Google Mobile Update Will Impact Your Search Rankings
If you sell online or simply have a website to that dislays your business information, starting on April 21, you may find your website moving up the Google search rankings. Or you may see a significant drop in traffic from a Google search. Acting on well documented frustrations from mobile users, Google announced their first mobile ranking update. Starting April 21st Google’s mobile update will enforce higher standards for all websites in its search rankings.
What are these standards; will they impact my business?
If you have a website of any description the message is clear. Time time to become mobile ready is now!
- If your website is not mobile friendly after April 21 you will begin losing visibility in the Google search results; especially to competitors who have a mobile friendly website.
- If your website is mobile friendly you will be rewarded with increased search rankings.
Now while the message might be clear, the impact could be profound and search marketing professionals fully expect the update to hit more businesses than Panda and Penguin; the updates which saw thousands of business sites drop down the search pages.
You probably have an idea of what mobile friendly means to you
You may have a smartphone yourself, and that you know too well the frustration of panning across a website that just doesn’t fit into a mobile screen. But sadly, fitting into a mobile screen might not be enough to conquer Google’s mobile update. Even if you incorporate mobile design practices Google might still knock your site a peg or two down the search results.
Safeguard your website today!
If you are one of the thousands of businesses who have yet to embrace mobile time is running out. The best defense is to follow what Google’s advice on mobile devices. Run a quick Google Mobile Friendly Test and find out if your website is mobile friendly in Google’s eyes. If the answer is yes, you’re on you’re way to better results on the search pages. There are three areas that Google is suggesting business owners and webmasters concentrate on:
- Make it easy for customers. The easier it is for a customer to find contact information, product information to to engage with your site, the better search results you’ll be enjoying
- Measure the effectiveness of your efforts. Decide what the most important components of your website are and then make them as easily accessible throughout your site. Make sure the components you’re prioritizing are equally accessible on any device. “Mobile shoppers put ease of use foremost when it comes to mobile shopping sites, with 48% of respondents citing it as the most important quality of a mobile site they visit,” according to MediaPost.
- Google favor responsive design for websites. RWD websites appear differently depending on the device but they use the same code. RWD allows one website to adjust to the device being used. Starting in 2014, Elvin Web Marketing only builds RWD websites. Contact us if you have questions about RWD or want to upgrade your website to RWD.
Another handy tool to use is Google’s Page Speed Insights. Pay particular attention to the mobile tab which will give you grades for mobile speed and usability. Make sure to note any recommendations Google gives you. These will help to safeguard your site against any drop in mobile search rankings. One other note about page speed. Google will roll out soon a “slow page warning” on the search results. While its impact on SEO is uncertain, its impact on click throughs will be apparent.
Here is a image from K Neeraj Kayastha courtesy of our friends at Search Engine Land:
Is mobile worth the effort?
A key fact to remember with Google’s mobile ranking update is that it won’t affect your desktop rankings. But whether you like it or not, mobile devices are fast taking over the internet landscape. Not responding could be devastating for your visibility in the search results.
Key considerations:
- 1 in 4 Google searches are on mobiles – Ignoring mobile is like ignoring 25% of your customer base.
- 88% of consumers search for local business information on mobile devices.
- Mobile users are more likely to visit your store after a local search – In fact almost 20% more than desktop searchers!
- 60% of users who don’t find what they are looking for right away on a mobile site will quickly move on to another site.
Can you afford to ignore mobile? NO!
There is a lot more Google will do to improve mobile web standards that have not announced. It won’t be long before Google rolls out more mobile updates that impact small businesses. If you want to future proof your website and protect yourself against any potential threats from Google’s mobile update, Call Elvin Web Marketing to secure your website against Google’s mobile update. (203)882-0171