How do consumers conduct

searches on Google using

a mobile device?
Insights for businesses to rank higher,
and drive more mobile clicks
Contents
Introduction 3
How this study was conducted 4
What we wanted to know 5

Desktop vs. mobile 6

Executive summary 9

Deep dive: SERP elements on mobile 17

öö Organic listings 19
öö Sponsored text listings 32
öö Knowledge graph 42
öö Local listings and map 47

Conclusion 53

Industry benchmarks 54
öö Mobile SERP with knowledge graph 55
öö Mobile SERP with local listings 56
öö Organic and sponsored listings comparison 57

About the author 59

About Mediative 60
Contact 61
Introduction
In 2014, Mediative released an eye-tracking study that looked at Google reports that 77% of mobile searches lead to action, and
how Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP) has changed over 75% of mobile conversions in Canada take place within one hour of
the last decade, and how searcher behaviour has adapted as a the search. This increases the pressure of businesses to be found
result. in mobile search. Mediative wanted to provide advertisers with
more information on how people conduct Google searches on a
As Google has evolved the presentation of its results over the
mobile phone, and how tactics to get views and clicks might differ
years, so too have the devices on which searchers access the
to those used for desktop Google SERPS.
search engine. In May 2015, Google reported that mobile searches
surpassed desktop searches in 10 countries, and in October 2015,
Amit Singhal, Senior VP at Google, said at a conference that more
than half of its 100 billion monthly searches occur on mobile
devices.

The way website listings are presented on a mobile search engine

results page is significantly different to how they are presented on
a desktop. The decrease in available screen size means that there
is a very limited number of listings that are immediately visible to
searchers, and competition for the top spots can be fierce.

The acronym "SERP" is used throughout this study, and refers to "Search Engine Results Page".

3
 How this study was
conducted

49 participants
Mixed age and gender

41 search tasks
Conducted on an iPhone 5, using the Google search engine

Google SERP circa 2015 3 key metrics measured

Example search task Metrics measured: time to first look, how many participants looked,
how many participants clicked
"You’re interested in taking a vacation to New
Orleans. Use Google to find cheap flights from
Toronto to New Orleans."

The area highlighted in the image above shows

what is viewable on the mobile screen, before
scrolling is necessary.

4
What we wanted to know

1  2 
Where on the mobile SERP do searchers look and How important is the location of a listing on the
click the most? How does this differ to desktop SERP to win views and clicks from searchers?
searchers?

3  4 
Does the need for scrolling negatively or What can advertisers do to ensure their Google
positively impact the views and clicks that listings are seen and clicked on a mobile SERP?
listings further down the page receive?
Google SERPs

Desktop vs. Mobile

Mobile internet usage continues to rise, with
more than 77% of people in the US and Canada
owning an internet accessible smartphone,
as reported by Pew Research Center

There are differences in the way searches are

conducted on a phone compared to a desktop
which is not surprising given the differences
between the two mediums.
 Desktop view of a SERP with organic listings only. Desktop view of a SERP with sponsored listings.

Desktop SERP heat maps

From triangle to rectangle
As discovered in our 2014 desktop study, search patterns have become more
vertical – the effect of searching on mobile devices.

On desktop, we saw that the traditional "golden triangle" pattern so familiar in

2009, was replaced with a variety of different search patterns, depending on the
elements that were presented on the Google SERP.

As with all of the heat maps presented in this study, the red areas are those
Desktop view of a SERP with local listings.
that had the most views, followed by yellow, and green.

Note: Google removed right rail ads shortly after

we conducted this reasearch. As can be seen in the
heat maps, these ads were rarely looked at.

7
Mobile SERP heat maps
Vertical scanning patterns
The top heat map represents the searching pattern when only organic listings
are shown, and the vague semblance of a triangle shape can be seen. The Mobile view of a SERP with organic listings only.
searcher takes the time to read more across to the right on the top organic listing.

The bottom image shows how searching behaviour changes when two sponsored
ads head up the SERP and no organic listings are in view – less horizontal reading
and more vertical movements to quickly find the top organic listing.

Mobile view of a SERP with sponsored listings.

8
Executive summary
Organic listings

Finding 1
The #1 organic listing still captures the most
click activity, it just takes 87% longer for it
to be first seen on a mobile compared to
a desktop.

