Yahoo just announced the top 10 search terms on its mobile search engine. The top mobile searches are either for social networks (MySpace, Facebook), or searches for local information (Craigslist, movies, weather). A lot of of mobile searchers were also looking for auctions on eBay. The top 10 is rounded out by searches for more time sensitive topics like the Olympics, AIG, and The Dark Knight. The only celebrity to appear in Yahoo’s top 10 mobile searches is Kim Kardashian.
Interestingly, not a single one of the top mobile search terms appears on Yahoo’s top 10 list of searches on its regular search engine.
Here are both top 10 lists in order:
There are no real surprises here, but these results definitely stress the difference between what mobile users are looking for when they do searches compared to regular Internet users.
Getting to relevant information quickly is definitely the most important aspect of mobile search for mobile Internet users, who don’t seem to be very interested in browsing the web for the sake of it. Hence, mobile users are obviously more interested in local and timely information like movie showtimes and weather than female celebrities. Social networks, which give users a quick dose of updates from friends, also fit in well with this style of Internet use.
Mobile users also seem to rely on search as a substitute for bookmarks more than regular Internet users.
Strangely, none of the top mobile search terms were related to the recent U.S. elections.
