Google has recently implemented one of its biggest changes to its mobile search ranking algorithm ever. The media have dubbed the changes “mobilegeddon”.
So what is this change?
Basically, Google now prioritise websites that are “mobile-friendly” when people use the search engine on their mobile phones or tablets. Sites that are not mobile-friendly will still appear in the search results, but they will be ranked lower than those that are mobile friendly.
Why should you care?
The downside is that if your site is not mobile-friendly you will lose search traffic. Figures vary, but there is no denying that mobile browsing, and mobile search, now accounts for a significant portion of all search traffic (and is still rising). It is certainly significant enough that you can’t afford to lose your slice of this pie.
The upside is that most businesses still don’t have mobile-friendly sites. A recent article in The Age quoted Ewan Watt of roi.com.au as saying that “66 per cent of the nation’s websites weren’t optimised for mobile devices”. That means if you act now, you can jump ahead of your competitors in the search results and actually claim more traffic.
How do you know if your site is going to be affected by these changes?
If you simply visit your website on a smart phone and it’s difficult to read (you need to pinch and zoom to read), or you have trouble clicking the links because they are too close together, then you have a problem. If you have a separate site for mobile browsers, you also have a problem.
To be sure though, you should check your site using Google’s Mobile Friendly Test Tool. Make sure you test not only your home page, but also your main sales conversion pages.
If your site fails the test, then you need to update it NOW!
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