Mobile First Indexing Is Real!
Mobile indexing has changed the way we interact and connect with businesses. Where desktop was once king, it has been dethroned by a much faster way to gain solutions. So it’s no surprise that Google will now start ranking your site based off of mobile indicators and the search results will reflect this.
Technology keeps advancing and so does the insatiable hunger people show for information. Mobile phones and devices have become the new way of life. Search Engine companies are aware of this trend and are acting accordingly. And remember, search engines are for users not businesses.
With that knowledge, it makes sense that engines would cater to the user, their search intent, and which technology they’re using to get what they want.
In 2015, Google confirmed that people were using mobile devices more than the standard desktop. So the search engine behemoth began serving up the mobile version of their search index. What’s happening now was inevitable.
Should I Optimize For Mobile or Desktop First?
The user experience should always be the primary focus of any online business. Google’s decision to gravitate to mobile first indexing is also aimed at the experience of the user. This is the motivation behind making the mobile search engine index the primary source for results.
Mobile search results are nothing new. Since most people use mobile on the go and in everyday life, serving up the fastest (most accurate) results has become the main goal. But don’t count out the desktop version of your website just yet.
Let’s be honest. How do you think Google finds your website and all of its pages? Google crawls the world wide web like a spider following each silky thread of substance. It follows links and uncovers what’s valuable to users.
Optimizing your website is still what matters most. The question is whether you’re offering up what’s necessary to rank well.
Is Your Website Responsive?
Here are some things to consider for mobile devices:
First and foremost, make sure you have a user focused Responsive Website. Some people think if your mobile website has less content that that will be better. That is NOT true. The search engines are looking to see that the same content you have on your mobile version closely resembles what you have on your desktop version.
Some other Mobile Ready tips to help you are:
1. Make sure your site loads fast – make sure to clean up your code (minify), keep redirects at a bare minimum, and always optimize your images (a 1mb image can safely be reduced to below 50kb with very little image quality loss).
2. Avoid pop-ups on mobile – this includes other elements that may interfere with the user experience or page performance. Not to mention Google is going to spank you in 2017 if you do that on mobile. Bet on it.
3. Make sure you have no blocked resources – ensure that Google can see all of your CSS and JavaScript. If you’re not sure, use Google Search Console and check for them.
4. Search engines look for logical order and context on websites. So adding short, descriptive Heading tags followed by relevant content that supports the headlines is important. Your mobile and desktop versions need to be easy to read and give a visitor the information they need upfront quickly.
5. Optimize for Local – Yes. I’m sure you didn’t know that there’s an algorithm for that. Make sure to make the most of NAP (name, address, phone) in your mobile titles, heading tags, metadata, and/or content.
6. Use Rich Snippets – rich snippets is structured data that helps Google (and other search engines) understand your content better. Think about it. The more Google understands your content, the better you’ll rank and the higher you’ll place in Search Results. Rich Snippets also play a powerful role in regards to voice search results on various mobile devices.
7. Test Your Mobile Website – this seems to be obvious, but many businesses create a website and fail to test it. What are you looking for? Making sure mobile page elements are not touching or too close, fonts and images are scalable, and nothing is interfering with a mobile users experience.
Each page of your mobile site contributes to whether Google deems your site mobile friendly. So treat each page with the same mobile ready love.
Will A Mobile Website Help Me Rank?
Yes. Google will look for “ranking signals” on your mobile website version. So you still have to follow SEO best practices and appease the algorithm gods. By ensuring that you cover all of your optimization bases is what will win the day…not just whether you have a mobile website or not. Desktop version websites are still being indexed, so keep that in mind before someone tells you that mobile is the only way to go.
Did you think I forgot about Bing Mobile Search? According to Bing:
Making pages mobile-friendly increases user engagement on mobile devices. It can also help you rank better in Bing search results on mobile devices.
Are you looking to redesign your old website to be a responsive, mobile ready website? We can help. Contact us if you need a mobile ready lead generating website.