Google confirms mobile has overtaken desktop search in 10 markets

Google has revealed that mobile search has overtaken desktop in more than 10 countries, highlighting just how vital smartphones have become to our daily ability to function.

Consumers, particularly on mobile devices, Google says, now have higher expectations than ever before. The company states that consumers on mobile devices “want everything right, and they want everything right away” and this requires marketers to answer to consumer’s needs in the moment.

Hardly surprising then that the internet giant made mobile visibility one of the most important factors in its search algorithm.

Google further explains that its investment in mobile is driven by consumers’ expectations for immediacy and relevance in the moment. From this data, combined with feedback Google says that it has built a whole new generation of ad experiences that are because of this data much richer and engaging.

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The point about immediacy is well made. When one opts to search for stores online, there is an expectation that it would be a lot easier than physically navigating stores at the mall. Even online searching, clicking on links and links gets tedious, and buries one in open webpages that might have links to other things. Google is looking to enhance this immediacy even further, so that consumers do not even have to go into the website of the store they want to buy, but can order right from the search.

An example of this is that if a consumer is searching for a car, a Google search will take the consumer “to a beautiful carousel of car images that shows you how a car looks inside and out — like how the sleek metallic finish looks with the black leather and wood trim. Tapping on an image brings up more information about the car, like horsepower and estimated MPG while tapping on the “Dealers” link takes you to a page with nearby dealer listings.” Similar changes have been made to Hotel Ads too, where the search results will show current prices of a variety of hotels and once the traveler has made a choice of the hotel, they simply select “Book” to complete their reservation on the partners’ sites.

If a consumer searches for mortgages, search results allows the consumer to apply directly with an approved lender but also have the option to speak to a qualified adviser for more information, directly from the Google search ad.