Google: One in three mobile searches has local intent
irischeung | Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 | Comments OffProclaiming “Location adds new relevancy to mobile search,” Google director of mobile advertising Diana Pouliot said one of every three mobile search queries received by the digital services giant now includes some element of local-specific intent.
Speaking at the Mobile Marketing & Advertising event here in conjunction with CTIA Wireless 2010, Pouliot cited four catalysts driving the mobile opportunity: Information ubiquity, the mobile web and cloud computing, location and audience engagement. “Mobile drives action,” Pouliot said. “We’ve seen explosive growth over the last three years.” Google’s mobile search and location services are spearheading that growth, Pouliot noted–the company’s mobile search traffic has increased five times in the last two years, and its Google Maps for Mobile solution now boasts more than 50 million active users.
Mobile advertising represents the logical evolution of those trends: In addition to existing ad services like sponsored listings, click-to-call and Near Me Now, Google is currently in beta trials on ad units that allows local advertisers to show their phone number or address as click-through items in search results. “Our initial tests show we’re not cannibalizing other clicks,” Pouliot said, noting that click-through rates to advertiser URLs increased between 5 percent and 30 percent in trials.
Mobile services are also galvanizing retail sales–Pouliot also outlined the experience of a Fortune 100 retailer that enjoyed 14 percent online sales growth after creating targeted mobile ads optimized for smartphone users. “The moral of the story is look at the data, figure out where your traffic is coming from and optimize for it,” she said.