TORONTO, March 22, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - MEDIATIVE, one of Canada's leading integrated advertising and digital marketing companies, has released a unique, in-depth study examining consumer search behaviour on mobile devices. The study entitled, How do consumers conduct searches on Google using a mobile device, employed eye-tracking technology to measure click rate and looking behaviour on search engine results pages (S.E.R.P.) in an effort to provide businesses and brands with detailed information on securing views and clicks through mobile optimization.
As outlined in the research, Google reported in 2015 that more than half of its 100 billion monthly searches were taking place on mobile devices. In addition, comScore stated that nearly 80% of local searches on mobile devices are turned into purchases, with nearly 90% of those purchases being in a physical store. In Canada, 75% of mobile conversions take place within one hour of the search. Given this, mobile optimization is a must for businesses of all sizes to be found rapidly by on-the-go consumers.
Using eye-tracking technology at MEDIATIVE's research lab, MEDIATIVE's experts were able to identify the eye movement patterns of consumers in more than 40 search tasks done on mobile devices. Multiple elements from a mobile S.E.R.P. were analyzed, including mobile screen real estate, organic and paid listings, maps and local listings' position and knowledge graph. From the results obtained, that were put in comparison with the search behaviour on a desktop, it has been possible to draw basic guidelines on mobile optimization for brands and businesses to ensure better visibility and results with consumers.
Key takeaways from the findings include:
- Brands need to treat mobile and desktop searches differently. As paid ads on mobile become more common, brands should expect to see a drop in traffic from organic listings.
- As with desktops, the first organic listing sees the highest user click rate, and fewer and fewer clicks are going to listings below the top four. 92.6% of clicks were done above the fourth organic listing, leaving less opportunity for publishers to drive traffic to their sites and making it particularly important to take mobile SEO seriously.
- Positioning of maps and local listings has a significant impact on views and clicks. 50% more clicks go to maps and local listings when they are located above organic listings. More than ever on a mobile device, searchers are distracted away from organic listings to view and click on listings that appear before the organic listing.
- The top sponsored ads are seen by nearly all searchers. 91% of searchers saw the ad, on average after only 0.36 seconds. Top sponsored ads take up the majority of screen space on mobile devices. As a result, paid search represents a bigger opportunity for traffic to your site on a mobile when compared to a desktop.
"This research is critical to help advertisers better understand mobile users behaviour," says Darby Sieben, President of MEDIATIVE. "Mobile is absolutely imperative for any business and understanding the difference between usage behaviour on desktop and mobile is no longer an option; it is a must in the purchase funnel. This research provides concrete evidence that mobile and desktop online marketing should not be seen as choices, and resources should be invested in both."
For more information, you can download your free copy of the full study or this infographic for a visual representation of the main findings.
The precursor to this research piece was a 2014 MEDIATIVE study that looked at how search engine users interact with Google results pages on desktops, accessible here.
MEDIATIVE's advertising network reaches more than 16 million consumers per month. The company represents 18 publishers promoting more than 40 websites, and works with partners who seek innovative ad targeting strategies to reach their audiences directly. By combining smart data with savvy digital marketing, MEDIATIVE helps businesses determine how to best allocate resources and how to more effectively reach their target demographic.
About MEDIATIVE
MEDIATIVE helps businesses cut through the digital clutter so they can better perform in an otherwise complex digital landscape, and ultimately reach, engage, and convert more potential customers. Their innovative solutions are fuelled by a massive pool of consumer data, and are therefore customized to maximize performance. As a result, their leading industry experts continually push the boundaries of what they offer in an effort to drive the very best results for their clients. MEDIATIVE serves a global market with employees across four Canadian offices in Vancouver, Kelowna, Toronto and Montreal. MEDIATIVE is a division of Yellow Pages. For more info: www.mediative.com.
SOURCE Mediative
Stacie Bumbacco, 416 967-8111, [email protected]; Alexandre Boyer, 514 934-2454, [email protected]
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