Earlier today, Brafton reported that Google is gaining ground in the mobile market with reports of rising Android shipments. While the Android operating system is making major waves, can a new app from Blekko give Google a run for its money as the leading mobile search engine?
Blekko announced today that it is launching an application for iPhone and Android, bringing human-curated search results to on-the-go searchers. For marketers, this means that quality mobile-ready content relevant to targeted audiences is more important than ever.
As Brafton has reported, Blekko offers consumers slashtag search options, enabling them to refine search results according to source, freshness and social recommendations, among other filters. (For more about the social benefits of Blekko searches, see Brafton's related blog post.) People seem to like the slashtags, as the search engine boasted more than 1 million queries per day just one week after its launch.
Now, the company is bringing its slashtag search features to mobile users. “In a world where people want the most relevant answers on the go, mobile search is becoming increasingly more significant,” said Rich Skrenta, CEO of Blekko. “With our iPhone and Android application, users can utilize personalized slashtags, friends, experts and the community to get the most relevant results, all from the mobile device.”
Brands hoping to catch clicks from on-the-go Blekko users and other searchers should focus on making their brands industry thought leaders and trusted resources. Frequently updated content that deals with the latest industry news or up-to-date promotional offers is reportedly deemed relevant by mobile consumers – and it should be optimized with locally conscious keywords. As Brafton has reported, local content is a mobile marketing must, with two-thirds of consumers using their devices to find timely information more often than they use desktops for these queries.
