Mobile SEO

Mobile SEO takes centre stage

2008-07-18T10:50:42+01:00

I am so excited! I have been working in Mobile Search since 2004 as an analyst and consultant. During that time my mind has been ticking with ambitious plans and ideas.

In April 2008, I put pen to paper and designed a technical masterpiece (even if I say so myself!). But I needed proof of concept. So I sent it to some key people at Mobile Search Engines in Sunnyvale and Seattle. I got the feedback I needed to realise my ideas.

I then started to seek funding for the venture in June 2008. I am delighted to announced that I have now partnered with Ireland's top technical powerhouses - The TSSG (www.tssg.org).

Basically, I had the idea and the marketing know how -but I didn't have the expertise to actually self-develop my ideas. The TSSG does and it will.

Something incredibly huge - made for Mobile Web and Mobile SEO will be launched. It can't be copied -but it can deliver the best optimisation for brands.

I can't say more than that just yet -but this blog will be used as a platform.

The new team is: Paul Savage CEO, Sinead Quealy COO, Niall Cusack CTO, myself as Founder, President and CMO and two more team members with two more members of the board to be unveiled soon.

Sinead and Niall will also be blogging here shortly.

Mobile brands have a new champion

2008-07-18T10:34:30+01:00

The mobile web is blossoming but its fruit has been sour to taste. Why? Poor usability and devices have made brands cautious of moving to mobile. Technical advancements such as the iPhone and Nokia’s N95 are changing this – but there is still a lot to do.

Introducing Visibility Mobile

Visibility Mobile is a company which will fundamentally improve the usability of the mobile web. It will give brands better, more consistent visibility on the mobile web, transforming the end user experience. A groundbreaking new product will be launched under the GoMobileSEO.com banner at CTIA 2008 in September.

About Visibility Mobile

Visibility Mobile is a new Irish company that combines the competencies of the TSSG research group (www.tssg.org) in Waterford, Ireland with the mobile web expertise built up by Bena Roberts over the last fifteen years.

Bena Roberts President and CMO of the new venture is excited by the prospect of working closely with the TSSG. “Applying the expertise of the team in Waterford to the problems posed by mobile search and mobile search engine optimisation has produced amazing results” she states. “I can see this having a huge impact on the way that brands and their fans connect on the mobile”.

Paul Savage of the TSSG and CEO of Visibility Mobile said, “Pairing up Bena’s years of experience as an analyst and her work on Mobile SEO with the experience and knowledge depth at the TSSG has been very exciting. It will be great to unveil the results in San Francisco in September”

-Ends-

For further information, please contact Paul Savage at Visibility

Mobile on +353 51 302923

Introducing Visibility Mobile a Mobile SEO business

2008-07-18T10:31:25+01:00

bena roberts

Mobile SEO: What is vital?

2008-07-14T22:22:58+01:00

Opinion Polls & Market Research

SMX Local and Mobile Event - Media Partners plus discount!

2008-07-08T07:46:14+01:00

We are delighted to announce that we are media partners with the SMX Local & Mobile event in San Francisco held on July 24-25.

The event looks really hot and key topics include:

• Targeting Locals in a Blended Search World
• Cracking the Code: Inside the Black Box of Local & Mobile Search Algorithms
• Local & Mobile Paid vs. Natural Options & Tradeoffs
• Blended Search in a Mobile World
• Neogeography: Opportunities in Mapvertising
• Managing a Local/Mobile Search Marketing Campaign

We even have a discount code: SMX10gomo
So anyone that wants to attend can save 10% on the existing price of USD 1195

http://searchmarketingexpo.com/local/

Mobile SEO update

2008-07-05T07:38:27+01:00

Sorry this blog has been a bit slow - I am sitting on about 4 articles that I just need to finish and post.

I also realise that I am sitting on a few proposals for new business and your interest is very important to me (and I want it) -but my lack of strong response will all be explained soon.

But something HUGE is going on (read a few blogs below for a clue). More details the week around July 15 2008.

Mobile SEO and the quality of Mobile Internet Sites

2008-06-25T18:36:36+01:00

I got one of the first ever GetMobile (http://www.gomonews.getmobile.com) sites, earlier this year. I then ran a USD 200 dollar campaign promoting it. That was back in February. About six weeks ago I ran another campaign maybe USD 100 dollars. I didn’t notice much but suddenly, the gomonews.getmobile.com site is all over Google online.

It is moderately visible in the top 10 of mobile search engines. But, Google seems to absolutely love it.

