Mobile Search-Where Is It Going?

As things would have it, recently I have been spending quite a bit of time working/learning about mobile search….playing with my new Blackberry Storm, looking for local search apps, using Google maps which now employes the Storm’s GPS, and working on mobile SEO.

I have found a few great posts on where mobile search is going and what folks see coming.  As a small business owner, mobile search is a fast growing area that you should take advantage of.  Read on….

Cisco predicts 4G to boost mobile data consumption: “Cisco is predicting that global mobile traffic will increase 66-fold between 2008 and 2013, with a compound annual growth rate of 131 percent over the same period. This growth in mobile data consumption reflects an adoption of 4G….but we’re also seeing a complete transition from dumbphone to smartphone.”

Mobile Internet will grow dramatically despite economic downturn: “Consumers intend to dramatically increase use of mobile data services over the next two years ? with a significant ramp-up in the next 12 months.”

Mobile data services are not a luxury, but a necessity that consumers plan to purchase despite economic conditions, said Pat Dolan, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Tellabs. By planning urgent and strategic network upgrades, operators can quickly and cost-efficiently address users issues and meet increasing demands on networks.

The Local Mobile Opportunity … “Yes We Should: “With estimates as high as 10 million iPhones sold in 2008 and smartphones being the fastest growing segment in the market, Internet-enabled mobile devices are a very attractive opportunity. Why? Because mobile search, at its core, is local search.

Consumers look up 58 billion numbers a year, most to connect with a business. So where do they look those up? Yellow Page Directories, 411, ask a friend? For how long, when it’s so easy on a mobile phone or mobile app? Consider what people are doing on their mobile phone every day.”