A Google survey of smartphone users shows that search is the first place most users use to shop for products online

It has long been known that mobile searches are more popular than desktop, but what hadn’t been certain was whether or not consumers actually used mobile to make purchasing decisions as often as they did desktop platforms. That has been put to rest after Google released the findings of a major survey. It turns out that 90% of consumers turn to search for mobile shopping. This further proves the necessity of search engine optimization, especially in regards to local and mobile.

The survey

Google conducted a survey earlier this year in which they tracked 14,000 responses from smartphone users about their mobile usage during the week. The findings were big news in the industry since there had long been debate about the importance of mobile search engines (and search in general) in regards to online shopping. Google reportedly asked the smartphone owners “several times per week” about their habits, ensuring to cover multiple different days of the week and different time periods.

The findings

When the findings are looked at in greater detail, it becomes clear just how important search is to consumers. Here are some of the findings:

  • People turn to mobile first. 87% of people turn to mobile search first to find the things they are looking for.
  • Retailer sites are a distant second. Retailer apps and websites are a distant second place with 75% of users turning there first.
  • Buyers use search to research before purchasing. 70% of users did research on the products that they bought via mobile before buying.
  • Users make related purchases. 92% of users made related purchases after conducting research on their mobile phones.

The most common answer to the question “which action preceded your purchase” was “used a search engine”.

The importance of SEO

These findings only make SEO and mobile more important. Having a fully functioning website, a smooth user-friendly interface, and content targeted at users on the web is the best way to get your company and products in front of their eyes where they are searching the most: mobile.

We always knew that mobile was important, but we didn’t know just how important it really was. Most consumers are using mobile to search for goods that they want to buy, and 92% of them are making related purchases. There is now no longer a question as to what is the most important part of online marketing: SEO.