Simple Web Design And Discoverability Are Keys To Mobile SEOSimple Web Design And Discoverability Are Keys To Mobile SEO

Now that the mobile Web is mainstream, everyone is launching mobile Web sites. The problem is no one seems to know how to drive traffic to them. As a result, mobile search engine optimization has emerged as a big topic for everyone from marketers to online editors and publishers. The mobile Web, though, is not as developed as the desktop Web and as a result, optimizing mobile sites for search is far from easy.On Monday I attended the monthly gathering of the New York City chapter of Mobile Monday. The topic was, you guessed it, mobile SEO. Panelists included moderator Michael Sharon, Socialight; Sean Owen, Google; Rachel Pasqua, iCrossing; and David Harper, Winksite.

State Of The Mobile Web

A number of themes emerged during the discussion. The first is that the mobile Web simply is not well linked. Unlike the desktop Web, most mobile sites still don't link out to other mobile or desktop Web sites. As a result, it's very difficult for search engines to find many mobile sites, much less index them. It's also very hard for users to find other mobile sites, either through search or from the mobile sites they're exploring.

The next theme was discoverability. Without comprehensive mobile search, it's really hard for users to find new mobile sites. Simply put, if no one can find your mobile Web site, no one will go there.

How To Optimize Your Site For Mobile Search

As for SEO proper, panelist David Harper summed it up best, "Mobile optimization and user experience are the same."

The panelists all agreed on a set of common practices everyone should use with their mobile Web sites: