If anyone still believes that mobile is just a passing trend and that optimizing for it is optional, this latest news may change their minds.

Eileen Naughton, Google UK-Ireland’s managing director and VP for sales and operations, announced at the London Tech Week that over half of all UK searches are now performed via mobile. In other words, Britons are most likely to use their smartphones when looking things up online.

This isn’t an anomaly either; just last month, Google revealed on their AdWords blog that mobile has already overtaken desktop searches in 10 countries, including the US and Japan. It seems like the United Kingdom is just one of many nations where mobile is growing at an unprecedented rate.

Mobile is Permanently Changing the Search Landscape

Mobile is Permanently Changing the Search Landscape

The announcement did not contain any exact figures, so the question remains: are desktop searches on the decline, or just growing too slowly to keep up? Either way, marketers and business owners alike need to realize that mobile is already an indispensable part of every digital strategy. It may not be long before mobile becomes the primary “screen” to focus on.

Google is aggressively improving their mobile offering as well. This was made evident by the company’s recent mobile-friendly update, and they are now testing new features like “Slow to Load” labels. The message is clear; websites that do not put user experience first will soon have no place in mobile search results, and give up what may become their biggest source of traffic.

Have you invested in a responsive, mobile friendly website yet?

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