In March of 2018, Google released a statement regarding their roll out for the Mobile-First Index, once again changing the parameters and priorities of how search ranking will be distinguished.
Being the principal authority of the internet’s search world, what Google says, goes, and keeping up with their shifting algorithms and procedures is a must to stay afloat and remain a contender in the search ranking world.
So what does any of this mean? Simply put, the Mobile-First Index now considers the “mobile” version of your website to be the “true” and “only” version.
And yes….you read that right.
From Google: “Mobile-first indexing means that we’ll use the mobile version of the page for indexing and ranking, to better help our – primarily mobile – users find what they’re looking for.”
Google knows better than anyone, that trends show consumers moving towards all mobile search. 60% of all searches today are on mobile devices, in fact. And that number is growing so significantly, that Google decided to now only use your website’s mobile version in considering rankings in search queries. If you fail to optimize your website for mobile, there will be some consequences from Google.
And how does this change affect your business??
First and foremost, you need to have a mobile compatible website in place. For years, outdated websites that still followed best practices using proper optimization and content formatting were able to stay alive. This is no longer going to fly. Your website needs to be mobile-friendly and then some to stay afloat and be found in search results. So, how can you optimize your website for mobile and what exactly can you do? Keep reading to learn more.
How To Optimize For Google’s Mobile-First Index
#1- Get Mobile Friendly!
This is the first (and most crucial) step. Your desktop-only dinosaur website has got to go. Whether you developed it yourself, used a custom web firm, or a template-driven platform, your website must be mobile-friendly. Google is even shaking its finger at M. mobile sites and prefers all mobile sites to be created with responsive design instead.
Still with me? There is a lot more.
#2- You Need Consistency
Have you ever noticed a familiar desktop website on mobile seem different? More compact? Less “stuff” on the open pages? Dropdown tabs, accordion displays, and other “save real estate space” functions have been very common with mobile website versions. But Google is looking at that differently now. A test study conducted by Dejan Marketing showed that “hidden content appears to be devalued in mobile-first index.” This means if it is hidden on the page, Google isn’t paying attention to it. That means if you have a slimmed-down version of your website for mobile, it is now the index Google will pull from. Yikes.
#3- Get Your Mobile Site Healthy
Your mobile site needs to be in tip-top shape to perform high in the rankings. Google has made this so easy to test by giving you a handful of tools to run your website against.
- Mobile Friendly Test Tool not only gives you a yes or no but will also give you recommendations on how to fix found issues and shows a detailed list of partial loaded pages or pages that do not work at all.
- Google Search Console has many mobile-friendly tests and suggestions for better health as well.
Testing and maintaining your mobile site’s health is a key component in staying in good standing with Google. As Google lays the new groundwork and test-driven changes to the search world, you must stay informed and ready to change with them.
Google says, “We are notifying sites that are migrating to mobile-first indexing via Search Console. Site owners will see significantly increased crawl rate from the Smartphone Googlebot. Additionally, Google will show the mobile version of pages in Search results and Google cached pages.”
#4- Hire A Website Marketing Team
Sometimes it’s best to focus on what you know, and let others do what you don’t know.
When you hire an SEO company to do your website marketing, you are able to focus on what you do best while your healthy website generates business. Read more about why you shouldn’t DIY your own marketing.
It’s crucial to fully optimize your website for mobile in order for your website to be found and stay afloat in search results. At SolutionBuilt, we understand the shifting currents of SEO marketing and search best practices. We have the team and skill set to help your website stay atop of the pile while keeping it maintained and optimized for maximum success.
Our in-house SEO experts build a custom strategy based on your unique needs. We start all SEO campaigns with a custom strategy that includes keyword and market research, goals and timeframes setup, lead and goal tracking set up, execute SEO campaign, collect and evaluate data, and more. This helps establish a strong framework and drive quality conversions. We design and manage Search Engine Marketing (SEM) solutions that make your website findable and drive quality website visits and conversions.
You want leads. Our SEO services in Atlanta and Marietta deliver quality sale leads and increase your visibility. At SolutionBuilt, we can take care of all your SEO and website maintenance needs. We have experienced talent in a variety of areas, including technical, creative, marketing, analytics, design, development, content, and more, so your marketing campaign and website are always running smoothly and regularly refined and updated.