Google's Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Update... What, why and how?

Mobile internet usage surpassed PC usage in early 2014, signaling the fact that people are leveraging the power of mobile devices. This trend is expected to continue in the future.

At the end of February 2015, Google announced its intention to update its mobile friendly algorithm on April 21, 2015, in response to the obvious shift in internet usage patterns. The update will not affect tablets.

What is Google's Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Update?

With this update, Google will extend the use of ‘mobile friendliness’ as a ranking signal, a move that will significantly influence search results. The fact that Google made this announcement 7 weeks ahead of time is an indication that this update is going to be bigger than other updates rolled out in recent years.

Why are they doing it?

Google is refreshing its search engine, because it wants to enhance viewing for users, so that the online experience is the same on mobile as it is on PCs.

How will your website be affected by it?

Sites that are already optimized for the small screen will rank high on the Google mobile search results page. However, if your website and landing pages are not mobile friendly, your company is going to experience diminished mobile traffic. That’s because mobile friendly sites will rank higher, effectively pushing your website lower on the rankings.

Even if your website previously made the first Google results page, that won’t happen after April 21 if it’s not mobile ready. Since users don’t usually bother to look on the second or third pages of Google results, it will result in major fallout.

If your website is not mobile friendly i.e. has links that are easy to click, or text that is easy to read, it’s time to build a responsive website. If you don’t deliver a quality mobile experience, Google will not take your site into account when indexing websites.

Contact Highpoint Media today to discuss making your website responsive.