Google, the giant of the search-engine world, has announced the latest update to their ever-changing search engine algorithm – the complex digital formula that determines where websites rank on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).
According to the Official Google Webmaster Central Blog, starting April 21, 2015, Google “will be expanding” their “use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.”
In a nutshell, this means that Google will be rewarding mobile-friendly websites with better SERP rankings, while websites that are not fully mobile compatible will be downgraded in the SERPs.
Google explains that this “change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results,” – a change that Google claims is consistent with their relentless drive to provide Internet users with the best possible on-line experience. Google goes on to say that, “Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high-quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”
While it’s virtually impossible to say just how big of an impact this change will have to both Internet users and website owners, industry-watchers believe that the fact that Google has made this algorithm change a global, rather than regional, one, is a strong indication of just how much value Google will be placing on mobile search.
So what does this all mean for businesses?
According to SearchEngineLand columnist Trond Lyngbo, “Every business will accept that without a mobile-friendly website, they’ll vanish from Google’s search results on moble devices.”
As of February 2014, mobile Internet use had surpassed desktop Internet use – American’s now use their smartphones, tablets and phablets to go on-line more frequently than they use traditional PC’s and laptops, we expect that mobile is here to stay.
Businesses that want to stay competitive will need to go mobile-friendly – here’s how.
Check If Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly – Then Take Action
Google has developed a free, easy-to-use on-line checker that allows anyone to test just how mobile compatible any website or webpage is.
Aptly named the “Mobile-Friendly Test“, you can quickly enter the URL of any website – just navigate to the website you’d like to check, cut-and-paste the address from your browser address bar onto the Google Mobile-Friendly Test page and click on ‘analyze’. Within a few seconds you’ll be given a color-coded report on just how mobile friendly the URL is.
For example, we checked out how a few popular (and not so popular) sites ranked – Amazon.com was ranked as “Awesome! This page is mobile-friendly,” in green letters.
By comparison, the URL rossfordlanes.net – the homepage of a bowling alley in Rossford, Ohio, didn’t fare so well – this website received a “Not mobile-friendly” ranking on Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
This poor result (listed in red letters) came with a report that explained that the “page appears not mobile-friendly.” because:
- The “text (is) too small to read (on a mobile device)
- The “links (are) too close together” (meaning the radio buttons are tough to use on a small touchscreen
- The “mobile viewport not set” (a technical issue that basically means this isn’t a responsive website – the page doesn’t automatically ‘scale’ to fit the screen it’s being viewed on)
If you’re website, or certain pages on your site (Google ranks each page separately), it’s time to build a responsive website that meets all of Google’s strict criteria for mobile.
We Are Mobile Website Experts
Our team of award-winning digital design experts can provide you with a mobile-friendly responsive website – one that will both protect your current SERP rankings and give you the competitive edge when it comes to achieving high Google rankings.
We have the skills and experience needed to build high-quality mobile compatible sites that perform well on mobile search – call (727) 344-2026 or email us today to learn more about what KDM can do for your business.