Organic listings following sponsored listings on a desktop (left) and phone (right).

10
Organic listings

Finding 2 Takeaway

Online publishers
As discovered in the desktop study, being the #1 top
organic listing is not always necessary to garner clicks, may see a decline in
and certain factors will draw views and clicks to 2nd,
mobile traffic
3rd and 4th organic listing. However, being above the 4th
Publishers rely on high numbers of unique visitors
organic listing, whether in an organic, local, knowledge
to their sites. This mobile study has shown that
graph, paid position etc., is critical - less than two-thirds
fewer and fewer clicks are going to listings below
of tasks resulted in a scroll down, and 92.6% of all clicks
the top 4, leaving less opportunity for publishers to
were above the 4th organic listing. drive traffic to their sites. Publishers in particular
Across the entire study, only 7.4% of clicks were below must take mobile SEO extremely seriously.
the 4th organic listing, vs. 16% on a desktop.

11
 Takeaway

Mobile screen real estate

Sponsored text listings
is extremely valuable
Finding 3 You have two ways to try and earn as much of that
real estate. Paid search and mobile SEO. Although
Relevancy of ads is still important on a mobile device,
paid search cannot guarantee you will always
even if the top sponsored ads take up the majority of
appear at the top of the results, a good paid search
the screen space and is seen by 91% of searchers.
campaign can definitely help capture more clicks.
The top sponsored ad was viewed on average after only
Focus on optimizing your site for mobile devices.
0.36 seconds but it took 5.95 seconds to be clicked.
Invest in putting as much relevant content into
In that time, participants viewed other listings, and
your SERP listing and use available tools such
scrolled down and back up the page. as Schema to ensure that your listings stands
out on the screen, increasing the likelihood of
capturing clicks.

12
Sponsored text listings

Finding 4 Takeaway
Paid search represents a bigger opportunity for traffic
to your site on a mobile compared to desktop, especially Treat mobile and desktop
if ad extensions are present. On a mobile 19.2% of page differently
clicks on average went to the top 2 sponsored text ads,
Many businesses do not realize the importance of
compared to 14.5% on a desktop.
optimizing their sites specifically for mobile – all
too often they take a one-size fits all approach,

Finding 5 resulting in ranking lower on a mobile than on a

desktop.
As three paid ads on mobile become more common,
Track mobile ranking separately so that you can
brands must be prepared to see a drop in traffic from
optimize specifically for mobile, depending on the
organic listings, and perhaps consider increasing their
results you are seeing.
investments in paid search. On average, the top organic
click through rate when 3 paid ads were present was
30.4% vs. 34.1% when only 1 paid ad was on the SERP.

13
Knowledge graph

Finding 6
More than ever on a mobile device,
searchers are distracted away from organic
listings to view and click on listings that
appear before the organic listings, such as
the knowledge graph.

11% more clicks went to the knowledge

graph on a mobile phone compared to a
desktop, and almost 22% less clicks went
to the top #1 organic listing on a mobile
compared to a desktop.

A heat map showing the views captured by a knowledge graph result on a mobile phone. The displayed knowledge
graph is shown to the right.

14
Takeaway

Consider the metrics you measure

for mobile search
öö Clicks on local listings go to the local finder where significant information on the business
can be obtained, reducing direct website traffic.

öö Consider also the impact of accidental clicks on a mobile, and always review clicks and
traffic from mobile search alongside bounce rates for a more accurate picture.

öö As with desktop search, conversion rates must be measured to ensure

quality traffic is coming from search, and that your website is able
to convert visitors.

Different types of Google’s local finder.

When it comes to smartphones, if anything, it is
more important than ever to optimize for all the new
features, if they are relevant to your business.

People searching on their mobile devices are likely to

be on the go, with less time for a thorough search. This
means they are more likely to click on a listing higher
on the page even if it does not exactly match their
search intent, though the chances of capturing a click
are greater if it does.

Mediative
Deep dive:
SERP elements
on mobile
Organic listings 19
Sponsored text listings 32
Knowledge graph 42
Local listings and map 47
SERP elements on mobile

It’s quite rare for SERPs on a mobile to consist of organic listings only, with no sponsored
ads, map, or knowledge graph/OneBox taking up the majority of the top screen real estate.
Where these elements on a desktop SERP might have appeared to the right of the organic
listings, on a mobile device they often become a key feature at the top of the results.

