Last time we talked about how companies should incorporate mobile SEO into their game plan.  Now, you could pay to have mobile ads. However, the focus of this series will be on content marketing and organic search (in other words, what you can do without paying for advertisements).

You’ve probably heard the term “mobile friendly site” before. Unfortunately, some people assume that making a site mobile friendly is the same thing as mobile SEO. In reality, the two are different and not interchangeable.

The first step in mobile SEO is to decide whether or not you need a dedicated mobile site or a mobile friendly version of your current site. Although the number of smartphone users is rapidly increasing, there is still a very large mass of people who still use the traditional mobile phone. If you know that you have a lot of customers that still use traditional mobile phones, then you are better off with a dedicated mobile site. Smartphones, on the other hand, are able to view web pages much like they appear on desktop browsers (just on a smaller screen).

Similar to SEO for desktops, SEO for mobile phones also begins with keyword research. However, with mobile keyword research, it is important to remember that mobile search queries are often shorter than desktop queries. Whereas desktop queries tend to be more descriptive, mobile queries are shorter. The reason for this is not simply due to the inconvenience of typing a long search query on a tiny screen with a small keypad. It is also due to the fact that mobile users tend to always be either on the go (e.g. going to work, trying to find a restaurant, shopping, waiting on line) or sitting down (perhaps on the bus, at a restaurant table, at the office desk, etc.). Simply put, mobile users on the go don’t have time/patience for thoughtful, descriptive search queries.