Mobile isn’t just a trend in marketing – it’s the future, and brands have to keep up. If you need proof, just consider that according to Juniper Research’s Mobile Context and Location Services report, the field is expected to grow from $12.2 billion in 2014 to $43.3 billion in 2019. Companies across industries are understanding the value of customizing information and services based on location and other demographic information – and brands conducting content marketing should take note.
The use of contextual clues and mobile location data isn’t just part the future. It’s already an important part of search, and it could become a driving force in the near future. Google is emphatic that it wants to provide users with the best possible search results it can, and location cues are essential for making SERPs more relevant to users. Consider:
• 80 percent of consumers use search to find information about local products and services
• 36 percent of search results include information derived from schema markup
Taken together, those numbers demonstrate content with location data account for a huge portion of all searches made by consumers. Brands that don’t optimize for local queries – even if they don’t operate brick-and-mortar storefronts – stand to miss out on plenty of traffic.
Right place, right time … right content?
However, it isn’t all about getting visitors – it’s also about driving sales. Businesses that carefully check to make sure their local addresses, contact information, social profiles and other identifying information will draw in more qualified traffic that leads to increased conversions. Content marketing strategies that take into account contextual clues like location will feature greater:
• Relevance to users making specific searches
• Timing for people who are ready to buy
• ROI, as unqualified traffic will be less likely to visit
As brands (and more importantly Google) give greater weight to GPS location data, mobile information and contextual clues, content will become customized to a larger extent. Brands should think carefully about what their target customers read and watch, how they consume content and how they make purchases and then a build a strategy around these behaviors.
Want to learn more about how mobile influences customers? Check out these related Brafton resources:
Marketers: Don’t fear the coming of the multi-device world [data]
80% use search engines to find local product & service information
Mobile inception: The marketing channels within channels