62.9%
2.5s
62.9% of tasks presented 2.5 seconds passed on
resulted in the participant average before participants
scrolling scrolled

The knowledge panel that appears to the right on a desktop becomes a key feature
at the top of the mobile SERP, appearing as the Google OneBox. Scrolling is a
necessity on a mobile in order to be able to see all of the listings that can be seen
without scrolling on a desktop.

18
Organic
listings
These are the traditional
Google SERP listings.

19
Organic listings

In the desktop study, almost 31% of the SERPs presented organic listings only. In the mobile
study, less than 15% of tasks produced the same.

Mobile SERP featuring only organic listings:

99% 40% 75%

99% of people looked at the 40% of page clicks were to 75% of page clicks were to
top organic listing vs. 83% the top organic listing vs. the top 4 organic listings
on a desktop 34% on a desktop vs. 60% on a desktop

0.2s 4.95s
0.2s until the first organic 4.95s until the first organic
listing was looked at vs. listing was clicked —
0.54s on a desktop 31% faster than the average
across the entire study

20
Organic listings

The introduction of more elements at the top of the page requires significant scrolling
before the lower organic listings are reached, and these additional elements took a portion
of clicks away from the top organic listings in that time.

Mobile SERP featuring multiple elements in addition to organic listings:

78.5% 33.2% 57%

78.5% of people looked at 33.2% of page clicks were 57% of page clicks were to
the top organic listing vs. to the top organic listing vs. the top 4 organic listings vs.
99% on organic-only pages 40% on organic-only pages 75% on organic-only pages

2.7s 7.15s
2.7s until the first organic 7.15s until the first organic
listing was looked at vs. listing was clicked vs. 4.95s
0.2s on organic-only pages on organic-only pages

21
Organic listings

When only organic listings are on the mobile SERP compared to the average across the
entire study:

26% more participants viewed

the top organic listing. 20% more people clicked the top
organic listing. 32% more people clicked one of
the top 4 organic listings.

Mobile 2015

Desktop 2014

100
92.6%

0.25%
84%

80

62.6%
60 57% 0.25% of all clicks were to "next page" compared to 1% on a
desktop. If your business is not listed on the first page, it
might as well not exist online.
40

0.66%
33.2% 32.8%

20

0.66% of clicks were to the bottom suggestions. Interestingly,

0
2.6% of participants viewed the suggestions by Google at the
#1 organic Top 4 organic Anything above bottom of the page which shows that, although only a small
listing listings the 4th organic percentage, it is still a significant number of people who
listing scroll right to the bottom looking for a more relevant search
result before scrolling back up the page.
Mobile vs. desktop clicks across the entire study

22
Organic listings

Across the entire study, only 7.4% of clicks were below the
4th organic listing, vs. 16% on a desktop.

Takeaway

It’s extremely difficult to earn a first place

organic ranking.
Very few SERPs include organic listings only (under 15% in our study), Take advantage of the fact that other elements are
presented above the organic listings where over 35% of the page clicks on mobile were won.

Consider paid text ads if you’re looking to improve website traffic, or optimize for local searches if appropriate, rather
than focusing all efforts on ranking #1 in the organic listings.

23
How can my business rank
higher on a mobile SERP?
If you have an app, ensure it is indexed. More and more, apps are going to be competing with
websites for rankings and traffic. According to Google, the benefits of this are:

Search results: The use of App Indexing allows Google systems to better promote Search
results from installed apps and provide enhanced display elements, such as your app icon.

Drive installs: Use of App Indexing provides a better ranking signal for all your URLs and this
means that users who don’t have your app installed will be more likely to see an install button
to your app for relevant queries. Source: Google.

24
How can I optimize my
mobile website?
Optimize titles and meta descriptions
Remember you are dealing with a reduced space, so ensure your most important information
is at the very beginning of page tiles and description, and include priority keywords in the body
of the website content.

Speed up loading times as much as possible

As of February 2016, Google announced that Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) now have special
treatment and rank better and faster, appearing at the top of Google’s mobile search results. To
build your site with the ability to take advantage of this boost, follow Google’s guidelines for an
AMP-optimized site design

Do not use large images. Reduce them to a size that is manageable on a standard mobile device.
According to a 2015 Searchmetrics report, top-ranking mobile results contain an average of fewer
than four images per page.

Avoid Flash as not all devices are compatible and it can take several seconds to properly load.

25
Optimize for local search
Mobile users are more likely to be on-the-go and searching locally for a business or service.

Create landing pages for each location you have and include the target town or city in page titles
and descriptions, plus the service you offer.

Content is a significant driver of rankings for mobile results. Include plenty of unique, relevant
local content, with local keywords and phrases.

Ensure your site is listed and accurate on directories. YellowPages.ca (YP.ca) for example, is
a listing hub in Canada that feeds many 3rd party websites. When the information on your
business is consistent and matches a verified citation site page (e.g.,YP.ca profile page) Google
sees the business as trustworthy and ranks accordingly. This is why the accuracy of your
directory listings have become important to local SEO.

Follow Google’s sitelink best practices

Sitelinks take up more real estate on the mobile SERP which can increase the likelihood that your
listing will capture the click.

Sitelinks are automated, and according to Google, "we only show sitelinks for results when we
think they’ll be useful to the user. If the structure of your site doesn’t allow our algorithms to find
good sitelinks, or we don’t think that the sitelinks for your site are relevant for the user’s query,
we won’t show them."

There are best practices you can follow to improve the quality of your sitelinks.

26
How can I ensure my website is
mobile friendly?
In April 2015, Google made "mobile-friendliness" a significant ranking factor, indicating on the
SERP if a page is mobile-friendly. Prior to this update from Google, mobile ranking results were
usually tied to desktop ranking results. Not sure if pages on your site are mobile friendly? Use
Google’s Mobile Friendly Testing Tool to find out.

A mobile-friendly website can influence ranking on a mobile SERP. There are three options
in order to make a site "mobile–friendly" - Responsive design, dynamic serving, and distinct
URLS. The solution that requires the least change is responsive design (one site that adjusts
depending on whether it’s accessed from a desktop or mobile), as the other two options
require a separate, mobile version of your site. A responsive design simplifies the user
experience, as well as allowing Google to complete a quicker, and more thorough analysis if
your site, making it easier to index these pages. The loading time on a responsive site can,
however, be longer, which can have an impact on ranking.

27
Organic listings

Popular ratings/review sites such as Yelp and Trip Advisor were

included in several task and had a significant impact on where
clicks went.

51.2%

When ratings and reviews

were listed on the SERP,
51.2% of clicks on average
were to those listings.

A study by BrightLocal found that 88% of users trust online review

sites such as Yelp, Trip Advisor etc., and with over half of clicks
going to these sites, it’s extremely important to monitor your
reputation on these sites.

28
Organic listings

 Star ratings:
24.1% On mobile, a listing with a star rating captured
on average 24.1% of page clicks. 38.7% A top organic listing with star rating captured
on average 38.7% of clicks.

Sample results from one search task

In some cases, the listings with star

ratings captured significantly more
clicks than other listings, including
57% 22.4% the top organic listing. However, in
other cases, listings with no star
ratings performed better.

57% of page clicks were to a 22.4% of page clicks,

listing with a star rating however, were to the one
listing with no image and
no star ratings

29
Organic listings

 Star ratings: It is, however, difficult to determine the impact that

star ratings have on a mobile SERP, as the examples on the previous
page, and below, show.

24.4% 32.6%

24.4% of page clicks were 32.6% of page clicks were to

to the top organic listing. the second organic listing
that had star ratings.

Although the findings for star ratings on a mobile device are

inconclusive, if a business has star ratings, it should correctly
mark up their listings to include these in the listing to try and
stand out from those that don’t, maximizing the chances of being
noticed and clicked on by searchers.

30
Where we see the biggest differences between a
mobile search and a desktop search is when we break
out each of the features or elements on the search
engine results page.

It’s much more useful for advertisers to understand

how their organic listings will be affected by these
other elements, and what they can do to ensure
their brand or listings are still seen and clicked on by
searchers.

