Google Identifies Searching Trends On Smartphones Vs. Traditional Phones

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has released results from a study today that shows mobile phone users search differently based on whether they are using a smartphone vs. a traditional cellphone. Separately, Google also unveiled new search features today, including one that will allow people to synchronize searches between their computers and cell phones.

The research was conducted by three Google employees with the help of the Stanford University’s Statistics department, and the findings may change the way Google handles advertising and behavioral targeting for mobile search, MediaPost reports. For instance, the results suggest that searches conducted on the iPhone and Google’s own Android phones are more similar to computer-based behavior, whereas feature phones were more truncated. For instance, a smartphone’s query length averaged about three words each, whereas users only tapped out 2.5 worlds on conventional phones.

This makes a lot of sense. The smaller, more awkward it is to type on the phone, the fewer words people will be willing to enter. But still, the researches found this exciting because the trends indicate that searches on high-end phones are more like computer-based searches. Kamvar: “These trends on the high-end phones indicate to us that mobile search is starting to really ‘work.’ In other words, mobile search is a viable means for users to find information.”

Separately, at a briefing at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, Reuters reported that Google demonstrated tools that may help people more easily conduct searches on the phone. The new feature under development allows a search — performed on a desktop PC — to automatically show up when the same user logs on to Google from a Web-enabled cell phone.