The rapid increase of mobile device usage in recent years has dramatically shifted search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. According to Google, more than half of all website traffic occurs via smartphones and tablets. eCommerce businesses, in other words, must now account for the fact that half of all online visitors are on their mobile devices. And driving conversion rates in this format demands different tactics.
Moreover, in March 2018 Google announced a migration to its mobile index and any website that wasn’t formatted properly would see a negative impact in ranking.
Why Mobile eCommerce Matters
- Mobile-friendly websites are 51% more trusted by customers.
- 18% of local smartphone searches eventually lead to purchases.
- eMarketer predicts that 66% of the US population will be mobile buyers by 2024.
- A mobile-friendly website makes it 67% more likely that a customer will buy a product or service.
- Experts expect US mobile eCommerce sales to reach $420 billion in 2021.
- 90% of people aged 25-34 prefer shopping on their mobile devices.
Incorporating Mobile eCommerce Into Your SEO Strategy
- 97% of shopping carts on mobile are abandoned due to unnecessary web page components that negatively affect the user experience. Streamline the UI/UX of your checkout process and offer payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay and Android Pay.
- Far less patient than desktop users, 40% of mobile device users abandon a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Use compressed images and other development tactics to speed up your page load times.
- Pop-ups must be easy to dismiss otherwise mobile device users will get frustrated and abandon your website. They can also negatively impact ranking.
- Content must be easily scannable and appropriately formatted for mobile devices.
- To earn featured snippets in voice search answer questions fully yet concisely, use those questions as subheadings and format articles as lists.
The dramatic increase in mobile device usage has been remarkable. Brands that implement a comprehensive SEO strategy for their mobile websites will see significant returns, particularly in eCommerce. For more information, contact us.
Sources:
Visiture – 5 Mobile Tactics for Better SEO Performance
SerpWatch – SEO Statistics in 2020 That Marketers Should Know
The Digital Outdoorsman – Why Optimizing for Mobile SEO is More Important than Ever
Buildfire – Mobile Ecommerce: Revenue, Usage, and Statistics
Retail Dive – 5 tips to improve mobile commerce strategy
Groove Commerce – Mobile eCommerce Trends & Strategies for 2021
eMarketer – More Consumers Are Shopping Via Mobile amid the Pandemic
