Mobile Device Habits Examined

Updated January 12, 2023

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Mobile First World

In anticipation of Google splitting its index algorithm, we know that people are using their mobile devices more than ever. Stats point to mobile as the future. So how addicted are we to our smartphones and tablets? The following are highlights distilled from a Google presentation on mobile device habits.

How Much We Use it

Mobile addiction is a phrase that’s thrown around a lot. But how much do we really use our mobile devices? Well, the results might be shocking. 80% of people between the ages of 18 and 49 use a smartphone, with 27% only using a smartphone to access the internet (so, no desktop or laptop). The average smartphone user spends 170 minutes per day on their phone which is over three times more than the average daily commute and is 50 minutes more than people spend on their computer.

Smartphone usage is pretty consistent throughout the day, picking up around 7am and dropping off around 8pm, showing that while we’re awake our smartphones are never too far from our sides.

According to NetworkWorld, we touch our phones 2,617 times a day. This is based upon another study by a research firm specializing in consumer reactions to products.

Our Mobile Device Habits

So, while we’re holding our smartphone what are we doing with it? 39% of users are using mobile as their only device for Search. This is the case for the majority of searches during the day although computers do dominate the number of searches during office hours of 9 to 5. So what are the fastest growing searches year on year:

1. 45% Home and Garden
2. 40% Apparel
3. 40% Consumer Electronics
4. 35% Finance
5. 30% Food and Beverages
6. 30% Auto
7. 30% Beauty
8. 25% Travel
9. 20% Media and Entertainment

How We Search On Our Devices

The majority of searches on mobile devices are focused on, perhaps unsurprisingly, on things that render well on a small screen. For example, baby clothes are searched more frequently on mobile compared to customized tailoring. The assumption is that the detail involved in custom-tailored clothing might benefit from a bigger screen. Over half of mobile users rely on more than one type of device in an average day. One in five searchers use another device while concurrently using a computer. The upshot? Our search behavior has adapted and is complex especially as we use more than one screen/device at a time.

Another mobile trend is searching for things that are “nearby.” Location plays a much more important role in mobile searches, presumably with the searcher looking to make a more immediate, physical, purchase than on a desktop. Retail shops, restaurants, and other local businesses should take advantage of this phenomenon. We’ll explore the changes with Google My Business in an upcoming article.

Organic Search Will Cater to Mobile Access

Businesses who cater to the mobile experience will reap the SEO rewards when Google mobile index is officially rolled out. Thanks to the Google study we have some insight into the type of information consumers want at their fingertips. Given how our mobile device habits are changing, how will shift your online assets?