Internet users now consult your content much more on their smartphones than on their computers. Are their expectations and behaviour the same across all devices? What does this mean for your content strategy and your mobile web communication? Françoise Landuré, expert in written communication, explains.
The proportion of content read on mobile devices (smartphones or tablets) is increasing every day. In 2015, web browsing on a mobile surpassed that on a desktop computer. In 2019, according to Médiamétrie, the French spend an average of 35 minutes a day on a computer and 75 minutes on a mobile. Among 15-24 year-olds, 6 out of 10 users use a smartphone exclusively to surf the Internet.
Whether it's to communicate, find prospects, sell or build loyalty, these new uses are influencing the choice of equipment, the way we read and interact with mobile users.
It is therefore becoming essential to adapt the design of Internet media and their content to these new uses.
Adapting your content strategy to the mobile web
Our smartphone goes everywhere with us. We use it in all everyday situations. We carry out searches and expect instant answers. Our mobile allows us to bridge waiting times. We also use it to stay in constant contact with our network. We send photos, share videos... So there's plenty of room for a variety of content, whether useful in the moment (informative, professional...) or purely entertaining (cultural...).
To design relevant content for mobile, you need to put yourself in the user's shoes and ask yourself what content is most likely to be searched for in a mobile context. For example, when it comes to topics such as the weather, recipes, sport and fashion, the majority of searches are carried out on mobile phones. You can use tools such as Google Search Console to find out about the nature of mobile traffic.
Writing for the mobile web
Reading on a mobile phone is different from reading on a computer. On a mobile, the screen is smaller. Mobile users are immediate. Hence the importance of applying specific editorial practices.
The essentials at first glance As on a computer, the space visible above the waterline is crucial. This is what the mobile user sees before scrolling down the screen. On mobiles, you need to be particularly selective. Internet users need to find a solid hook or the essential information on the page.
A short and punchy title For a mobile-friendly title, don't exceed three lines. You can combine a punchy headline with a more explanatory sub-heading. For a high-quality image, avoid clickbait, i.e. the use of racy headlines that encourage people to click.
Short, precise answers Short content: mobile users prefer short content, otherwise known as snacks. These micro-contents are limited to 300 words and take no more than 2 minutes to read. For longer articles, hierarchy is crucial. Structure your text into numerous sections and subsections. Answer the question posed in the first paragraph. Give details in the following paragraphs. Develop a single idea per paragraph and limit yourself to one screen for each paragraph. Keep your sentences short and simple.
Bulleted lists Once they get past the title and the first few sentences, mobile users read diagonally. Putting certain words in bold will attract their attention. Because of the vertical construction of mobile sites, this scanning is done from top to bottom. Bulleted lists have the advantage of holding the reader's gaze better.
Video content Video is the number one format consulted on the Internet, particularly on mobile phones. Give it plenty of space.
Think about mobile browsing comfort
In communications, form is inseparable from content. The ergonomics of a mobile website must be adapted to maintain user comfort and to capture and retain users.
A single column Multiple-column display is detrimental to readability on mobile devices. The single-column layout is therefore widely adopted. The fact that it increases page length is not a disadvantage, as web users are now used to scrolling. This layout is even becoming a trend on desktop versions.
Spaced out links On mobile phones, a finger that is too thick or clumsy can lead to unwanted clicks. That's why it's so important to make sure links are well spaced out or, where possible, to replace text links with graphical buttons.
A readable font For mobile users, reading conditions are not always optimal. They may be outdoors, in transport, etc. The recommended font size is 16 pixels minimum. If you choose a serif font, increase the line spacing. Choose a comfortable typeface and provide sufficient contrast between your text and the background.
Adapted visuals If a web page loads too slowly, Internet users are likely to leave your site before even reading your first line. And the data usage limit on a mobile connection is lower than on a computer. So you need to use compressed images in suitable sizes and formats: JPG for photos or highly coloured images, PNG for simple images.
Prohibited pop-ups Users are irritated by pop-ups, which are even more intrusive on mobile phones. They can also penalise you in terms of referencing. Limit yourself to compulsory pop-ups (management of cookies...).
Satisfying the Mobile First index
With the advent of Google's Mobile First index, it is the mobile version of a website that is taken into account in the natural referencing criteria. This means that sites designed primarily for mobile devices are better referenced. Three criteria are added to the good practices listed above.
Key expressions adapted to text queries and voice searches
On mobiles, the Google search bar is smaller. Users get straight to the point and write shorter queries. The list of first results is also shorter. So it's a good idea to optimise for shorter key phrases.
However, voice search is developing strongly. In these cases, queries are precise and formulated in the form of questions. In addition to the main keyword of an article, it is therefore necessary to rely on secondary keywords or long tail (keywords that are more descriptive and less "competitive").
An effective mobile SEO strategy needs to reconcile these two approaches.
Local content
97% of mobile users have used Google at least once to find a business close to their location. So it's worth developing content on local subjects, whether in the form of articles, photos, videos or infographics. Tools like Google Trends will tell you what people are looking for in your geographical area.
Neat meta tags
Google shows Internet users the websites that are most relevant to their queries. Your meta titles and meta descriptions must therefore be designed to provide as many answers as possible to your potential users. In the mobile version, field lengths are shorter than in the desktop version: around 78 characters for the title and 300 for the tag description. However, the width in pixels is taken into account, not the number of characters.
Responding to different uses with responsive design
Since the explosion in mobile web browsing, web design has adapted. Responsive design adjusts the layout of a website to the size of the user's screen. But that's not all. Advanced solutions now make it possible to generate different content depending on priorities: some modules appear only on desktop, others only on mobile. Or the order in which modules appear can be different between desktop and mobile. Enough to please your users... and Google.
An ideal content strategy also involves combining in-depth articles (1000 words or more) with shorter, entertaining content (intended to be shared on social networks). This diversity of content allows you to respond to the different uses that Internet users make of their devices, while at the same time enhancing your company's image.
