Device Parting – Device Use Varies By Time Of Day

Device Parting – Device Use Varies By Time Of Day so shouldn’t your PPC too?

It’s been long established that certain products and services convert better at different times of they day (or night). Many people take advantage of these daily cycles to change their bids or even pause their account (this is where good data analysis comes into play to figure out which times of day convert better than others!) however as ppc management moves ever granular we have to ask is simple day parting enough?

We’ve noticed the trend of different devices being used at specific time ranges through the day so it’s wise to figure this into PPC management. In the morning we see use of mobile devices such as phones or the iPad being high as it’s used for news and, email checking, calendar etc. and to browse the web in with less of an agenda than most other times of the day. There is some search activity but it’s less focussed and usually not as likely to convert to a sale in the morning as other times of the day.

People then head off to work and the checking, surfing, killing time and filling the commute continues with iPad usage topping out around 8am according to comscore but then once users get to work by 9am it drops off and they’re packed away as work starts. Mobile isn’t far behind but experiences a less pronounced dip through the day.

Computer use follows a similar path but at around half the volume of phones and iPad/Tablets but then starts to take the lead around 9.30am onwards and wins through the day until around 4pm where the mobile devices start to see more activity again, iPad and tablet activity surpasses computer use around 6.30pm and mobile use around 7.30pm and tops out around 11pm.

PPC Management Implications

The implications for ppc management are quite big for some products and services, and whilst it’s not really advisable to target one specific type of device exclusively (unless data shows others simply do not convert) the fact that people are using different devices at different times of the day should figure into ppc management search strategies. For example later in the evening a tablet focussed campaign could benefit from being bid up to position one or two as there’s more volume and greater buyer intent at this time of the day compared to say 8.30am or 2pm.

PPC Management Device Optimising Ideas

Other ideas that could boost clicks and conversion are pages which are iPad/tablet focused/optimised (on all pages the user will visit including basket and checkout!) as well as using iPad/tablet orienated adcopy “buy now from your tablet”

For phone targeted campaigns then making use of location extensions, sitelinks, local offers etc. and include click to call options, bidding for position one or two (anything lower probably won’t get clicks and the CTR will drop) also keyword searches are often shorter on mobile phones than users would type into a computer so shorter keywords don’t convert so well on computers may actually work on mobile, but they need monitoring closely!

Above all AVOID FLASH, iPads make up around 90% of the tablet traffic and they don’t work with flash so ditch it on mobile and tablet targeted campaigns.

Also bear in mind the graph and stats cover midweek usage, weekends are very different, for many sectors it will mean even more mobile and tablet traffic, for some it will mean more computer traffic.

As with anything PPC management related things need testing, assessing, adjusting and monitoring more, it may be that it makes no difference to one account yet rocks in another.