Mediative
Sponsored
text listings
Sponsored text ads on a mobile can take up
the entire visible screen space

32
Sponsored text listings

Top paid ads on a mobile captured significantly more views and clicks than on a desktop
due to the positioning of the ad, and where the participants’ eyes are naturally focused
when the page loads. The top paid listings on a mobile take up the majority of the available
screen space and the eye cannot be drawn to the organic listings without physically
scrolling down.

Mobile 2015

Desktop 2014

20

15.1%
15

10
9.9%
0.36s
The top sponsored ad was viewed on average after only 0.36
4.6% seconds but it took 5.95 seconds to be clicked. In that time,
5 4.1%
participants viewed other listings, and scrolled down and
back up the page.

0
Top #1 Top #2
sponsored ad sponsored ad

Mobile vs. desktop clicks across the entire study

33
Sponsored text listings

The top sponsored paid text ad is seen by the majority of searchers (91%), but there is
enough time between it being seen, and clicked on (5.95 seconds on average), for other
listings to capture the click if they are more relevant. In that time, participants viewed
other listings, and scrolled down and back up the page.

Takeaway

Adjust broad ad creative for more specific

keyword search intents.
For example, instead of bidding on "TVs" in an AdWords campaign, expand the keywords, and instead, bid on
"TV reviews" and have ad messaging specifically for searchers in research mode. However, if bidding on more relevant
keywords is too expensive, or results in a significant decline in traffic, consider reverting back to broader keywords, if
you can afford them, as traffic will still be driven to your site (but watch bounce rates, an indication of irrelevancy – you
don’t just want clicks, you want qualified traffic, and conversions).

34
Sponsored text listings

1 vs. 2 vs. 3 sponsored text ads

Google confirmed at the end of the summer in 2015 that it is now showing three sponsored
text ads on a mobile for some queries, if the listings are particularly relevant. 58.5% of the
SERPs presented to participants included one, two, or three sponsored ads at the top of
the page.

To accommodate the third paid ad, Google displays

less detail in the ads.

Given that ads are much more likely to be on a

SERP than not, it’s important for advertisers to
understand how it is likely to change engagement
with the organic listings.

35
Sponsored text listings

1 vs. 2 vs. 3 sponsored text ads

The most favourable scenario for sponsored listings and organic listings alike is when there
are 2 ads on the SERP. In these cases there were, on average, 18.3% of page clicks to the top
sponsored ad, and 37.9% to the top organic listing.

When 3 sponsored ads were shown, they captured

When 2 sponsored When 3
When 1 sponsored a combined 24% of page clicks on average, and the
On average... ads are on the sponsored ads
ad is on the page top 2 organic listings captured significantly less
page are on the page
clicks compared to when only 1 or 2 paid ads were
Sponsored ad #1 shown. This is because when 3 ads are on the
click-through rate
14% 18.3% 12.4%
page, it guarantees that no organic listings will
be visible without scrolling.

Sponsored ad #2 As three ads become more common, businesses

- 3.9% 5.1%
click-through rate must be prepared to see a drop in traffic from
organic listings, and perhaps consider increasing
their investments in paid search, as they are likely
Sponsored ad #3
- - 6.5% to see an increase in ad impressions, and will be
click-through rate
able to capture clicks at a lower CPC than was
possible when there were only 2 ad spots available.
Organic listing #1
click-through rate
34.1% 37.9% 30.4%
Additionally, with more opportunity to appear on the
first screen of the SERP, sponsored advertising can
also be seen as a branding opportunity in a highly
Organic listing #2
17.5% 14.9% 15.2% visible position.
click-through rate

36
Sponsored text listings

Extended
In some cases, one sponsored ad by itself took up almost the entire available screen space.
On average, across all ads like these, the click through rate was 19.7% which was
30.5% higher than the average for the top sponsored listing across the study.

When an extended
On average... sponsored ad is in the
top spot

Sponsored ad #1 click-through rate 19.7%

24.4%
Sponsored ad #2 click-through rate 4.1%

Organic listing #1 click-through rate 29.3%

Organic listing #2 click-through rate 15.6%

24.4% of page clicks were
to the top sponsored listing
in this example.

