Many brands aren't yet exploiting mobile traffic, but with the announcement of the Apple Watch, companies have even more motivation to get their web marketing in order.

Apple is once again flipping the script on web browsing technology. At its annual product announcement event, the company revealed its latest portable device: The Apple Watch. It’s a web-enabled wearable PC that, according to Toluna Quicksurvey, 33 percent of consumers are potentially interested in buying already. But what does it mean for web marketing?

First and foremost, it’s not yet clear exactly what capabilities it will have. There are certain Apple apps it’s expected to support, such as Siri voice search, Google Maps and some fitness applications. However, there isn’t evidence third-party software will be downloadable. So what can we say with any certainty?

People will conduct quick searches & perform more of them

It’s not difficult to pull out a smartphone and type in a search, but people will be even more likely to consult Google when they just have to press a button and speak a query into their watches. So overall search volume could increase. More importantly for content marketers, users will probably be less inclined to browse for a long time.

Content will need to be digestible and give clear answers because Apple Watch users are unlikely to navigate through a lot of text to find the answers they want.

Location data takes on even more prominence

As Brafton reported, the location-based data industry is expected to reach over $43 billion by 2019. Google is all about using context to produce the best possible search results, and a lot of the value of the Apple Watch will come from location data. The Maps function is being heavily promoted, as the device will feature haptic feedback for navigation so wearers don’t even have to look down to know where to go. It’s obvious local businesses looking to make GPS-aided search marketing plays will want to bring in as much foot traffic and local searches as possible.

Brands that currently optimize content for mobile, through clear geographic listings and targeted local search strategies, are already on the right path. Businesses that haven’t yet begun to eye smartphone users still have time to get their web marketing efforts aligned with customer browsing patterns before the wearable device future arrives to change the game all over again.

Alex Butzbach is a Marketing Writer at Brafton. He studied Communications at Boston College, and after a brief stint teaching English in Japan, he entered the world of content marketing. When he isn't writing and researching, he can be found on a bike somewhere in Metro Boston.