Technology is continuously advancing at lightning speed, and the latest Google mobile-friendly algorithm update is no exception. Tagged with a variety of dramatic names, including mobilegeddon and mobilepocolypse, this change focuses heavily on using a site’s mobile-friendliness to determine its search ranking. The update went into effect late April and was said to “affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and … have a significant impact in our search results,” according to the Google Webmaster Central blog.
So what now? We’ve put together some key points addressing what this means to your business and how you can stay ahead of the game when it comes to optimizing your site for mobile users.
“How will this affect my business?”
Essentially, if your site is not mobile-friendly, your rank in Google’s search results will suffer. In fact, only one week after the initial rollout, many webmasters had seen some notable changes but have yet to see any radical differences in results and analytics. However, as with any major update, the full effects of the newly renovated algorithm can take weeks to be felt, and therefore should not be cast aside as insignificant.
“Why should I care?”
If you’re asking yourself “Why should I care? The majority of my customers won’t search for me on mobile devices anyway,” we’d strongly advise you to think again and look at the research to see why mobile-optimization can no longer be ignored. Not only is Google in the number one spot for mobile and tablet search engine market share, with a whopping 92.71%, but mobile usage itself is skyrocketing, with estimates of up to 60% of searches online coming from mobile devices.
In addition to adhering to Google’s latest requirements to make sure your site is easy to find on the search engine, mobile-friendliness is also extremely vital in establishing, building and retaining customer relationships. Consumers these days are easily frustrated by sites they visit on their smartphones that have small, unreadable text and links that they have to zoom in on or strain to see. Making your site as user-friendly as possible across all devices is one sure way to provide visitors with a positive experience that will keep them coming back for more.
“How can I make the most of it?”
As the saying goes, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Make the most of this recent update by changing it from a thorn in your side to an opportunity to make your website the best it can be for your customers. We promise they will thank you in the end. First things first; utilize Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see how your pages stand up to the revamped algorithm. This will give you an idea of what your site may or may not need to stay ahead of the curve with the recent update. Next, make a game plan for how you’re going to take action on updating your site, noting what tasks you need to call on experts for and what you may be able to handle on your own.
Whether you recognize the importance of optimizing your site for mobile users or this information is all news to you, our team at Stray Media Group can help you navigate the choppy waters of the ever-changing web. To learn more about what we can do for you and your business, contact us today.