• Natural Search and Mobile SEO, Thursday, August 14, 2008 1:45 PM

Bryson Meunier argues that the industry is starting to bundle local search and mobile search as a package deal too often. "To be clear: there is local search, there is mobile search, there is local search on mobile devices and mobile search with local intent," he says. "But all mobile search is not local in nature. In fact, not even most of it is."

He cites data from a study by Yahoo that found that only about 10% of all mobile searches have a local intent. "The total opportunity to connect with mobile users searching for information locally then, is at most 10%," Meunier says. "Why is it then that so many analysts are focusing on the local aspects of search, using the phrase 'local mobile' when they talk about mobile search?"

Because the opportunity for hyper-local targeting through mobile appeals to marketers, and so they're clinging to that premise instead of looking at the data, Meunier says. And while the opportunity is there, he cautions that turning a blind eye to the other aspects of mobile search, including entertainment, travel, technology, etc. is actually limiting the growth of mobile marketing as a whole.

Read the whole story at Natural Search and Mobile SEO »