37
According to Google, “AdWords shows one or more
extensions with your ad when it calculates that the
extension (or combination of extensions) will improve
your campaign performance, and when your Ad Rank
is high enough for it to appear.

Adding an extension won’t guarantee that it will show

with your ad, but you can keep track of when your
extensions are appearing on the Ad extensions tab.”

In some cases, AdWords will add extensions automatically when it

predicts that they’ll improve your ad’s performance. Ad extension
performance can be tracked in your AdWords account.
Takeaway

Paid search ad extensions can push

organic listings from view
öö Location extensions ensure the business address is shown alongside the ad.

öö Call extensions add the ability to call the business directly from the paid ad.

öö App extensions show a link below the ad text that allows people to download your app

öö Site link extensions ad links to various website pages from within the ad.

öö Call out extensions add descriptive text to your ad to describe more about what you do or offer.
Sponsored text listings

Paid ads for branded searches

Paid ads are an effective way of driving more traffic to websites.

44.8%
Search task

Imagine that you want to learn to speak

German. You’ve heard about “Rosetta 44.8% of page clicks vs.
Stone” software. Use Google to find 38.5% on a desktop.

the Rosetta Stone website.
By bidding on branded keywords, Rosetta Stone was able to
capture a combined 65.1% of clicks, which is 6.4% more than the
top two organic listings on average when no other elements are
present on the SERP. As eluded to in Mediative’s desktop SERP
14.2%
study, having a brand featured in the top sponsored ads as well
as the top organic listings can result in a significant lift in brand
association, aided brand recall, and purchase consideration.
14.2% of clicks were to
the top organic listing (a
Rosetta Stone official web
page) and 6.1% of clicks
were to the second organic
listing (also a Rosetta
Stone official web page).

40
Sponsored text listings

Paid ads for non-branded searches

It’s trickier with non-branded searches as it can be difficult to ensure your ad meets the intent
of the searcher, which our desktop study showed was important to capture clicks and views.

Search task

You’re renovating your rec

room and want to get a new big 8%
screen TV. You’re not sure what
kind to get and want to read some
reviews. Use Google to find reviews
8% of page clicks were on a
of big screen TVs. branded top sponsored ad.

LG has a branded top sponsored ad. However, the

search was not for a brand, or even for a TV – it was for
TV reviews.

The searcher is in the research stage, but LG’s ad is

targeting the searcher who is ready to buy, therefore
the CTR is no doubt going to be lower.
56%
However, a lot of brands intentionally pay for these
type of queries because it can be lower cost than
branded search terms, and provide brand visibility.
56% of page clicks were on
the first organic result.

41
Knowledge
graph
When a knowledge graph is viewable on
the mobile SERP, it generally fills the entire
visible screen space requiring a scroll
down to view the listings below, and this
is reflected in the engagement with the
organic listings. In our desktop study, 5 tasks revealed a top knowledge graph, and 4 a side
knowledge panel, and we compared how searchers interacted with the results
based on the relevancy of the knowledge graph. The difference between desktop
and mobile is that, where a knowledge panel on a desktop would appear to the
right of the results, on a mobile device, this panel becomes a key feature at the
top of the page.

When the same study was replicated on a mobile device, 7 SERPs showed a
knowledge graph at the very top of the SERP, and 2 knowledge graphs appeared
below the top organic or top sponsored listing.

42
Knowledge graph

Desktop
One of the key takeaways from the 2014 desktop study was that the introduction of elements
such as the knowledge graph was geared towards consumer-related queries, and resulted in a
disruption to traditional search patterns.

On the left is a desktop SERP showing organic results only. On the right you can see the change in searching patterns when a
knowledge graph is on the SERP.

43
Knowledge graph

Mobile
On a mobile phone, the change in searching patterns is not so drastic – because in both cases,
participants are focusing on the same area of the screen, with minimal horizontal scrolling due
to the size of the screen.

On the left is a mobile SERP showing organic results only. On the right you can see the change in searching pattern when a
knowledge graph is added to a mobile SERP. This pattern change is less pronounced compared to when a knowledge graph is
added to the SERP on a desktop.

44
Knowledge graph

Mobile
A knowledge graph on mobile has the potential to capture a significant amount of attention
away from the organic listings, as with SERPs on a desktop.

