Comments on: Comscore’s numbers on mobile search

By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » When does the future happen

Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » When does the future happen — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:33:14 +0000

[...] According to Comscore, roughly 11 million of the current 200 million cell phone users, use their mobile phone to do local search. Of those 11 million, I believe that many are like me: “soft” users i.e. users that only use the service occasionally due to the limits of the hardware & software interfaces and the quality of the data. I am curious about how soon this local search aspect of the mobile market becomes mainstream. A possible benchmark would be when it reaches 50% penetration i.e. 100 million users in the U.S. [...]

By: Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » Comscore reasearch on cell phone use by age group

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:00:39 +0000

[...] Comscore has released the second part of their research about cell phone usage by age group. In the first part of their research they examined general cell phone usage patterns as well as types of cell phone internet access. [...]

By: Mike Blumenthal

Mike Blumenthal — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:32:15 +0000

Phil-

The numbers are staggering but I am a skeptic about the current reality.

If you are asking on how to capitalize on the current craze…it depends on what aspect of it:

Firstly, the technology of mobile search (usability, hardware & interface) is 5 years away from broad based adoption. So don’t rush.

Secondly, these folks drooling are thinking that they can deliver ads to all these folks. If I am paying $100 for a monthly service (as I am currently) the arrangement of the quid pro quo for me to receive ads is still not clear. I as a user am not prepared to give up one square cm of space without something in return. I even get mad when the phone company texts me or voice messages a promotion…So they guys better deliver something more compelling.

So it isn’t clear that you can capitalize on this aspect with any reasonable hedge against the huge risk…

But as a search specialist, you can position yourself for this market by understanding how to optimize for local as it is the local data set that is currently being used on mobile and likely to be used.

I personally think that Google or Yahoo data sets are the likely victors in this but it could be some other party…too early to tell…

By: phil

phil — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:58:50 +0000

These numbers are truely stagering…whoa! So how do we capitalize on this and get a piece of the pie?