Google: Smartphone searches mimic PC queries

iPhone and Android smartphone searches mimic PC-based search behavior in terms of query length, with users inputting about three words per query compared to two and a half words per query on standard feature phones, according to a new study conducted by Google in conjunction with the Stanford University Department of Statistics. The average iPhone query now consists of 2.93 words and 18.25 characters, compared to 2.44 words and 15.89 characters on conventional phones--Google researcher Maryam Kamvar says smartphone queries also approximate PC searches in regards to repeat search behavior. "These trends on the high-end phones indicate to us that mobile search is starting to really ‘work,'" Kamvar said. "In other words, mobile search is a viable means for users to find information."

The disparity between smartphone searches and feature phone searches leads Google to conclude there is no one universal search interface suitable for all mobile phones, adding that for smartphones, a closer integration with standard computer-based functions that personalize features would become beneficial for users who view their phones as an extension of the desktop. Google adds that the search findings will also benefit mobile advertising efforts. "The study shows that properly targeted mobile ads would enormously benefit the advertiser and the mobile user," Kamvar said. "This is because we find mobile users on the non-high-end devices who query a topic seem to be ‘loyalists' to a particular topic."

For more on the Google search study:
- read this Online Media Daily article

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