93% 49%
Search task

Imagine you’re traveling to

New Orleans and are wondering
93% of participants fixated 49% of page clicks vs. 44%
what the weather will be like. vs. 80% on a desktop on desktop

Use Google to find out what the

weather in New Orleans is.
Across the study, a highly relevant knowledge graph
led to a decrease in clicks to the top organic listing 59% 29%
of 12.6% compared to the average clicks to the top
organic listing across the study.

59% of participants fixated 29% of page clicks vs. 37%

vs. 60% on a desktop on a desktop

Note: Organic listings were not visible without scrolling down.

45
The major difference between a knowledge graph on a
desktop vs. a mobile phone is that scrolling is required
on a phone to see organic listings. The searcher’s
eyes cannot be drawn to the top organic listing from
what they see out of their peripheral vision, making
it much harder for organic listings to win clicks
from searchers

Mediative
Local listings
and map
On a mobile SERP, local search results are
grouped together with the map.

47
Local listings and map

The SERPs that were used in this mobile study had several pages that included local
listings. Interestingly, there was no difference in the engagement with the local listings box
between desktop and mobile.

In this case, 27% of the SERPs displayed

included a map and local listings, either the
When the local listing box was above
standard 3-pack (from which a searcher can the organic listings
click-to-call but must click for more details),
or the local stack (unlike the desktop, shows
little significant information and requires a
click through to the local finder for full hours,

11.5%
website URL and phone number etc.).

One could have assumed that, as was the case

with the knowledge graph, the map would have
Desktop – the local listings captured 11.5% of
received the majority of clicks on a mobile page clicks.
device given its prominent position.

But that was not the case. It appears that

the map did little to attract views or clicks
(capturing only 4.9% of page clicks on average),
and instead, searchers moved straight to the
local listings or organic listings.
11.5%
Mobile – the local listings captured 11.5% of
page clicks.

48
Local listings and map

As we reported on a desktop, strong on-site SEO can help move your organic listing up the page,
should your local listing not appear.

Takeaway

Measure more than just clicks

Clicks to a local listing from a mobile device can result in a reduction in traffic to the brands website, as the local
listings link to the Local Finder.

It is therefore important to measure impression data from local listings, as well as traffic to business Google+ pages as
this can contribute to driving traffic to local stores and businesses.

49
Takeaway

If local-mobile search isn’t a priority, you’re missing

out on revenue
öö A 2015 study by Thrive Analytics found that mobile is the overwhelming channel for
local search for Millennials, and that younger generations rely the most on their mobile
phones, being twice as likely to look for local business information on their mobile vs.
older generations.

öö Google reported in 2014 that 50% of mobile users that searched for a local business visited a
store within 24 hours.

öö comScore reported in 2014 that 78% of local mobile searches resulted in offline purchases.

If you’re a local business, your audience is almost guaranteed to be

on mobile, searching for your business or businesses like yours. While
the location of the searcher largely determines the results that are
pinpointed on the map, the local listings 3-pack consists of sites that
are better optimized for local search, and are therefore considered
more relevant by Google. Local search optimization must be a
priority for local businesses of all sizes.
Local listings and map

With only three local listings appearing on mobile, it’s important for your business to be there,
especially if your website is struggling to rank in the top 4 organic listings.

Takeaway

There are ways businesses can rank in the

local listings and capture more clicks
öö Have a complete and accurate Google+ page for every location. Focus on the number of citations and NAP accuracy
across third party sites and local directories.

öö Get reviews! The stars in the listing only appear once 5 reviews have been generated.

öö Ensure your site is full of locally-relevant, useful content, with plenty of local keywords used throughout.

