Mobile Groove

Following up on a new report from Bernstein Research, I’m back with a closer examination of the research (which focuses on the U.S. market) and an exclusive podcast with Jeffrey Lindsay, senior analyst and lead author. My special thanks to Jeffrey for fitting this interview in between trips. A value-add in this particular podcast: Another perspective on the controversial question: What is the potential impact of a tie-up between Vodafone and Yahoo?

Overall, the report is a good read. It covers all the bases, from mobile ad revenue predictions to estimates for mobile search revenues, and it recounts the results of a road test (Google vs. Yahoo) to determine (literally) which provider is getting more bang for the buck when it comes to paid search.

Indeed, mobile search performance is at the top of my radar as Peggy Albright (founder of Albright Research and MSG associate) and I have just wrapped up a white paper comparing mobile voice services available on the iPhone. More importantly, we have moved into the final phase of our the Mobile Search Performance Report (MSPR), an industry-first quarterly report documenting the mobile search experience across a range of geographies, operators, and search engine providers, providing insight into the key performance metrics, such as click-distance and mobile advertising relevancy.

While I may have my issues with some of the Bernstein report findings, there’s no arguing the fact that Google controls a sizeable share of the U.S. mobile search market, and that despite the fact the search giant consistently delivers a poorer user experience (an observation based on MSPR findings as well as those reported by Mobile Commerce during a recent Mobile Search Master Class).

Based on brand reach research (number of visitors to a search property divided by the estimated total of visitors ever to access the search category ever in a month) and comScore estimates (as reported in September 2008), Bernstein Research reckons Google had 62 percent of the U.S. market in January 2009. Yahoo came in second with 30 percent and Microsoft’s Windows Live finished third with 11 percent.

Listen to the podcast here. [19:21]

Some great stuff to add to your required reading list: The Netsize Guide 2009 and three new mobile search white papers (two live -one slated for release following Mobile World Congress), all focused at some level on the extraordinary impact of iPhone on our search behavior). A highlight: Some surprising stats on search volume and a sneak peek at a Google’s voice search performance.

Gearing up for a whirlwind week in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress. Coverage on MSG will be thin (not enough time for deep-dive posts) but I assure you my follow-up analysis and in-depth video interviews will be worth the wait. Andrea Henninge – bless her! – has managed to squeeze in dozens of top-level interviews/briefings over the next five days at an average rate of one per hour – and even left me some time in the evenings for a few parties and get-togethers.

Top of the list is the launch party (Tuesday) for the Netsize Guide 2009, the 360-page mobile industry almanac I wrote on behalf of Netsize. Stan Chesnais, Netsize CEO, tells me it is the best one ever and has already commissioned me to write next year’s (although we both struggle to think how we can top this one!).

And speaking of path-breaking, this week mobile search providers Taptu and abphone debut their white papers on MSG.