I was surprised this week to find it coming out on top of results ahead of www.gomonews.com. I am trying a slow online SEO technique with GoMoNews.com. Basically, trying to avoid Google Alerts and fast placement on the top of the results. It usually takes about one week before my new articles get to or near the top of Google.

So this is where the transcoded or “juiced” mobile site comes in. I have a lot of RSS mobile sites that haven’t made it anywhere on Google online (only mobile search engines). Then, I saw a few press releases from Quattro Wireless (owner of GetMobile). They have a lot of very high quality brands on their network. The have juiced popular sites from GoMo to Playboy to TheInsider, Savvy.com, Fandango, Hollywood.com and MovieWeb.com

I suspect that it is the high quality of the sites that is making Google happy. All the sites are linked by the ad network that they are all part of. Also all the brand names seem to delivering a stronger brand presence. I found a couple of other sites that were juiced (Playboy) that were also ranking high. I suspect the whole online linking strategy is working with the juiced sites and optimisation is

So, it has taken nearly six months but the GetMobile site is loved by Google and beats the online GoMo News (in some circumstances) to the top of the page. With a Ready.mobi score of 4 - its really is optimised for mobile or online.

Mobile SEO Best Practices

2008-06-16T19:20:22+01:00

James Pearce from .mobi sent this to me today. I resisted printed it (thinking green) and read it over and over again. Its the latest research on Mobile SEO from dotmobi or what seems to be a new brand mobithinking.

http://mobithinking.com/best-practices/mobile-seo-best-practices

What did I think?

Yes. I agree with 90% of this. Well written - great resource (thank-you).

But.

So, now I have a secret. I have been developing a tool and working secretly with a senior executive at one of the world's largest mobile search engines.

What?

Well, I realised that I have been in Mobile SEO and Mobile Advertising since 2004 - only I never realised it. Only when I started optimising mobile sites did I realise a pattern.

Why?

Well basically, I think I am sitting on a hot potato that will make Mobile SEO (for want of a better word) cleaner. I can't tell you too much as I have now signed an NDA with a potential investor.

If I don't get funding then I will use this site as a benchmark for the concept. If I do - then get ready. supercharged mobile seo appearing at a mobile phone near you!

Plus

Everything that I create will be open source and I hope if I make it - that it is embraced by the likes of dotmobi and the W3C etc.

Mobile SEO Confusion?

2008-06-11T06:47:07+01:00

I had a very strange meeting with a mobile content company in London. I was very positive as the buzz about Mobile SEO seems to be starting.

But I was shocked when the company said, "we don't need Mobile SEO". I asked "why". He said, because we are on a mobile operator portal and that gets us traffic.

I said fine. I did a quick ready.mobi check and it came out as a very poor number 2.

Hmmmm.

No wonder operator portals have an inconsistent name.

Education seems to be necessary in Mobile SEO in the short term.

BuzzCity Ad Campaign Results

2008-06-09T08:58:07+01:00

Anyone looking for exposure in Asia, India or outside of Europe and the US should use BuzzCity. Those that need EU or US exposure - BuzzCity is not quite there yet.

I ran a USD 20 ad campaign with BuzzCity. I got an impressive impression rate and steady click through rate -but despite having placed a hight PPC to target the US and Europe - I got virtually no eyeballs there.

So, I had to question the value of the mobile ad campaign as a business. If traffic is needed for Mobile SEO services (where mobile search engines track on popularity) BuzzCity is ideal.

Where sales are needed to drive a new business in the US or Europe - then BuzzCity should not be the first choice.

The screen shots below show some campaign results.

Above is a general overview of how the USD 20 was spent and where impressions vs clicks. I was extremely happy with these results as for such a small spend my click total of 942 was worth while. I remain to be amazed how cheaply this ad campaign was and am glad that the CTR is consistent and realistic.

The image above shows where my ad campaign got exposure. It was all in countries that I didn't want to target specifically. Once again this shows that global exposure is possible with BuzzCity.

So, I took a look at my mobi site where the traffic went and there was a considerable lift to tie in with the campaign. I didn't put enough money in to improve rank or have a knock on effect on the search engines -but with in the community where the mobi site is resident I noticed some activity. Traffic, drives traffic and curiosity. Which means that with a small spend the overall CTR was impacted in countries that were important to me as peers noticed that my site starting getting more traffic and wanted to see what it was and why that was important.

Once again more proof that social media plus Mobile SEO plus mobile advertising provides the most complete strategy available for mobile visibility.