NEW YORK ? Marketers should focus on investing in mobile search, as this platform shows the most substantial results, according to an analyst from BIA/Kelsey at Mobile Commerce Daily's Mobile Research Summit: Data & Insights 2015. 

During the ?Mobile: The New First Screen For Local Search & Discover? session the analyst detailed that mobile search is the dominating ad spend channel in terms of positive outcomes. Research shows that paid searches are generating high intent through conversion as well as quick follow-ups. 

?Micro moments make a difference,? said Rick Ducey, managing director at BIA/Kelsy. ?150 moments each day we look at phones which offers marketers a huge number of access points to consumers.

"30 percent of search query volume is mobile and 50 percent of mobile search is local," he said. "That compares to 20 percent on Desktop."

Mobile Research Summit 2015 was organized by Mobile Commerce Daily.

Searching for value
Mobile search volume has surpassed desktop search as of last year and data shows that marketers leveraging this channel can reap numerous benefits. Research shows that 73 percent of mobile searches incite additional action and conversion. 

After searching for a particular topic through mobile, these users engage further with the brand such as making a purchase, calling a business or visiting a store. Data also showed that this engagement happens fast with 55 percent of sales-driving conversions happening within an hour of the user preliminary search through mobile. 

Also, 63 percent of total engagement driven by mobile search happened within an hour of the search. 

This is especially true for local businesses as it offers an immediate result for consumers, which benefits both the retailer and customer. Location-based click through rates were 1.21 percent while non-location click through rates were .61 percent. 

Mobile devices offer the ability to seamlessly visit a store?s Web site, access its location and even directly make a phone call to the business, with fewer navigations and clicks. This offers users an instant connection to the brand or retailer, which in turn drives more engagement and conversion. 

In-store conversion
The executive also pointed out that in any form of mobile marketing, looking solely at online conversion rates is a huge misstep of accurately measuring a campaign. Many times through a mobile campaign, in-store purchases have rose for retailers, with many shoppers using their mobile devices while at a bricks-and-mortar location. 

"Location targeting is rising from 13 percent to 42 percent of all mobile ad spend in 2019," Mr. Ducey said. 

"Google's recommended strategy is to Target consumers at right location," he said. "Drive them to your business with the right ad and measure offline impact."

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer