Mobile SEO

Mobile Search White Paper from the MMA

I have gone into detail about what I think of this report here - but its still a very good read. 

http://www.mmaglobal.com/mobilesearchintro.pdf

Mobile SEO a science!

Mobile SEO – a science!  By Sinead Quealy COO Visibility Mobile

Who knew?!!  Bena, our President and Founder, visited us here in visibility mobile Towers last week and we got through a mountain of work.  During her time here, Bena wowed us by demonstrating some of her Mobile SEO techniques. 

We were amazed at the level of indepth analysis, skill, understanding and work that goes in to determining just how a site can be optimised for Mobile Web.

The level of focus and planning; the strategic decisions that need to be made; the ability to use exisiting technologies in such an innovative way; it’s all very detailed and precise.  Almost scientific.  Presenting to a room of highly technical and experinced people, Bena had jaws dropping by pointing out some of the mistakes that very talented web masters make.  Some, we are convinced, would win Gold if “Hide and Seek on the Web” was an Olympic sport.  (I know, Olympics are very last week!)  Some sites simply cannot be found!!

With visibility mobile, her skills will be available to a much wider audience, and the Mobile Web will benefit hugely.  There’ll be no place to Hide once Bena gets at a brand!!

Bena adds: Sinead! Thank-you. It was easier second time around and we didn't have Shane, Wayne, Bill or Ted (you know the one!) in the room.

Mobi SEO on mobile - the look!

This is just to follow on Kassra's comment below - screenshots of how the site looks on mobile devices.

I think that not being able to access has something to do with the device or I might have been publishing the first time.

Mobi SEO site

OK. I know it is not great but how easy is it to have a professional off the shelf mobile site?  I created an idea for our visibility mobile mobile site today and it took me all of five minutes.

http://go.wapple.net/mobiseo

Those of you that visit might shout, it shows it only took you five minutes - but that is not the point. I have a live site in minutes and its is something to work with.  Am going to do some SEO on this over the next few months so keep your eyes open.

I know our COO Sinead Quealy is going to tell me off for writing Visibility Mobile (capitals) not visibility mobile our cooler funkier brand -but huge changes will be made shortly.  Those of you that look carefully will get some early on tips for mobile keyword manipulation - in the White Hat way of course!

visibility mobile first ever party!

I am not going to go into great details about our first team visibility mobile party in Ireland. I think this picture sums it up really well.

Also read a post on my lunch with the founders of the TSSG over at GoMo News.

Building visibility mobile

I have been involved a few start-ups now. But this one is extra special and I spent a few days in Ireland (in visibility towers as Sinead Quealy calls it) last week going over the launch plan details. The technology, websites and agenda all need to be planned. This time we are using Microsoft Project to determine times and guidelines and every thing we do gets checked and goes through several rigid procedures.  For example all of our website plans went through some kind of content matrix thingy and all sorts.

I feel like I am back at school with the amount of learning going on.

But we are nearly there. I had breakfast with Niall our CTO and looked over the new home page and website design. I am getting so excited.  A demo page will be unveiled next week and the official unveiling will happen at CTIA.  The proof of concept for the algorithms are going well and early attempts to check the services have been great.
We are also putting a plan together for Alpha testers and I think Moblog.co.uk and Winksite are on that early test list.

So what is happening and what is coming?

Well. We are going to start with the alpha launch of our technology at CTIA. Plus the Gamma launch of our new consultancy (which already has brand name clients involved that I am delighted about).

We are an Irish business with an extremely ambitious plan over the next few months that will take us to Gamma at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. I am amazed though by one thing.

Despite a lot of knowledge in the online space I still get asked the question – what is Mobile SEO and why is the online world different to the mobile world.

In short, Mobile Optimisation is about getting mobile sites high visibility in the places where mobile centric users go to. This doesn’t only mean Google or Yahoo! but also on social networks, new mobile sites, branded sites and within the realm of social media.

Mobile optimisation is going to be the single most important factor for making the mobile Internet great over the next few years.

Back to Ireland and I love this company!

OK. I am not Steve Ballmer and our small start-up is not Microsoft. So me saying "I love visibility mobile" will not have as much impact as when Steve Ballmer roared "I love Microsoft".  But nonetheless, as I sit here in the lonely Ibis hotel at Luton airport - I ponder wisely and lovingly about my new baby.

Anyway I am heading off to Ireland to Waterford tomorrow. I am going to meet the whole visibility mobile team again and will try and get some video and things of the offices and people and concepts.

The wheels are churning loudly in Waterford and I just spent 30 minutes on the phone with CEO Paul Savage going over a strategic plan for the next few days. I will also finally meet Barry Downes (Head of Commercial at the TSSG.org) who I have heard so much about.

So yes, I am being cheesy but this is to a great next few days and a fabulous team! (Bena picks up imaginary bottle of Champagne - stands on her F1 podium shakes the bottle and soaks up the rays of drink as she jumps on her imaginary Lamborghini... and rides off into Luton airport sunset bliss).

Mobile SEO supporters!

Support and advice most appreciated! By Sinead Quealy

We are having a wonderful time here in visibility mobile towers reading all of the encouraging comments, good luck messages and requests for further information!  It’s great when an idea strikes such a positive cord, it lifts everybody and we’re working even harder as a result!

We are grateful to Michael Luni Libes for offering an open phone line to us with regards to SEO.  As a mobile search engine guru/ Co-Founder & Chief Architect (Medio) he is actively supporting our work and eager to lend a hand when necessary! Michael has agreed to write the foreword for one of our three White papers.  Niall, our CTO is delighted and very excited by this opportunity!

Bena adds:

3 white papers are we mad?

Well, I am going to write one very basic white paper on Mobile SEO techniques. The paper will reflect the views of the mobile search companies that I have interviewed and spoken to over the past two years.  From a pure mobile perspective it might make traditional on-line SEO's heart sink -but mobile is different!

The second will be written by Niall the CTO and will uncover our new technology.  (Michael Libes will write a forward on Mobile SEO in perspective).

The third is a secret but will be extremely powerful.

Getting visibility for Go Mobile SEO!

Schedules, travel, conferences and shows!  By Sinead Quealy

It’s looking like a very busy autumn for GoMobileSEO!!!  The little peacock will have his feathers flown off him if we’re not careful!  Am planning the trips and the budgets at the moment.  Frightening how many different destinations event organisers pick.  What’s wrong with having everything here in Waterford?!

We’re launching at CTIA, come and visit us!  We’ll be the very proud peacocks surrounded by throngs of people!

That’s just the start, the carbon footprint gets bigger (we are planting trees in my back garden to combat this!).  Dusseldorf, San Diego, Macow, San Francisco again and London a few times all by the start of December!

The trip I can’t wait for is the Social Barcamp in London, October 4th-5th! http://www.barcamp.org/SocialMediaCampLondon  GoMobileSEO is sponsoring the coffee and I’ll be pouring it, expertly! 

Mobile SEO evening

I posted a blog on GoMo News yesterday and five people have expressed an interest in meeting me for drinks on September 22nd in London. The aim is to have an informal chat on Mobile SEO services and what it means. It is not a sales pitch - but I will be unveiling what Visibility Mobile is doing in detail.

I will be organising a formal workshop again (last one had 20 companies attend) but this time I just want to keep it small and cosy.  So if you are interested or around London on the 22nd September or Budapest 6th October let me know!

Bena

Mofuse?

Someone pointed me to Mofuse and said it was the best thing since sliced bread. The mobile site creation service based on RSS was clean and fun (apparently). He raved it was fast instant etc. 

My first impression was super and the RSS on the black phone looked great.

So today I have spent 30 valuable minutes checking it out and guess what?

It didn't work:

I did everything it said and all I get is this:

Fatal error: Uncaught exception exception with message 'Unable to receive token. Non-XML response received from server: ' in /home/mofuse/public_html/icontact/classes/IcApi.php:334 Stack trace: #0 /home/mofuse/public_html/icontact/classes/IcApi.php(549): IcApi->authorize() #1 /home/mofuse/public_html/new.php(91): IcApi->put(Object(IcResource_Contact)) #2 /home/mofuse/public_html/index.php(301): include('/home/mofuse/pu...') #3 {main} thrown in /home/mofuse/public_html/icontact/classes/IcApi.php on line 334

Hmmm.  MoFuse have a "Promote your mobile site" button that I wanted to check out - but I suppose I will have to wait.

