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.

1. “We used to talk about whether or not we
were in the year of mobile…
but we are actually in
the Age of Mobile.”

2. where we’ve come from...

3. 2000-2012:
total internet usage
vs mobile data usage
12x
Source

4. 2013’s big question:
“What should my mobile
strategy be?”

5. Proof: the story from the stats. Ben Evans.
It wasn’t always like this.

6. It’s because
this happened
2008
Source

7. It’s because
this happened
2008
Source
2016

8. It’s because
this happened
2008
Source
2020
2016

9. now,
52%
of UK internet users say that
mobile is their primary way to access the web.

10. up from only
24%
in 2013.

12. And sure enough...
Mobile has become
the preferred way
to browse the web.

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. Source
Finnish mobile internet usage forecast
2016
75.51%

15. Source
Finnish mobile internet usage forecast
2016
75.51%
2020
85.3%

16. From 2014-2015, there was a
60%
increase in mobile data usage in the Nordic region.
Source

17. Finland is the biggest
for mobile data usage
in this region, using
2.5x
more mobile data than Sweden in second place.
Source

18. These trends are
shaping our
conversations
around mobile
search.

23. We used to talk about how to prevent showrooming.
...that ship has sailed.

24. OH WELL

25. welcome to...

26. The Changing Landscape of
Mobile Search
Bridget Randolph

27. Technological
Advances
Reactive
Approach

28. User
Behaviour
Technological
Advances
Reactive
Approach

29. User
Behaviour
Technological
Advances
Ranking
Factors
(Google)
Reactive
Approach

30. User
Behaviour
Technological
Advances
Ranking
Factors
(Google)
Search
MarketingReactive
Approach

31. What if we could
get a head start?

32. User
Behaviour
Technological
Advances
Ranking Factors
(Google)
Search
Marketing

33. Google I/O 2016
Apple WWDC 2016

34. 4 key shifts for Google
Mobile First
Mobile
Friendliness
App
Integration
with Web
Search
Page Load
Times and
AMP

35. 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

36. In the news

37. Nov 4, 2016
---
“We’ve begun experiments to
make our index mobile-first.”
-- Google Webmaster Blog

38. They’re already starting
to roll this out.

39. The old “Google” -
listing style

40. The new “Google” -
card style

41. No more sidebar ads

42. Content
has to become
more flexible.

44. Mobile user
experience
is crucial.

45. A “mobile site” cannot afford
to exclude any desktop
content we want to rank for.

46. We have to
think creatively
with our strategies...

47. ...and start optimizing for
● Instant Answers
● Knowledge Graph
● Voice Search

48. Make sure that your
mobile content is
well-optimized for
search and for users.
Quick tip

49. ● Mobile-first index
● 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
● Mobile-first to Machine learning-first
Where’s it heading?

50. ● Mobile-first index
● 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
● Mobile-first to Machine learning-first
Where’s it heading?

51. ● Mobile-first index
● Cross-device integration (content everywhere)
○ 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
● Mobile-first to Machine learning-first
Where’s it heading?

52. ● Mobile-first index
● Cross-device integration (content everywhere)
○ 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
● Mobile-first to Machine learning-first
Where’s it heading?

53. #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

54. Mobile Friendliness

55. They started with a
“positive” incentive
approach.

56. Google now provides all sorts of tools in Search Console and elsewhere to test mobile friendliness.

57. 81%+
of the top 3
results are
mobile friendly.

58. Post-Mobilegeddon, Google announced a
4.7%
percentage point increase
in the number of mobile-friendly websites. Source

59. Make sure that your
site passes the basic
mobile-friendliness
tests.
Quick tip

60. ● Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash
● Uses text that is readable without zooming
● Sizes content to the screen so users don't have to scroll horizontally or zoom
● Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped
Remember:
This stuff is the bare minimum, not the finish line.
Google’s basic criteria

61. ● Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash
● Uses text that is readable without zooming
● Sizes content to the screen so users don't have to scroll horizontally or zoom
● Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped
Remember:
This stuff is the bare minimum, not the finish line.
Google’s basic criteria

62. Run user testing on
your checkout
process to ensure
that mobile users
can complete a
transaction.
Quick tip

63. ● 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?

64. ● Mobile first approach to rankings
○ Mobile index will be primary index
○ Mobile page speed will be ranking factor
● 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?

65. ● Mobile first approach to rankings
○ Mobile index will be primary index
○ Mobile page speed will be ranking factor
● 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?

66. ● Mobile first approach to rankings
○ Mobile index will be primary index
○ Mobile page speed will be ranking factor
● 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?

67. 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

68. Mobile Page Load Times and AMP

69. 40%
of users will
abandon a page that takes too long to load.

70. 3G
Is the dominant network type worldwide.

71. even a
1sec delay
was found to lead to a
7% decrease
in conversions.

