This week we’re taking a look at how mobile ad spending has increased dramatically over the past 6 months, some tips and best practices on mobile SEO, and we’ve got a video that features a whole new kind of showdown between the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII (Warning: may not be suitable for smartphone fanatics).

Welcome to This Week in Mobile!

Monday, October 15

US mobile ad budgets jump 95pc in first half: IAB by Chantal Tode for Mobile Marketer

Quotable
“The IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report found that the spend on mobile marketing reached $1.2 billion in the first half, up from $636 million in the comparable period in 2011. The rate of growth in mobile ad budgets significantly outpaced the growth rate for all other forms of digital advertising.”

The numbers speak for themselves. Mobile ad spending is on the rise, and on the rise quickly. Marketers are clearly getting value from mobile spending and location based advertisements. This further validates the notion that if your company is not focused on mobile, now is the time to get started.

Tuesday, October 16

 Mobile SEO Strategies: More than Just Choosing Keywords by James A. Martin for CIO

Quotable
“Google does have Googlebot-Mobile, which crawls and indexes content specifically optimized for feature phones and smartphones in order to serve the mobile user the best content based on the device (feature phone vs. smartphone) he or she is using…As a result of Googlebot-Mobile, a Google query performed on a mobile device might receive different search results from the same query performed on a desktop computer.”

Everyone seems to be worried about mobile SEO and how the increase in mobile searches will affect their SEO rankings and performance. This article give 5 best practices for your mobile SEO efforts, including how to best create and deliver mobile content, as well as tips on keyword phrases and research.

Wednesday, October 17

Which Blends Better: The iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy SIII by Todd Wasserman for Mashable

Quotable
“Samsung and Apple have been going head-to-head with claims on the Galaxy SIII and the iPhone 5, respectively. But until now, neither has been able to answer one question: Will it blend?”

I thought for a second that the SIII was going to hang in there…I guess I should have known better. Blendtec always wins.

P.S. – Sorry if this video makes you cringe.

Thursday, October 18

How to drive PC traffic through the mobile web by Lauren Johnson for Mobile Marketer

Quotable
“Digital traffic from both mobile and Web sites is growing across the board for brands, meaning that a mobile site should be used as an additive part of overall traffic instead of being a substitute for Web traffic. Additionally, it is important to tailor the experience across each medium to tap into a user’s intent.”

Some marketers are worried about creating a mobile optimized website because they feel they’ll be undermining their desktop website’s performance. However, if done correctly, the two can have a synergistic effect. This article demonstrates the importance of being mobile, and how a mobile site can better target specific users, making your overall web performance more effective.

Friday, October 19

Nokia CEO: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by John Paczkowski for AllThingsD

Quotable
“[Nokia CEO Stephen Elop] believes Nokia’s fortunes are about to change, and that change will be expedited by carriers’ need for a third smartphone ecosystem apart from Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.”

If VH1 ran an episode of “Where Are They Now: Mobile Edition,” Nokia would be sure to top the list. Nokia sold only 6.3 million smartphones this past quarter (down from 16.8 million one year ago) – hardly encouraging numbers from the once-great titan. But having to choose between Android or iOS doesn’t leave the smartphone buyer with a ton of options. Will this need for a third choice be enough to lift Nokia and its Lumia 920 above the waterline? Time will tell.

That’s your weekly roundup! Did you find a great article that we happened to miss? Add it to the comments section below and feel free to gloat.