JumpTap Improving Mobile Keyword Selection

OK so here is the email that I received from JumpTap. At the very bottom there was a note saying that the Keyword tool was about to be launched. I presume that the one on AT&T was on trial or in development and a new improved one is on the way (will need to ask JumpTap if that is correct).  I think this is the new newsletter for advertisers. I have run several successful campaigns on JumpTap. Infact, they are from BKI Media - but when we launch Visibility Mobile I will try and edit the indepth analysis I did for JumpTap, Google Mobile, AdMob and Decktrade and publish for the new site. Attract more customers searching on mobile by expanding the keywords that you bid on. In a rapidly growing mobile search market, advertisers can sometimes miss out on critical best practices by not reviewing keywords that are relevant to their business, product, or services.  As advertisers set up their campaigns, key questions should be asked: What business, product, or service is being promoted? How do customers tend to talk about or search for such a business, product, or service? What misspellings are common? What other words describe the business, product, or service? Does location play a role in the service?

Thinking about these questions will open up numerous opportunities to reach potential customers.  Here is an example to help you think through the process to identify the best keywords to find your customers:  Company “Games”: sells mobile game downloads Keywords: play, game, mobile game, downloads Evaluation: These keywords are related to the company’s products, however, they are missing opportunities.  It is difficult to determine that “play” means a game instead of a sport or music as a search query on the phone.  Therefore, in addition to bidding on the generic terms because they do generate a lot of search volume, drilling down to more specific keywords can incrementally increase your conversions of impressions to clicks and sales.    Recommendation: Think in more specifics about your products and services.  In this example, game is the generic term with large search volume.  Additional keywords should include the actual “game name” along with the “game name” + mobile, game, download, play, and so on.  Also, what kinds of word describe the game?  Is this a mind teaser?  An action game?  A classic game?  A multi-player game?  The more descriptive and specific that you can be with your keywords, the more additional opportunities you create in driving sales.

Comments on Mobile SEO News

Hi Everyone,

I have to say, I am so sorry. I must have accidentally turned off comment alerts.  This morning I looked at the blog and there are 8 comments waiting (now hopefully all published).

I am sorry for being so silly and thank-you for all your good wishes on Visibility Mobile and on the JumpTap Keyword tool.... The designer of our Font loves it and we are very very proud!!

I will speak to JumpTap about the keyword tool and I will publish the whole email I got on the new services next.  Sorry again and thanks for adding a voice to Mobile SEO News and making it more vocal.

Bena

JumpTap Mobile Keyword Discovery tool

I have just started the white paper for Visibility Mobile - I am playing with names for the paper and one of them is Mobile SEO Success.

I think it is short sweet and says simply what we aim to do.  So, I got quite excited about an email I received from JumpTap today. Keywords are vital for Mobile. I am going to look in depth into keywords in the white paper and I was just thinking how there isn't a mobile keyword discovery tool. 

Literally five minutes later this email from JumpTap arrives saying they are about to unveil one.

I am looking forward to seeing and testing this as mobile keywords are bound to be different than traditional ones. Also, I am sure there are a lot more spelling mistakes in the mobile environment and I wonder if the keywords will be shorter or spelled incorrectly?

I am sure its Google that keeps going on about 500 ways to spell Britney Spears - there are bound to be some similar clangers in mobile.

Visibility Mobile SEO logo arrives!

COO Sinead Quealy here again!

At the end of the last blog we were facing more decisions on logos and fonts!  Our amazingly gifted and thoroughly thorough designer, Sinead Brady, was very excited about some new ideas she had!  We had a look at the new ideas (just to be polite) and fell in love with one of them!

Throughout the process, green and burgundy were the colours we were after, striking, confident, fresh...  our biggest problem was finding the right shade of burgundy!  She nailed it! 

