If you know anything about web design, then you understand the importance of search engine optimization (SEO).
You also know that SEO protocol seems to change faster than you can stay abreast of those changes.
Now you have yet another SEO concept to master: that of mobile website design and SEO.
Mobile SEO is different from traditional SEO in a number of ways.
Here are ten mobile SEO secrets that you absolutely cannot afford not to know:
The guiding principles.
First off, it is important that you understand what you are dealing with.
Keep these things in mind: mobile search engines are unique to traditional search engines, mobile users exhibit unique web browsing behaviors, and mobile site design is altogether different from traditional site design.
First off, it is important that you understand what you are dealing with.
Keep these things in mind: mobile search engines are unique to traditional search engines, mobile users exhibit unique web browsing behaviors, and mobile site design is altogether different from traditional site design.
Keyword relevancy.
Mobile users don’t have a lot of time, or even resources, for lengthy searches.
Your keywords must pertain to short, sometimes sketchy, search terms.
Keep it simple.
Keyword usage.
Content on mobile sites is terse and concise.
You must choose short keyword phrases, and very few.
Variance.
Keep in mind that your mobile SEO must read well on a wide variety of mobile devices, and through an equally variant number of browsers.
Again, simplicity is key.
Predictive search.
This feature is a handy way for search engines to help web searchers fill out their queries.
Choose keywords that fall into the most highly ranked predictive search results.
Content categories.
Decide which category your site best fits into, and optimize its content so that it is most likely to be featured when mobile web users search for that particular category.
Google standards.
Read up on Google mobile site standards and comply, comply, comply.
Otherwise, Google will tweak your site for you in order to read it and display it to mobile web viewers (this is called “transcoding”), and you will not be in full control of your site’s presentation.
Location.
Mobile web users often use location in their searches.
Therefore, location needs to be addressed with your site’s SEO.
Portals.
Mobile users don’t always use Internet search engines.
Sometimes they use operator portals.
Submit your site to every portal, business directory, and listing service that is relevant to your site to increase your mobile website traffic.
Target audience.
Because your mobile SEO must be short and concise, you must give a lot of thought as to exactly who you are trying to reach.
Research your target market (keeping the mobile sector in mind!), and tailor your site content to that market.
Mobile SEO is a new frontier, and must be approached with new eyes.