People have started spending an absurd amount of time on their mobile devices, networking with the web in all kinds of ways. But even when you use your phone or other mobile devices as you would a desktop computer, there are several differences between the two, one of them being the way that search engines work.
To reach out to people on all devices, you can optimize for search engines through a professional SEO consultant.
on desktops as well as mobile devices. Mobile Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is affected by the location of the user, the size of their screen, the mobile device’s operating system, and many more factors. Knowing these differences makes it possible to enhance your rankings across devices and grow your brand/business.
How does Mobile SEO is Differ from Desktop SEO?
Augmenting SEO for mobile devices entails many of the similar best practices of desktop SEO. But mobile search results are much more volatile than desktop searches, because they are impacted by an extra set of factors.
Things like operating system, page organization, user location, screen size, and more impactful content get a top ranking. The interaction of these factors means that search engine indexing, crawling, and ranking methodsfluctuate between devices. Mobile SEO gives you a framework to succeed on any mobile device.
But first, it’s crucial to understand what differs between desktop and mobile, and how those differences affect resultant search results.
Here’s where they deviate:
1. Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)
The stark difference between desktop and mobile SEO is the layout of the Search Engine Results Pages (SERP). As mobile phones have smaller space than desktop screens, Google doesn’t have ample room for 2 columns. So, anything on the right side of a desktop search result will loadbelow or above the organic search results, and a smaller number of results will show on the first page. This is especially true about paid listings (Pay-Per-Click results).
Also, the Knowledge Graph panel is positioned at the top of mobile SERPs. This is the block of content that answers a web query with concise information so you don’t have to go to any links. Likewise, Things to Do, Landmarks, and Google My Business results get the top position of mobile SERPs. This highly interactive content puts search results further down on the page. However,when it comes to desktop, it’s to the right of results.
2. Location
Nowadays, most mobile phones have a Global Positioning System (GPS) – a system thatoffers search engines with accurate location data than desktop computers. Even if a mobile device isn’t equipped with GPS, mobile phones have other modes to give search engines location data, which impacts search results. This is one of the major reasons that mobile search results are much more fluctuating than desktop search results. If you search for something in Bangkok, the results will likely differ from if you search while in New York City.
However, desktop searches are also affected by the physical location of your phone if you are logged into a Google account on both devices. Some believe that the weightage of location information is more in mobile searches, meaning that it has more effect over the search results. For instance, you are more likely to get a map result while searching for a restaurant on your phone rather than on a desktop. But it can also impact which pay-per-click ads are visible, as Google’s ad platform, AdSense, enables advertisers to geo-target ads based on zip code.
3. Phone operating system
Mobile search results are evenaffected by mobile operating systems. This is particularly true if Google thinks that your query may have an app-oriented intent. In this scenario, search engines may show an app pack. Keywords like “run tracker,” “family game,” or “image editor” are more likely to rank apps, as these keywords are linked with apps that people use and download more often. Google will only display app packs with apps that work on your mobile device’s operating system, usually iOS or Android. As most apps are not compatible on desktop, app packs usually don’t show in desktop results.
4. Screen size
Google acclimates search results to fit the mobile device that you are using to search. This affects how many results are shown on the page. When tablets flooded the electronicsmarket, they included even more variations to SERP layouts.
Other aspects
Finally, Google has designed new search capabilities and some of them are mobile-specific. For instance, Google now provides search through Augmented Reality (AR). This technology enables Google to provide search results about what it sees in the camera frame on your phone. For example, if you have a golden retriever—if you were to open your mobile’s camera with your dog in the frame, Google will recognize the dog breed and display search results about it. Mobile SEO experts anticipate that search capabilities on devices will keep getting more interactive by the day.