Visibility mobile is understated, reliable, experienced, understands the importance of branding and is determined to get your brand to the top of a mobile search engine. Once a brand has decided to get noticed, GoMobile SEO gets attention for a brand. Quickly.

The logos declare our vision beautifully! 

Thank you to all who have helped, commented, advised, doodled, imagined and created!!

Creating the Visibiltiy Mobile logo by Sinead Quealy

COO Sinead Quealy of Irish Mobile SEO company Visibility here again!

Logo saga continues.  We needed to find the perfect font.  So we did.  It’s a beautiful, simple, clear, very legible and no nonsense font, found on T.26 (http://www.t26.com) created by Fabio Luiz Haag, (http://www.myfonts.com/person/haag/fabio/luiz).  We needed it quite urgently as the very gifted graphic designer was understandably tired of tracing letters on a computer screen just to send us sample logos!   

So I logged on to T.26 and registered, loaded my cart with required font family and ran to the checkout.  We were under a bit of time pressure, but everything was going well, until it stopped going well and the transaction ended halfway through.  No confirmation, nothing left in cart.  Every time I tried to put something in to the cart, it showed it was empty on one screen, I’d go to another screen and the total for my purchases would increase by $2!

I e-mailed their support team (probably still asleep in Chicago), and then started to panic.

No font.  No order number.  Site not responding.  In walked the hero, Niall, our CTO.  He suggested we try the designer’s site.  So we went to myfonts and registered there.  Time ticking faster now.  Submitted order.  Credit card rejected.  Total panic, mainly due to hero beside me talking about fraud up to and including the moment I get an error message saying my card has been rejected!  Not possible I scream as Niall checks the exits in case this crazy thing explodes. I quickly check balances on-line.  Phew!  All OK, no one has been buying i pods in Algeria on my card!  So I call Visa, myfonts are one of those sites that carry out a trial transaction for $1 before continuing with the order.  Visa get very suspicious about such low transactions and declined it!  I explained to the very nice man in Visa, (Richard, fabulous, couldn't have been more helpful) and he cleared everything and allowed me to go ahead and purchase.  Finally.   

Graphic Designer is so happy with the font she wants to send through some new ideas!! 

NO!!!!!!!!!

Bena adds - the visibility mobile company brand logo will be out shortly and I will publish it here. So just if there is any confusion - Visibility Mobile is the company name and Go Mobile SEO is the brand!

Go Mobile SEO by Visibility Mobile brand logo

So that is it. This is one of the two brand logs for the new venture. This is for the Go Mobile SEO site and the Visibiltiy Mobile logo should be live by Monday.  Then the web sites to follow and (um) launch!

visibility mobile brand logo is born by Sinead Quealy

Wow, what a week!  I’m Sinead Quealy, COO of visibility mobile, and I’ve just helped choose a logo for our new brand. 

How we created a brand

For the uninitiated, it’s a trying experience! Below is a rough phase by phase description.

Phase 1 – Birth

You start off with definite ideas.  As you explain them, they become vague.  As others repeat your explanation to demonstrate how well they’ve grasped your idea, the idea begins to sound dull and unimaginative.  You outwardly congratulate them on their immense understanding.  Inwardly you cringe at having come up with such an awful idea, but realise it’s too late to change your mind as so many knowledgeable pleople have emraced it and are running out of the room in their eagnerness to get back to their Mac’s to develop it. 

Phase 2 – Waiting

Sleepless nights follow; arguments with loved ones; lack of concentration at work.  Finally the first images arrive.  Your hand grabs the mouse and clicks of its own volition while inwardly you fight the urge to run and be sick......

Phase 3 – Revelation (Positive)

Then it appears.  Out of the little icon, grows a beautiful image.  Pride mingled with delight

 

Phase 4 – Revealtion (Negative)

Then the rest of the team get involved.  You want to scream at them.  They wear a tie like that, their hair is appalling, and they are commenting negatively about YOUR logo?  Cheek of some people.  Although.  Now that you look at it again, that colour isn’t exactly what you had in mind, it more of a turquoise, you had imagined petrol blue.  And the size is ALL wrong. 

