The number of mobile web users is on the rise. In 2008, approximately 577 million people used their phones to search the web or interact online. Juniper research estimates that the number of mobile web users will increase to 1.7 billion mobile web users in 2013. As this number grows, so does the urgency to optimize our websites to be search-friendly to mobile-web users.

Motoko Hunt , a Japanese Search Marketing Strategist, spoke at the SES London 2009 Conference on the importance of creating a mobile-friendly website. She found that in China alone, there are 450 million mobile-web users.

Because more users are accessing the Internet through mobile devices, it is important to adapt online and create mobile-friendly websites. Here are some tips (from Motoko Hunt) to make your website easily accessible to the growing population of mobile-web users:

• Minimize the use of flash--flash sites will not rank
• Fast-loading site
• Space is limited, so link text
• Place keywords in prominent areas on page
• Display phone number and address in easily-accessible location on the page
• Do not allow pop-up windows on the page
• Create XML Mobile site map
• Conduct keyword research with mobile search data

To keep up with the changing face of the web, it is important to integrate a mobile campaign in with your other marketing initiatives. Remember that people searching through their phones are doing less browsing and more direct searches, so optimizing your site to target specific audiences is key to reaching your specific mobile-web audience.