• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, October 22, 2015

Searching for the perfect Halloween costume, recipes for butternut squash soup, or napkins and tablecloth for the Thanksgiving dinner table, people turn to mobile devices when they want to make decisions. Many of those searches are done on YouTube looking for how-to videos or Google to find the local retailers selling the products.

In fact, YouTube ranks No. 2 with 98,929 unique visitors in June 2015, according to comScore Mobile Metrics' Top 25 Apps by Unique Visitors. Google Search came in at No. 4 with 81,090. Facebook ranked No. 1 with 125,727; and Facebook Messenger was at No. 3 with 95,670. Google Play with 77,387 rounded out the top five.

Companies like Lyman Orchards, and Blitsy will optimize content, work under Google's guidelines to rank higher in organic search query results, and possibly contribute to eMarketer's forecast that brands will spend $30.45 billion in 2015 to reach consumers on mobile devices, up from $19.15 billion in 2014. The data firm estimates worldwide mobile advertising spend will reach $72.1 million in 2015, up from $42.4 million in 2014.

Google says it's important for companies to "be there," "be useful," and "be quick." Four in five consumers use a search engine to find local information such as store addresses, business hours, product availability and directions. Lyman Orchards, the twelfth-oldest family-owned business in the United States, has a complete online listing. Deeded in 1741, the 1,100-acre farm in Central Connecticut will celebrate its 275th anniversary throughout 2016. The company connects with potential visitors using Google My Business, which provides driving directions, hours of operation, a phone number, and photos to people searching for fun fall activities across all of their devices.

Similarly, the online craft supply store Blitsy merges old-school hobbies with modern-day technology by helping crafters discover the latest designs and trends from their favorite brands. The craft store leverages YouTube to create how-to video content, including DIY Halloween Bats, Witch Broom Drink Stirrers, and Easy 3D Paper Pumpkins.

Sharing knowledge helps others make decisions. in fact, 26% of shoppers say online videos are their go­-to source for gift ideas, and 32% of shoppers say they plan to use online video more this year for holiday purchases.