Bas van den Beld is a leading expert on European search and a regular contributor to search marketing publications and conferences all over the world. He also runs State of Search – a new website providing insight and analysis on the latest issues and developments in global search marketing.
At the International Search Summit on 13th May, Bas will be speaking on mobile in Europe – a topic which is becoming much more relevant as mobile usage grows across the world. Here, Bas answers a few questions about mobile – and international search in general.
Bas, if you could give just one tip to search marketers working on global campaigns, what would it be?
Do not assume – it will make an “ass” out of “u” and “me” so to speak! If you think you know how different countries and different cultures work and that you don’t need help from within the targeted countries, you are wrong!
You’re speaking about mobile search in Europe – how ‘mobile minded’ is Europe?
Europe is very mobile minded, even more that the US. Long before the US, we were ‘texting’ already and now you can see that many developments come from Europe. In this case, the US can learn from Europe.
Are there big differences in the use of mobile between Europe, the US and Asia? And what about within Europe itself – does mobile usage differ much between countries?
There are differences, although things are moving so fast the differences will become smaller very quickly. But we should all look at Asia as an example of how fast things can go. Asia is the most advanced, followed by Europe and the US. Within Europe there are also differences of course. Some countries, like the Netherlands, are very well developed when it comes to mobile.
Is mobile here to stay, or is it just a fad?
Mobile will never go away 🙂
How easy is it to optimise a website for mobile search – and should marketers be doing it?
It’s not just about optimising your website, it’s about doing multiple mobile efforts to bring ‘the mix’ together. Optimise but also do applications and work with others to enhance the user experience. Besides that there is a new challenge: getting found in the app stores.
This will be your second time speaking at the International Search Summit – what value do you think the event offers delegates?
The International Search Summit is a very special event which immediately got into my heart the first time I spoke there. The intimate nature of the event means that delegates can learn very much in one day.
The International Search Summit in May is focused on innovations – recent developments in search and social media which are changing online marketing. In your opinion, what is the most significant innovation in recent years?
Mobile 😉
The International Search Summit will be held at The Barbican in London on 13th May. Other topics on the agenda include global social media advertising, international Twitter strategies, video optimisation and global SEM.
Tickets are now available at an early bird rate.
Gemma Houghton
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