In recent years, Google has been emphasizing the importance of mobile-friendly websites in response to the continuous increase in people who access the internet on their smartphones. In January, 2015, Google even started sending mass notifications to companies with non-mobile friendly websites via email and its Google Webmaster Tools, advising them to fix their issues before they face problems with mobile ranking in the future.
Just this February, a Search Engine Land article confirmed that starting April 21, 2015, Google will start using mobile-friendliness as a major criteria in their mobile search result ranking, worldwide. This aims to provide mobile users relevant and high-quality results optimized for their device. Webmasters can use Google’s guides and determine whether their sites or pages are meeting mobile-friendliness and usability standards.
Many a professional SEO consultant notes that back in 2013, Google had started penalizing broken mobile sites in a bid to address usability problems for smartphone users. Google experts Yoshikiyo Kato and Pierre Far even mentioned that they plan to implement several ranking changes in the future for misconfigured sites that impede optimal mobile browsing experiences.
Previously, notifications were merely centered on usability issues, but today, it involves mobile ranking. How does this work? As per Practical E-Commerce, the algorithm that Google’s about to launch will be applied on a page by page and real-time basis. This means the unfriendly quality of some of your sections does not cause your whole site to be labeled as unfriendly. Real time means that no matter what updates you make to your site, mobile-friendly or not, you can see results right away.
Google’s actions are centered around providing a pleasant user experience. You should do the same if you want to compete well in the online field and encourage customer loyalty. If you don’t have a mobile- friendly website, you can meet the upcoming algorithm demand through a responsive version, which Temecula SEO firms like 5 Star Brand can design for you.
A responsive website is able to retain its quality regardless of whether a desktop computer, laptop, or mobile device is being used. It automatically resizes its images, maintains its text legibility, and reconfigures its navigation menus. Responsive design is considered very functional and cost-efficient as it eliminates the need to create multiple website versions for different devices.
Many business owners hate the idea of website redesign, but a site that delivers satisfying user experience across multiple devices has a way of paying for itself through better Google ranking, increased customer loyalty and higher conversion rates. So call an SEO expert now and enjoy the benefits that mobile-friendly, responsive websites can bring to your business.
(Source: Google Search Algorithm Adds Mobile-Friendly Factors & App Indexing To Ranking, Search Engine Land, February 26, 2015)
