Earlier this week, we hosted Tap to Convert: Top Mobile Strategies that Work, and what an event it was. Not only was it our first live event with the team at NP Digital, but Neil Patel, Founder of NP Digital, joined us himself.
One of the most recognisable names in digital marketing, Neil brought his signature energy, storytelling and no-nonsense insights to the stage – setting the tone for a morning filled with big ideas and practical takeaways.
Alongside Neil Patel, we were also joined by Luke O’Leary, SVP, Strategy & Operations at NP Digital, and our own Megan Dean, Strategic Growth Director at Clair Software. Each speaker brought a different lens to the conversation, but a clear theme emerged: in 2025, the rules of digital growth are being rewritten, and mobile and app sits at the heart of it all.
Below’s a full debrief of the event, from AI’s impact on search to the changing landscape of app store engagement.
Mobile is the future (and the future Is already here)
Neil Patel kicked off the morning with a keynote that combined data, storytelling, and a healthy dose of humour. And while Neil might be best known for building one of the most powerful SEO tools in the world, Ubersuggest, his message for the audience was clear: we’ve moved beyond mobile-first. We are now in a mobile-dominant world, and marketing needs to reflect that reality. Most brands continue to approach mobile as just another channel. In reality, it represents the core user experience.
Neil Patel unpacked how user behaviour has fundamentally shifted. Today’s digital journeys begin and end on smartphones. Whether it’s voice search from your six-year-old, TikTok-fuelled product discovery, or one-tap purchases from a push notification, the way people expect to interact with your brand has changed dramatically.
Some highlights from Neil’s keynote:
- Apps aren’t optional: 90%+ of mobile time is spent in apps, and app conversion rates are 130% higher than mobile web. If your app isn’t driving ROI, it’s probably a UX issue, not a demand one.
- Voice is the new keyboard: Neil Patel shared how his own children regularly place orders though Alexa, a reminder how the next generation are not just mobile-first, but voice-first. As behaviour shifts, brands will need to design experiences that align with how users speak, not just how they type.
- Push and SMS still outperform: Despite their age, push notifications and SMS consistently outperform email in both open and conversion rates.
- AI will accelerate mobile adoption: As AI interfaces become more deeply embedded in mobile OS and app flows, expect even greater reliance on mobile for both discovery and decision-making. Speed directly impacts sales. A slow mobile site or poorly performing app results in lost users and decreased revenue.
Luke O’Leary: Rethinking the Search journey in the age of AI
Following Neil Patel, NP Digital’s Luke O’Leary dug into how AI is transforming user discovery, particularly in search.
Traditional user journeys – linear, keyword-led, conversion-focused, are being replaced by fluid, exploratory behaviours. Luke described today’s landscape as the “messy middle,” where users bounce between platforms (TikTok, ChatGPT, Reddit, Instagram, Google) before they even land on your website or app. It’s no longer just about where you rank. It’s about where you’re referenced.
Key trends Luke highlighted:
- Search has gone social: For younger users, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are fast becoming primary search engines, and content must be optimised accordingly.
- AI Overviews are changing the SERP: Google’s AI-generated summaries mean users are getting answers without needing to click. If your content isn’t cited in these responses, your organic traffic is at risk.
- Content ≠ SEO alone: Luke urged brands to move away from keyword-stuffing and instead focus on creating content that is referable, summarisable, and valuable – especially as AI tools begin pulling from a broader range of sources.
- Micro-influencers are winning: As trust in traditional media and macro-influencers declines, micro-creators and niche forums are becoming the new authority and they’re influencing how AI systems surface content.
Search Everywhere Optimisation – Meet users where they are
To close the presentations, Clair Software’s Megan Dean discussed Search Everywhere Optimisation, For Mobile.
The concept? Users no longer search in just one place so your brand needs to be optimised everywhere they might look.
The journey doesn’t start in the App Store anymore. But that’s often where it ends. Megan broke down what’s changing in mobile behaviour and how to adapt:
- App Store visits are up, but searches are down: Users are browsing app stores more than searching, making editorial features, in-app events, and collections more important for visibility and re-engagement.
- Web-to-app strategies are on the rise: To combat friction-heavy onboarding flows and privacy-related attribution challenges, many brands are moving conversion upstream via mobile landing pages and pushing users into the app after capturing intent.
- Voice and contextual search are surging: Long-tail and voice-driven search terms are gaining traction (“best dating app for introverts,” “apps for tracking meditation”). Optimising for behavioural and situational keyword clusters is key for effective App Store Optimization.
Mobile UX needs a rethink: Megan illustrated the drop-off in typical app onboarding journeys (5+ steps before reaching core content). In a world of instant gratification, brands need to streamline the user journey to key actions.
She also touched on Android’s new ‘Collections’ feature, which allows for personalised app content feeds within the Google Play Store, creating new opportunities for app discovery and retention.
Bringing it all together: Why mobile can’t be a silo
Across all three sessions, one message came through loud and clear:
Mobile isn’t just part of your digital strategy. It is your digital strategy.
Whether it’s building discoverability in AI summaries, tailoring app onboarding for retention, or driving conversions through push notifications and social commerce – mobile is the thread that connects it all.
It touches every stage of the funnel:
- Awareness: AI summaries, social search, influencer citations
- Consideration: Voice queries, editorial features, multimodal search
- Conversion: App UX, push notifications, QR code bridges, SMS
- Retention: In-app events, Collections, personalisation, re-engagement flows
And with AI amplifying everything from targeting to content generation, mobile experiences must now be faster, more relevant, and more human than ever before.
Want to learn more about our mobile growth strategies or upcoming events? Get in touch https://yodelmobile.com/contact-us/.
