Except that that’s not what Britons want, according to a poll conducted by the folks over at GoodMobilePhones.co.uk. Their research shows that a staggering three quarters of the British public are opposed to the Tube becoming mobile-friendly, citing annoyance more than anything! Due to the cramped nature of the Underground, those questioned said they don’t want to hear ringtones or people’s conversations, and were worried about the safety implications of having their mobile phone on show in such a public area.

Which must be something of a kick in the teeth to mobile operators, who would love nothing more than to have customers sit on the Underground and use up more of their minutes! The amount of people who pass through the Underground on a daily basis, and the volume of those people who have access to a mobile phone could make this an incredibly lucrative area.

Mobile browsing is a medium that’s on the verge of explosion, and many companies are optimising their web presence to include sites and applications so as mobile searchers can access their business on the go. Again – especially for those businesses in the London area – wouldn’t it be fantastic if people could take a seat on the Tube and browse their website…

Opinion’s divided though, and we’re still waiting for an official stance on what the mobile plan will be during 2012. For those who have spent a lot of time on a search engine optimisation campaign around London, and have invested a lot of time and money into mobile SEO, they’ll be waiting with bated breath…

Version 1.3 of its Goggles software is able to decipher Sudoku puzzles and search for products through visuals alone. For instance, if a popular visual ad is scanned in a magazine or newspaper, and is recognisable to Google Goggles, it will search for what it has discovered almost instantaneously.

An amazing advancement in phone technology, and similar to the WordLens feature that can be downloaded for the iPhone to translate languages. So if this the future of mobile SEO services? Will companies have to keep their eyes on the kinds of adverts and products used that are being published in magazines when they embark on an organic SEO campaign?

It’s an interesting concept, and raises a lot of questions about mobile search and SMO if it does indeed become more visual, embracing technology as it develops. As it stands this feature is only supported in North America, but when it catches on then the face of global search may change indefinitely. It’ll certainly change instantly for those with Android handsets who will want to push the feature as much as possible to test its limits.

Whatever happens, Google have certainly taken a large leap forward in terms of mobile search and what it can offer those who need an answer as quick as possible without resorting to spending time typing out search queries on the move. If it does take off then search marketing agencies are going to have to have a good hard think about how to incorporate a new kind of visual optimisation as and when it becomes available to all.

Mobile devices are increasingly ubiquitous and they are becoming more and more sophisticated. They are being used for search purposes more frequently than used to be the case. Not every site has to adjust its strategy to meet the challenge, but many firms with a local target audience can benefit if they take advantage of the opportunities. It is about calculating whether or not a specific firm could obtain more traffic from making some relevant tactical alterations.

The central point is if such adaptations of tactics are thought to be necessary, they will take considerable skill to accomplish adequately. The costs of any error could be detrimental to a SME. Getting a firm on Google Local in the best possible manner is just the beginning of the work that may have to be done. If a small business has several outlets it may not perceive that it may be worth sending details of all of them in. It is this kind of lack of knowledge which can lead to expensive omissions.

Maintenance is required to ensure that all the details of a business are kept bang up-to-the-minute. If the opening hours of a firm alter, or if the methods of payment it accepts change, failure to correct the details can lose it valuable custom and damage its image. In SEO being up-to-date is as important as it is in the fashion industry. It is all too easy for someone immersed in the routine running of a firm to lose sight of this essential fact.

For those with the necessary talent, it is possible to employ mobile style sheets to facilitate mobile search. It is obviously important to make things as easy for the users of the disparate mobile devices as possible. However, the proper techniques are not simple to master. Nor is it straightforward to decide how much to reduce a site to make it ready for mobile search.

The complexities inherent in the site changes can be demonstrated with more ease than they can be solved. For instance, using a duplicate site could be a way of enabling mobile device use. This would permit the original site to be accessed via PCs and laptops just as before. It might seem initially that you have achieved the best of both worlds, but unless action is taken a search engine could penalise duplicate content. Use an expert and stop the robots from behaving like this.

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we make every effort to stay ahead of the curve and the performance of our clients’ sites reflects our dedication. Keeping up with the latest industry developments means that campaigns can be tweaked as required.go

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we consider it prudent to keep a close eye on the latest mobile phone technology. Combined with studying the most up-to-date methods for taking into account best practice in dealing with mobile search innovation, this approach ensures that no site which mobile search is relevant to is left behind.

Mobile phones have altered in a diversity of ways, not all of which are relevant to SEO. One thing which is altering the rules of the game is that today’s mobile devices are much smarter than previous generations were. They can do new things and they can accomplish them instantly. Using the net on the phone is no longer an unusual activity. It is something which is being done by professionals and consumers in many countries. Research has indicated that in Britain, approximately one third of the people who use a mobile phone connect to the net in this way in each manner, most days or every day. It is important for any reputable SEO company to keep in touch with the studies that appear in this area.

