Mobile Search Landscape Favors Downloads
While a mobile search engine has yet to emerge as the clear leader, there do seem to be clear trends in terms of what mobile searchers are looking for. Downloads appear to be far and away the most popular search category.
Data released by Medio Systems, Inc. in November 2007 show that in October, 62% of mobile searches conducted in North America fell into the downloads category, followed by adult content with 9%. The information was garnered from queries made on T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and Telus networks.
Another report released by Handango reflects similar sentiments. During the third quarter of 2007, the top three mobile searches were download-related. Free/freeware (12.19%), ringtones (10.73%), and games (10.08%) rounded out the top three on the list. Google (5.17%), Yahoo (4.89%), themes (3.64%), GPS (3.40%), music/MP3 (2.66%), AIM (2.31%), and weather (1.46%) filled out the rest of the top 10 list.
These findings seem to make clear what mobile users are looking for when they search. The question will now be how, or if a search engine can use this information to grab a hold of a big chunk of the market and retain a leadership position.
While the traditional Internet search engine landscape has been enhanced with the emergence of technologies that made their biggest impacts behind the scenes (i.e. algorithms, data centers, cloud computing), the mobile search landscape could require more aesthetic help. This is not to suggest that the pure look of mobile search interfaces and their results will matter too much, but the presentation of information and the convenience of being shown on a mobile device must be established.
Whichever mobile search vessel offers the most added value for its users will take a leadership position in this market, which will only grow in significance as each month passes. There is a clear and logical incentive to grasping exactly how to take advantage of consumers’ taste for downloadable content and local listings in the mobile realm.
Then there is always the issue of advertising and its integration into mobile search. Ad-supported formats will not go out of fashion in this nascent medium, which seems to bode well for Google for the time being.
