Was your last search executed on a mobile device or a desktop PC?
If you live in the U.S., Japan, or one of eight other key countries, there’s a better than 50-50 chance it was via mobile. Google users in these markets have moved more than half their internet searches to mobile devices.
“Google, which is grappling with competition in digital ads from Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., is expanding services to reach consumers who are increasingly using mobile devices to look up information on a restaurant, connect with friends, or view photos,” notes Bloomberg.
“We think it’s a real turning point in digital,” said Jerry Dischler, vice president of search ads at Google. “We’ve seen the (mobile) trend coming for several years now — and we’ve been investing ahead of the opportunity.”
In fact, Google is making a concerted effort to push everyone toward mobile. Its new ad tools include features specifically designed for industries using mobile to promote their wares.
“In automotive, mobile users can see a carousel of car images that show how a vehicle looks with different options — and tap the picture for extra information,” notes Bloomberg. “People looking up hotels can see a variety of prices and book the location through a partner service.”
In addition, Google’s new search criteria favors mobile-friendly sites when searched on smartphones, a development sending shivers down the corporate spines of companies not fully ready for mobile. Searches for sites that aren’t mobile-friendly will suffer lower results rankings.
