This week saw the release of Apple’s Q1 earnings – earnings that came, in large part, from the company’s phenomenal sales of iPhones and iPads. More and more, people are flocking to smartphones and tablets, perhaps not at the expense of their computer usage but certainly alongside it. As the market changes, so do people’s internet browsing habits. As web-enabled mobile devices have become more widely adopted, many people are surfing the web from their mobile devices, allowing them access to the internet wherever they are and in the middle of whatever activity they happen to be engaged in at the moment.
But does a shift in location or browsing method mean a shift in priorities? Chitika Insights took a look at what was on people’s minds recently. To answer this question, we took a sample of hundreds of thousands of impressions taken from our network over the past week, and analyzed them to see what the most searched-for queries were – and how that differed between PC users, tablet users, and phone users.
The answer? In many ways, it didn’t. Regardless of where traffic was coming from, there were a few things that held people’s interest across the board. Some topics ranked high in the lists, regardless of platform. Looking for a calculator, searching for coupons, and – with Chinese New Year falling this week – searches related to the holiday or to the Chinese zodiac all figured in the top fifteen most frequent searches for all three categories.
There were a few things, however, that stood out – searches that figured far more prevalently in one category than another, and gave some insight into how people are using their devices. Tablet users were far more frequently searching for recipes and cooking tips than users of smartphones or PCs, highlighting the convenience of an easily mobile not-quite-computer computer during everyday chores. Smartphone and tablet users both searched frequently (search #13 on tablets and search #8 on phones) for answers in the popular mobile game 7 Little Words. Queries for answers for Words With Friends were not far behind – something to keep in mind, perhaps, next time you are being soundly trounced in a match. And PC users? Well, their #2 query on the list was for an iPod touch. Possibly, they are feeling left out of the mobile game.
With tablet users, phone users, and PC users having somewhat different behaviors in terms of their search patterns, search engine marketers would do well to understand the user base for their particular site. Knowing the browsing patterns of internet users can help developers optimize accordingly. Chitika Insights will continue to keep an eye on the search engine industry and emerging online trends, helping publishers bring the most relevant content to their audience.
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