The merry dance has begun.  They’re right.  No, no, they didn’t want to change your mind, they were merely pointing out something.  We’ll send it back with comments and get more samples.

Repeat Phase 2.  Follow with Phase 3.  Add on Phase 4.

Five days, one marriage and several bruises later, you realise the first logo was perfect all along..........

I’ll sleep well tonight!

Bena adds: Will publish new logos this week.

The Smartphone Show

We have been invited to The Smartphone Show!  I am planning on giving a free breakfast briefing during or around the time of the event on Mobile SEO - let me know if you are interested in attending.

Smartphone Show

21-22 October 2008

Earls Court 2

London

4000 delegates, 120 exhibitors, 60 seminars, 10 keynotes - one show

FREE to attend

The 10^th annual Symbian Smartphone Show promises to be the best ever with more opportunities to see innovative technology in action and meet the key personnel driving it.

The Smartphone Show is the best opportunity to experience first hand what's really happening in the mobile industry and where the key players are taking the industry as a whole.  Attendees will gain a real appreciation of what tomorrow's devices will deliver and provide them with a clear vision of the future of mobile from the viewpoint of those at the heart of the industry.

This is innovation in action.

Visit www.smartphoneshow.com for more information and to register.

NEW for 2008: Mobile DevFest - An exclusive and progressive arena for developers.

Mobile DevFest is a dedicated arena for developers to learn, meet, showcase and share ideas. Incorporated with Smartphone Show, attendees can participate in both events and will be able to network with over 1000 of the industry’s most skilled developers.

Mobile DevFest features will include:

3 technical sessions delivered by leaders in development

Instructor-led hands-on labs

Ask the experts

SMX Expo: GroupM, Cindy Krum, Mobile SEO, Blended Search articles

SMX Expo: Ranking Tactics for Mobile Search

by: Eric July 25, 2008

This session gave a bunch of tips about how to start optimizing your site and pages to be processed through a mobile search engine. A few simple steps can go a long way.
Cindy Krum, from Blue Moon Works, gave a good backgrounder about how mobile search is the most targeted marketing to exist today.

SMX Expo: Blended Search in a Mobile World

by: Eric July 25, 2008

Blended search for mobile is a very complex topic that involves looking for web results, local results, mobile content, and mobile services, not necessarily in that order. This panel tried to open the conversation about understand the different search types.
One trend the panel noted was that search on a mobile phone is becoming a necessity

Mobile Search Takes Center Stage As Outrider Adds Specialty Practice Group

by: Eric July 25, 2008

Outrider, a leading global, integrated search marketing agency and division of GroupM Search, introduced today a mobile search practice group, adding to its comprehensive scope of advanced search marketing offerings. The focus of the mobile search group is to guide advertisers through the education, adoption, strategy development and execution of mobile search programs that compliment

SMX Expo: Mobile Advertising Opportunities & Tactics Panel

by: Eric July 25, 2008

The second day of the SMX Expo began with a bang talking about Mobile Advertising. However after the night before with several attendees partying until the wee hours, the attendance was a bit lacking. Nevertheless, the show must go on.
The Mobile Search Advertising Panel started off with David Berkowitz, Director of Emerging Media & Client

SMX Expo: The Future of LoMo - Convergence is Upon Us Panel

by: Eric July 24, 2008

This panel was to explore the convergence of local and mobile search (LoMo) and how wireless technologies, GPS, and broadband access allow for more real-time local mobile search.
Ted Morgan, Founder and CEO of Skyhook Wireless, said that local search is a killer app for mobile. Perry Evans, Founder and CEO of Local Matters said

SMX Expo: Monetizing Local & Mobile Panel

by: Eric July 24, 2008

This panel had quite a few case studies to show how some people are having sucess with local mobile campaigns.
Dan Hobin, CEO of G5 Search Marketing, whom I interviewed earlier in the day with their press release and mentioned the Self-Storage campaign with Facebook and forwarding the coupon/offer to their mobile phone.