Google instituted a new search update in April, to improve ranking for mobile-friendly websites.
Why? Because the majority of people use mobile devices to access the Web. Mobile access
exceeded PCs in mid-2014. Over a billion people use phones to get online – and that number will double by next year.
What’s Changed: Mobile as Ranking Factor
Google ranks websites in its search engine according to dozens of different factors. How old the site is, quality of content, good links from other sites, etc. In April, they’re adding “mobile-friendliness” as another factor.
Mobile-friendly websites will gain better Google ranking. Non-mobile-friendly sites will lose ranking.
Given how many people get online with their phones & tablets now, this is a change nobody can ignore. It’s no longer optional to have a mobile-friendly site. Now it’s 100% required.
Is Your Site Mobile-Friendly?
You can test your site’s mobile-friendliness right now. Google has set up a free tester at:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/
If the tester says YES, you are mobile-friendly, congratulations! You’ll benefit from higher rankings shortly.
If the tester says NO, you are not mobile-friendly, you have some work to do. Your site isn’t doomed…but you’d better improve its mobile responsiveness soon, or your search rankings will slide downward fast.
There are two methods of making a website mobile-friendly:
- Create a separate mobile version of the site, OR
- Modify the site to use Responsive Design. Responsive Design automatically adapts the site to the device on which it’s viewed.
We’re happy to help in making websites mobile-friendly. If you have questions about mobile websites, please contact us at
info@planetmagpie.com.