72. In the newsIn the news

73. Facebook
Instant Articles
Apple
Newsstand
Native Apps

75. AMP is a set of rules
for developing webpages
which guarantees speed
and forces distribution.

76. It’s basically skeleton HTML
which allows the page to...

77. a) load really quickly
b) be cached by Google
and served directly in
the SERP

78. a) load really quickly
b) be cached by Google
and served directly in
the SERP

79. www.wsj.com/article-headline www.wsj.com/amp/article-headline
https://amp.gstatic.com/v/s/www.
wsj.com/amp/article-headline

81. 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 PostCase study: Washington Post
Implementing AMP increased mobile return visitors by 23%.
These pages were 88% faster than regular mobile pages.

82. Originally AMP was pitched as
a platform for Google News
and other editorial content.
But it’s now being
supported for ecommerce
and eBay have rolled out
the first large-scale test.
Isn’t this just for publishers?

83. PWAs, or “progressive web
apps”, are another approach
for making mobile content
faster and better for users.
Tip: in an ecommerce context, this
is particularly useful for markets
where users are data-sensitive.
There’s also PWAs…..

84. Indian startup Housing.com
developed a PWA because they
realized their users were struggling
with poor connectivity and low
data availability.
Case Study: Housing.com

85. Results
● 38% more conversions
● 40% lower bounce rate
● 10% longer average session
● 30% faster page load
Case Study: Housing.com

86. Where’s it heading?

87. Where’s it heading?
A single interface for everything - from
first query to checkout.n
○ e.g. using a personal assistant app
like Siri or Allo to see a task
through from start to finish.

88. Where’s it heading?
A single interface for everything - from
first query to checkout.n
○ e.g. using a personal assistant app
like Siri or Allo to see a task
through from start to finish.

89. Where’s it heading?
A single interface for everything - from
first query to checkout.n
○ e.g. using a personal assistant app
like Siri or Allo to see a task
through from start to finish.

90. 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

91. App Integration

92. Google needs to
integrate app content
with the rest of the web

93. app indexation.

96. why
is this important?

97. how
does it work?

98. 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

99. 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)

100. 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
● Greater integration between apps
○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing
with calendar and location
○ Single sign-on for Apple TV
● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps
○ iMessage, Maps, Siri

101. 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
● Greater integration between apps
○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing
with calendar and location
○ Single sign-on for Apple TV
● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps
○ iMessage, Maps, Siri

102. 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
● Greater integration between apps
○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing
with calendar and location
○ Single sign-on for Apple TV
● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps
○ iMessage, Maps, Siri

103. 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
● Greater integration between apps
○ Pay for things in iMessage, ApplePay on websites, Apple Maps syncing
with calendar and location
○ Single sign-on for Apple TV
● 3rd party developer integrations with Apple core apps
○ iMessage, Maps, Siri

104. Bonus Round

105. The mobile search ecosystem today -
beyond Google
Photo byJaime Olmo/ CC BY

106. Mobile browser search -
Safari autocomplete

107. Mobile assistants - Siri, Cortana
Img Src

108. iPhone Spotlight

109. Google Play, Apple App Store
App store search -
Google Play, Apple App Store
Img Src

110. Allo, Facebook M
Mobile assistants - Allo, Facebook ‘M’
Img Src

111. Personal Index - emails, calendar, photos

112. ● Google Auto
● Google Home
● Android Wear 2.0
● Apple Air Pods
● Siri on MacOS
Where’s it heading?

113. ● Google Auto
● Google Home
● Android Wear 2.0
● Apple Air Pods
● Siri on MacOS
Where’s it heading?

114. ● Google Auto
● Google Home
● Android Wear 2.0
● Apple Air Pods
● Siri on MacOS
Where’s it heading?

115. ● Google Auto
● Google Home
● Android Wear 2.0
● Apple Air Pods
● Siri on MacOS
Where’s it heading?

116. ● Google Auto
● Google Home
● Android Wear 2.0
● Apple Air Pods
● Siri on MacOS
Where’s it heading?

117. ● Google Auto
● Google Home
● Android Wear 2.0
● Apple Air Pods
● Siri on MacOS
Where’s it heading?

118. The future of mobile...

119. “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

120. “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

121. An Intelligent Personal Assistant
(“Machine Learning First”)

122. ● Assistive search
● Getting things done
● In your world
● Powers other services...
Google Assistant

123. ● Case study: WashingtonPost
● Case study: eBay
● Case study: Onnit
Google Home

124. Allo and Duo

125. Personal index
+ public index
+ app content
= a single interface for all searches

126. a single interface for all searches
+ implicit context
+ machine learning
+ artificial intelligence
= intelligent personal assistant

127. User
Behaviour
Technological
Advances
Ranking
Factors
(Google)
Search
Marketing

128. ● physical interaction with individuals and
environment
● Device- and app-agnostic integration
● voice recognition and conversational interaction
Key themes in
new technology

129. how can my content be the most useful result
for a personal assistant (app)?
Ask yourself...

131. Resources
www.bridgetrandolph.com/ecom-growth-day
www.distilled.net/searchscape
@BridgetRandolph @Distilled