Google’s 2015 announcement to give preference to mobile sites is old news. At the time the announcement was made, the decision was framed as penalizing nonresponsive sites that didn’t work well on phones. Some eight years later, we are all familiar with the idea of appealing to the mobile audience. It is what Google wants.
So, how does an SEO provider appeal to that audience? If you want to reach mobile users, the first thing you need to do is think like them. Get out of your usual habit of thinking like an SEO provider who happens to have a mobile device. Put yourself in the very shoes of the people who use their phones to interact with your work.
It Still Starts with the Keyword Research
Assuming an SEO provider leaves web development services to someone else, the starting point for mobile is still keyword research. Keywords are the fuel that drives search engines. That is why the Webtek Digital Marketing team puts so much time and energy into keyword research.
Webtek Digital Marketing has offices in Salt Lake City, UT and Austin, TX. Keyword research is integral to their SEO services, content marketing, and PPC ad services. They firmly believe that the success of their research, or lack thereof, directly impacts everything else they do.
Consider How Mobile User Search
The next step beyond keyword research is considering how mobile users actually search for things with their phones. Webtek says that the most common method is to simply ask a question. A future Webtek client might pull out his phone and ask, “where can I find SEO services near me?”
It is a lot easier to ask your phone a question than type keywords into a search box using a virtual keyboard. So that’s what a lot of people do. The interesting thing is that asking questions versus typing in search terms yields vastly different results. For example, questions are complete thoughts where a selection of keywords is not.
From the SEO provider’s point of view, the key is figuring out the types of questions mobile users would ask in their search for information. What would a potential client ask if searching for the services Webtek provides? The same goes for a mobile user looking for a restaurant, an auto mechanic, or even the nearest Walmart.
Consider How Mobile Users Consume Information
Driving traffic to a website is one half of the SEO equation. The other half is keeping it there. Remember that everything on mobile is different. Therefore, SEO providers need to consider how mobile users consume information. Otherwise, they risk losing their target audience.
Mobile users love videos. They can watch videos without having to read or scroll. When they do read, they prefer small blocks of text along with plenty of headings and subheadings that break things up and make information easier to absorb.
If you want to turn a mobile user away as fast as possible, publish a 1200-word post divided into just four paragraphs of 300 words each. Chances are that most mobile users will not get past the first paragraph. So much text just looks overwhelming on a mobile screen.
A Completely Different World
We can summarize all of this by saying mobile is a completely different world compared to the desktop. During the internet’s first decade, the desktop experience dominated. Things began to change in the early 2000’s. These days, mobile rules.
If you want to dominate the mobile market as an SEO developer, you need to think like mobile users. Put yourself in their shoes, then do what you do accordingly.
