The mobile search market is a local one. People on the go are looking for goods and services, and they are interacting with their surroundings like never before. Whether the search is for the nearest store that sells widget A, or scanning the QR code to get a coupon at store B, we are using phones a local tools.  According to Google 40% of mobile queries are for local search.  eMarketer has projected that mobile ad spend will reach $4.3 billion by 2015.

We know intuitively and from research that these searches are extremely valuable to marketers because of immediacy and locality. The consumer is likely prepared to make the purchase when they are looking for the information on the phone.  Google’s research from 2011 lays this out nicely.

Understanding this will help you to create a mobile campaign that can capitalize on your customer needs.  Here is a quick 4 step plan to help you on the road to success:

1. Analyse the data you have already collected to understand the needs of your customers and use this data to set your mobile search targets and goals. Are you looking for foot traffic through the door? Are you looking for conversions?
2. Have a look at your website. Really look at it.  Is it mobile friendly? It astounds me how many times I still end up with an unfriendly mobile site when I’m doing my search. If you want conversions then your load times and success rates are critical.  Are you writing your copy, and selecting your keywords based on the needs of the mobile market? What is your goal – online purchase or foot traffic through the door. Your ad length, content and language will have to reflect your intentions.
3. Screen size matters. Any search results below the top 3 will result in drastically lower CTR. Are you willing to pay more for top placement? You may wish to consider it, and adjust your bidding strategy accordingly. Consider tablet vs phone, click to call for smartphones, desktop landing pages for tablets and mobile optimized for phones, the length of your ad is critical to the platform, and of course you’ll want to optimize your strategy for time of day.
4. Now sit back, collect your data, analyse, measure, test, optimize. Repeat.

Have you had success with your own mobile ad strategy or do you find yourself overwhelmed with the time commitment that it can take? Take a minute and share your frustrations and successes with your campaigns.