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New Stats Give Snapshot of Mobile Behavior Across US, EU & Japan

Ryan Buddenhagen, February 29, 2012

Google mobile search

Research out from Google this past week sheds light on the most recent behavior regarding mobile search and activity. Google conducted a small survey of 1,000 individuals in the US, UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Japan. We have discussed here on this blog before about the explosion of smartphone use and by extension general internet usage and search on smartphones. Now, Google reports that mobile search is just shy of 100% in terms of adoption with smartphone users, with the majority searching at least one time per week. For a look across the studied countries, Japan showed the highest usage of search engines on smartphones in general at 99% of users, followed by the UK and Spain at 96%, then the US and France showed 95% usage, and 92% for Germany.

These numbers illustrate the reality of mobile usage and its potential for future tech innovation as well as search engine optimization geared specifically for the mobile web. The figures are also promising for companies looking to market via the mobile platform as they show the interest and activity is present. However, for marketers to fully embrace mobile search and its optimization, then the practice of using search engines on smartphones needs to be sustained and Google's numbers showed this as well. Only France and Germany were in the 70's percentage-wise in relation to the rate of using search engines on smartphones at least once a week while the other 4 countries show at least 81% of users or higher search at least once a week on the device. Smartphone owners across all surveyed countries are utilizing the technology and continuously using it to search the web bringing to light the very real potential for international SEO tailored for mobile in each of these markets.

Similarly, smartphone users are not shying away from apps either as across international markets there were favorable numbers for general installations, paid apps, and usage. Japan had the highest average number of installed apps at 42, while the others ranged from 19-29, and all except Germany (9) had an average of 6 paid apps. From there, the average number of apps used in the past 30 days ranged from 8-11. Again, usage is sustained, and with the continued growth of both apps and mobile search, platform-specific searching like that used to search for apps may become more relevant in time with some potentially new SEO implications. We will have to wait and see.

Need an Expert Contributor?

Ken Wisnefski is a seasoned web entrepreneur and a frequent contributor to news outlets and business publications. Ken’s vast knowledge of how to make online businesses succeed has made him a sought after consultant from businesses wishing to improve their online initiatives. Contact pr@webimax.com to collaborate!

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