in length

2.22 terms (2005)

2.26 terms (2006)

Advanced Search Features This figure is down from 3.04% in the Mobile 2005 study. 2.847315 24571 Total 0.284902 862953.3 2458.571 & 0.040774 862953.3 351.8571 () 0.22082 862953.3 1905.571 " " 1.362216 862953.3 11755.29 - 0.241 862953.3 2079.714 + 0.000364 862953.3 3.142857 NOT/AND NOT 0.049514 862953.3 427.2857 OR/Or/or 0.766322 862953.3 6613 AND/And/and % Totals Freq Use of Advanced Features

This figure is down from 3.04% in the Mobile 2005 study.

Queries per Session The number of queries per session has increased from 5.8 to 8.6 5.8 8.6

The number of queries per session has increased from 5.8 to 8.6

Queries per User The average number of queries per user has increased significantly from 8.7 to 13.6 8.7 13.6

The average number of queries per user has increased significantly from 8.7 to 13.6

What do mobile users search for?

Future Work Query modifications & query similarity Device analysis Result-page analysis Avg. position of results clicked Avg num of results clicked Avg num result pages viewed Temporal analyses Time of day, day of week, etc.

Query modifications & query similarity

Device analysis

Result-page analysis

Avg. position of results clicked

Avg num of results clicked

Avg num result pages viewed

Temporal analyses

Time of day, day of week, etc.

Conclusions The Mobile Internet is evolving fast In 5 month period, mobile search is showing signs of significant change More users, more sessions Search is evolving Queries are longer More queries per user More queries per session Changes in topics  User Generated Content

The Mobile Internet is evolving fast

In 5 month period, mobile search is showing signs of significant change

More users, more sessions

Search is evolving

Queries are longer

More queries per user

More queries per session

Changes in topics  User Generated Content

Thank You Questions/Comments? Karen Church [email_address] Phone: +353 7165355

Thank You

Questions/Comments?

Karen Church

[email_address]

Phone: +353 7165355