How do you optimise for mobile search?
Mobile search is growing, it's something you cannot ignore when it comes to your search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. Mobile search does have its own set of rules, and they are slightly different to traditional desktop searches.
We have put some tips in place to help you optimise for mobile search:
Users that rely on mobile devices to search the internet, tend to use shorter keywords and phrases. Mobile devices with QWERTY keyboards are still difficult to type long texts, which is why mobile users tend to be brief when typing in their search query. Often they are limited to one or two words. The problem is that shorter keywords are highly competitive. It's important to conduct keyword research, and then focus on those keywords, pushing yourself to the front and centre of mobile users that are looking for products, services, or information that you provide.
The majority of mobile users will conduct a local search, along with using short keyphrases. This is because many mobile users will search for a product or service while on the move. They may be in a strange neighbourhood and carry out a search for a nearby restaurant or store. As a result, if you want to improve your ranking in mobile searches,you must focus on Local SEO, adding geographical data to your shorter keyphrase.
You have probably noticed when you carry out a desktop search, that you only look at the top ten results to find what you are looking for, well mobile users only search the top three. This is due to the fact that based on the device being used, ten results may be spread over two results pages, with only the top three or four results showing on the first page. Therefore you need to optimise your mobile site to push your self to the top positions in mobile SERPs.
In order to ensure your website is seen by your mobile target audience, you will want to ensure you submit your mobile-friendly website to search engines, and directories. Of course you want the organic results to come from Google, or another major search engine, but you can also get more traffic from directories.
Meta.txt is a file that describes your site contents, pointing the user to the appropriate version. Search engine crawlers index meta.txt fires, ensuring you appear in mobile search results. You may know that a desktop site you use robots.txt files, well on a mobile site you use meta.txt files.
Mobile uses don't like long pages, so ensure you use shorter texts for your mobile users. It is useful to make a shorter mobile version of your site to improve your ranking and drive organic mobile users to your website. When you shorten your web pages for mobile, don't skip on the important and targeted keywords.
It is recommended that you use phrases which are common with predictive search. Predictive search is popular with mobile users, as they don't have to type as much. Ensure the keywords you select are included in predictive search results, increasing your chances of your website being found.
Follow the above tips to optimise your website for mobile search. Don't forget to preview your website on a mobile device to see how it appears. Responsive websites are the best, as they amend your website based on the size screen and orientation of the screen being used, ensuring your site is easy to use and navigate, no matter what device your audience is using. Do you need more assistance with optimising your site for mobile search? The Genie Crawl team can assist you, providing you with an effective strategy to achieve success.
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