xAd, a Local-mobile ad network, has recently released a significant amount of data around the user habits of mobile search actions. The information is drawn from mobile sites and mobile applications that run its ads. xAd has the largest network of local search and display advertising outside of Google.
The following were the most frequently searched local content categories in Q4:
Beyond the initial click xAd captures “secondary actions” such as telephone calls and map lookups. The company said that among those who clicked on ads, 37% of search clicks and 5 percent of display click throughs delivered those secondary actions. Calling a business was the most frequent secondary action taken, while maps/directions lookups was the most common action among those clicking on display ads. Another interesting observation is how responders sought more information or reviews but local searchers did not as frequently.
The data also shows that search and display ads reach people at different times of day. Local search peaks during the middle of the day and declines in the evening. However display exposure peaks at night. xAd said that among all mobile subscribers, “mobile browsers are still the primary access method for local-search information.” However for iPhone and Android owners, “in-app access is preferred by a large margin over in-browser access.”