Not every site has to change to meet the demands of this brave new world. However, some of them can benefit from a few adjustments. It is sometimes advisable to have two different sites; one for users of PCs and laptops, one for mobile device users. Guidance can be of considerable assistance in determining whether such radical action is in fact the best way forward. This means that each site needs its own informed strategy to maximise on its inherent potential. In practice, the images on a site may need to be transformed to speed up loading time. Another step can involve fiddling with resolution to ensure that it all looks good on a mobile device. A further move may involve limiting the content on the site for ease of use.

It can be appreciated that compromise may be required. If a SEO strategy is to build up the position of a site with frequent additions of abundant high grade content, it may be inadvisable to turn it on its head in the interests of mobile search. The answer could be to have two different sites, or to limit the number of words in the blogs to a lower number. Whatever options are taken, the core principles of SEO should never be discarded in a hurry.

Some sites can be easily explored by users of mobiles, while others cannot. Whether this is important is partly related to the unique nature of the firm concerned. However, given the significant popularity of Apple’s iPhone and its competitors, it definitely makes sense to discover whether or not to adjust a site. Adjustment in this case means making a site accessible to searchers who are utilising mobiles. At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we can not only assess whether adjustment is necessary, but we can also adjust a site as necessary if that is what is required.

One technique which can help a site be more accessible to mobile searchers is the deployment of what can be described as a cascading style sheet. The introduction of this innovative feature can ensure that a site loads without a hitch. An alternative option is to create a separate site with which to facilitate mobile access. However, the simplicity of the cascading style sheet means that a separate site will not be needed in the bulk of instances.

The advent of mobile search has altered the traditional recipes which deliver positive outcomes in terms of traffic and conversions. The fact that ‘one size does not fit all’ militates against the detailed description of how search engine optimisation and social media marketing can rise to the complicated challenge. Nevertheless, a few basic points may be mentioned. A proactive strategy on Twitter and Facebook can take things in a positive direction. This is because shrewd tactics on the new social media networking sites are clever ways of attracting plenty of traffic. It can thus be effective if a firm establishes a following on sites like Facebook and Twitter. The necessary etiquette will have to be followed if the best possible results are to be obtained. Hence it makes considerable sense for the strategies to be devised and implemented by experts in the field.

One area in which mobile search is rapidly coming to the fore is that of local search. This is because users are more likely to use mobile devices when searching for relevant details of local businesses. A good example is when potential customers are searching for a particular type of food in a specific locale. In this situation, it is quite likely that users may be away from their laptop or PC. A site which is not adjusted to mobile search may prove inaccessible and the user may end up eating in a restaurant belonging to a competitor. This suboptimal outcome could have been advised if the changes intrinsic to mobile search had been identified and appropriate action taken.

Research indicates that mobile devices are becoming more relevant to the work done by search engine optimization specialists. SEO services are being compelled to alter their activities in the light of these exciting developments if they want the sites of their clients to prosper in the search engine results pages. However, not all firms have the skilled human capital to make the changes required so easily. It is therefore sensible for clients to select firms with the capacity to make these, and other, changes with ease.

When it comes to mobile search, the basic principle of SEO applies. Not every site will benefit from the same treatment being applied to it. For some sites, adaptation will lead to a higher volume of visitors and conversions. Other sites, perhaps operating in different sectors, will not receive the same boost.

For those sites which could gain from adaptation, the issue of locality is of great importance. Some of the modern mobile devices actually localise the findings when you make a search. For example, if you are searching for Chinese food, it will give priority to a local Chinese restaurant rather than one which may be more authentic but which is situated in Shanghai. It is assumed that if you are utilising a mobile, your preference may well be for a local firm. Therefore, if a Chinese restaurant in the UK wants to maximise the benefit of its online presence, it could use Google Local. Getting a firm on Google Local is not such a lengthy procedure, but if you are a client of a SEO outfit they can assist you.

The details that you should get on Google Local include your contact numbers, so if they or anything else about your firm alters, inform your SEO consultant and they can ensure that everything is maintained adequately. It is also worth knowing that your site may warrant the addition of a mobile version. If the correct guidance is obtained, it is more than possible to avoid potential issues associated with duplicate content. In some cases, smaller sites work best in relation to mobile devices, and simplicity can pay off. However, it is prudent to look at the needs of your specific site and firm, before any action is taken.

Speed is crucial in terms of SEO for mobile use. If somebody is accessing the internet via a mobile device it is likely to be to look for some instant information or for something that has just popped into their mind. A good search engine optimization strategy will firstly give you a higher search ranking which will benefit mobile users. When searching in a hurry, a user is highly unlikely to spend a long time browsing through search engine results pages (SERPs) for alternative searches and more likely to choose one of the first results which appear. Updating your actual web page so that it loads quicker on mobiles is also a good move and creates a more user friendly site.