51
Nearly 80% of local searches
on mobile devices turned into
purchases, with nearly 90% of those
purchases being in a physical store.
comScore, Neustar Localeze, 15 Miles
Conclusion
This study was a follow-up to a very successful eye-tracking study listings, and perhaps consider increasing their investments in
in 2014 that looked at how search engine users interacted with paid search.
various Google results pages on desktops. Following the release
6. More than ever on a mobile device, searchers are distracted
of the research, we received many questions about how the
away from organic listings to view and click on listings that
findings apply to a mobile. The fact is, the desktop findings could
appear before the organic listings.
not simply be applied to mobile given the differences in the two
mediums. The results of this mobile eye-tracking study show that There’s no doubt about it, being listed at the top of the SERP
indeed, while there are similarities in the results between desktop is critical on a mobile device. People may scroll up and down,
and mobile, there are also many differences. but ultimately, less that 8% of clicks were below the 4th organic
listing, which is almost half that on a desktop. If your business
To summarize the key findings:
listing is below the 4th organic listing, you’re almost invisible on a
1. The #1 organic listing still captures the most click activity, it mobile search.
just takes longer for it to be first seen on a mobile compared to
Mobile must be taken seriously by businesses, but there are still
a desktop.
far too many businesses that do not see that importance and are
2. Being the #1 top organic listing is not always necessary to still focusing all their efforts on desktop, without even a mobile
garner clicks, and certain factors will draw views and clicks to optimized website.
2nd, 3rd and 4th organic listing
Mobile and desktop online marketing strategies should not
3. The top sponsored ads take up the majority of the screen space be seen as an either/or choice, however. Multi-platform, and
and are seen by nearly all the searchers. omni‑channel marketing is key for an optimal user experience
and maximum online visibility, conversions and traffic.
4. Paid search represents a bigger opportunity for traffic to your
site on a mobile compared to a desktop.

5. As three paid ads on mobile become more common, brands

must be prepared to see a drop in traffic from organic

53
Industry
benchmarks
Average click-through rate per SERP element

Mobile SERP with knowledge graph 55

Mobile SERP with local listings 56
Organic and sponsored listings comparison 57
 43.1%

31%

Average CTRs

Mobile 6%

SERP with
knowledge
graph
4.9%

0.7%

2.8%

0 10 20 30 40 50

55
Average CTRs

Mobile SERP with local listings

6.1%

2%

2.7%

6.8%

25%

9.5%

4.1%

50 40 30 20 10 0

56
 Average CTRs

Desktop vs. mobile organic and sponsored

listings comparison
100
92.6%

84%

80
74.6%

64.4%
62.6%

60 57%

40
33.2% 32.8%

19.2%
20
15.1% 14.5% 14.2%
11.8% 10.7%
9.9%
7.3%
4.6% 5.5%
4.1% 4.1%

0
Top #1 Top #2 Total top 2 Top #1 Top #2 Top #3 Top #4 Top 4 organic Total organic All listing
sponsored ad sponsored ad sponsored ad organic listing organic listing organic listing organic listing positioned
above 4th
organic
Mobile 2015

Desktop 2014

57
About
The author:
Rebecca Maynes
Manager, Content Marketing

Rebecca’s expertise lies in the creation of engaging thought leadership for

Mediative. From compiling eBooks and case studies, to conducting research,
analyzing data and writing whitepapers and reports, Rebecca is an integral part
of Mediative’s Marketing and Research team. Rebecca began her career with Yell.
com in England, and, after moving to Canada in 2005, she has gone full circle,
joining Mediative, a Yellow Pages Group Company, in 2009. Rebecca graduated
from Cardiff University in Wales, UK, with a First Class Honours BSc in Business
Administration.

rebecca.maynes@mediative.com
(778) 313-0427

More of Rebecca’s research can be found at

www.mediative.com/insights

59
Mediative helps businesses cut through the digital clutter so they
can better perform in an otherwise complex digital landscape, and
ultimately reach, engage, and convert more potential customers.

We own one of Canada’s largest pools of high-intent consumer data,

which we use to fuel our innovative solutions, customize them, and
maximize their performance. As a result, our leading industry experts
continually push the boundaries of what we offer in an effort to drive
the very best results for our clients.

Thought leadership is part of our DNA. We take pride in what we

do and how we do it, and always welcome the opportunity to share
our experiences and expertise with our clients, partners, and
industry peers.

60
Contact
If you have any questions about Mediative or this report, or wish to
request a speaker for your next event, please reach out to either of the
following who would be happy to help.

Ali Rahnema
President
ali.rahnema@mediative.com
(416) 564-1245

Chris Pinkerton
VP, Enterprise Media and Research
chris.pinkerton@mediative.com
(778) 313-0422

61
mediative.com
info@mediative.com