Recent research estimates that among the 83% of American adults who have a mobile phone, 42% of those have a smartphone; this translates to roughly about 35% (or approximately 100 million) of all US adults. With 25% of mobile users claiming that their mobile device is their primary connection to the Internet, it’s becoming increasingly important for companies to optimize their sites for mobile search. If the sheer number of mobile users doesn’t convince you, then consider divergent search habits and trends of mobile vs. desktop.

• Search on mobile devices tend to focus more on generic, non-branded keywords rather than brand-based keywords. For example, users will search “women’s shoes” instead of Nine West (with the end goal of looking for a non-specific women’s shoes retailer close by), unless they are actually looking for a Nine West store.

• There is also more emphasis on proximity and local terms in mobile search. For that reason, Google Places listings and businesses with a local intent sometimes will appear higher in mobile search results. This makes optimizing and claiming your Google Places listings essential.

• Depending on the location of the searcher, different search results will appear, especially if those queries are location specific. So

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