Locality is crucial in terms of mobile internet use as a vast quantity of searches made on the move is to find local information. This could be close bars or shops, local bus times or even directions. When people are conducting local searches they need accurate and easy to read local information. With location and contact details being high on the list of search requirements, many mobile internet users will frequently use online applications such as Google maps, so when conducting your search engine optimisation strategies ensure you have sufficient keywords that will link to these resources.

The overall impression of your website when people arrive is also important. When people are in a rush or on the move, they want easy to use results and also a webpage that looks appealing. Creating good links from your homepage to increase ease of navigation is crucial if you want mobile users to stick around to find other information on your site. It can also be worth including links on your website to other local information which may be of interest, particularly local transport amenities, as this will then prevent them from having to stray to other sites and they may remember your site as being a one stop shop for future searches.

Many companies do not put as much effort into their mobile SEO strategies as they do their standard internet methods, however it is just as important if not more. There is strong competition on terms of organisations wanting their websites to stand out above the rest within mobile internet use, so even your competitor research should stretch to mobiles. Check out how your competitor’s sites load on a mobile device and ensure yours is just as good, if not better.

The technology phones use to parse websites is generally excellent and very effective. Even if you own an old website built well before the rise of the mobile internet, the chances are that you’ll be able to browse through it on any internet enabled phone. You would probably be surprised just how well most sites appear.

However, there are some things that just don’t work well on a small screen. Long lists are one. Most phone internet software will automatically remove images and flash, so don’t worry about them cluttering up precious space. That is another SEO reason not to use image based navigation, though!

While we don’t recommend focusing your SEO strategy on optimising your site for phones, how your site looks on one is worth considering. The vast majority of your traffic will come from laptop and desktop computers, but internet phone use will increase significantly in the next few years. There may be a few small factors you can tweak to make phone browsing easier on your site. Social media on phones is a strong growth area and is worth keeping in mind when building your SMM strategy, too.

Get an internet enabled phone and check out your site. How easy is it to navigate from page to page? Can you enter text in search boxes without problems? How do the titles look? The iPhone, for example, allows users to zoom into content, but a lot of mobile internet devices don’t and it is better if nobody has to. If you’re starting a new site, internet phone use is another good reason to choose the right domain. Because browsing with a phone usually costs money and takes more time than usual, more users type addresses into their address bar on mobile devices than standard computers, rather than going through search engines. A memorable domain name is good search engine optimisation practice any time, but that is especially so for mobile phones.

Another thing to consider is loading speed. In these days of near total broadband coverage, loading speeds are no longer really a consideration for regular user friendliness (and hence SEO). For phones, be careful of anything on your page that might cause a user to reload the page or refresh content unintentionally. Talk to a friendly web developer about the html on your site, and the Java if there is any. The way Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are implemented can also have an impact on refreshing and loading speeds.

The immediate difference between the mobile environment and the traditional internet is that its search functionality isn’t so dominated by Google and in a way mobile internet is more egalitarian. In regards to SEO this unfortunately throws up a crucial problem; namely, in order to maximize you online visibility and therefore facilitate optimum SEO, you will need to register with as many mobile search engines as possible; remember the way in which mobile search engines choose their prominent page rankings is no where near as sophisticated as how Google choose theirs, which means that getting noticed will usually involve registration.

The next problem is again an issue of diversity, and not only will you page be refracted through the prism of many search engines, but you’ll have to ensure that your content is viewable on as many devices, and under as many operating systems and browsers as possible. This can either involve a hefty amount of research, or it can simply be through clever use of content; i.e. just as for traditional SEO written content is most likely to be preferred by search engines and browsers alike.

Once your mobile site has achieved maximum visibility you can begin the business of optimization. Broadly speaking, search engine optimization for a mobile site will have a similar DNA to “traditional” SEO, however, there are definitely some differences.
Firstly, just like with “traditional” SEO you should aim for relevant and high-quality content, as search engines will always endeavour to disregard what it considers to be “spammy.”

Don’t Forget Google!

So far the focus has been on mobile SEO outside of Google and many of you would consider this unwise. Perhaps it is inevitable that Google will achieve clear dominance of the mobile search capability, and it’s probably already happening now. So, what exactly do Google themselves suggest to optimize a mobile page for their search engine?

Well Google suggest, for example, that when creating a mobile sitemap you could have a single url for your desktop, iphone or mobile browser; you could then, they suggest, use the “user agent string” “googlebot” and “googlebot-mobile” to show a different stylesheet for the same content in mobile and desktop layouts.