According to a new study from BrightEdge, 57% of all search traffic is coming from both smartphones and tablets. This change goes along with Google’s decision to move to a mobile-first index, giving mobile friendly sites an advantage at being indexed first.
The report also revealed a large disparity between ranking positions depending on if the search was from a mobile or desktop device, which impacted the vast majority of keywords. BrightEdge’s research study showed that 79% of keywords ranked differently on a desktop search versus a mobile search. Of the 79% involved in the disparity, 47 percent were keywords in the top 20 positions.
This revealed that site owners are missing out on opportunities when it comes to views on their most important pages.
The study explained the opportunity for change by highlighting an example of a certain website. This website ranked differently 35% of the time when comparing desktop to mobile, even when it was most likely to be in the number one spot.
BrightEdge recommended that brands begin tracking of their search results for both mobile and desktop channels. Once tracking and analyzing the results, brands will have a better understanding of their current situation and can then adjust their strategy.
The study also recommended that brands understand which of their device channels was more important for different keywords. The device channel that is more powerful for a given keyword should be prioritized and optimized to take advantage of a potential opportunity. Only after that should the second channel be optimized. The keywords a brand ranks for is may vary by channel, but due to Google’s move toward a mobile-first index, brands should be focusing on mobile first.
To see the BrightEdge report in its entirely, the full download is here.
Want to learn how much of your search traffic comes from your desktop versus mobile devices? Hall Analysis can help you prepare your websites so that they are ready for the change in search preferences.
