In this post we will sum up the impending Google Mobile Apocalypse.
Google has announced that “mobile friendliness” will now be part of the search ranking formula starting in April 2015. Like most major Google updates there has been a lot of people online shouting that “the sky is falling” and quit possibly “the end is near.” This happens with almost every notable Google shift. Search marketing and web development companies are leading the online charge to “fear” business owners into making buying decisions.
The Bottom Line: This IS Important. Not “sky falling” important, but the update will effect your online visitation depending on your market and competition.
What Does Google Mobile Friendly Mean? For inbound mobile traffic (primarily handheld smart phones) Google will now give a higher priority to websites that deliver an enhanced mobile experience. There are hundreds of search ranking factors, and they will still be in play. Even IF your site is not mobile friendly you will still be included in the search results depending on competition and your Authority in the marketplace.
Important! This Google change only impacts visitation from mobile users.
How Does It Work? Your website either IS or IS NOT mobile friendly. Google determines this in real time on a page-by-page basis. Every page of your website is subject to this filter. Remember, it is only for inbound mobile traffic.
Is My Website Mobile Friendly? Google has set up a nifty online tool to check your website out in advance. We have to assume this tool uses the same filter factors as the Algorithm. You can check your site here and don’t forget interior pages! www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/
How Do I Make My Site Mobile Friendly? This topic could cover multiple blog posts. In a nutshell there are several ways to create a website that provides a rich experience for your mobile visitors. The best place to start is by contacting RightNow to review your current website and discuss your long term marketing goals.
Important! Whenever you redesign your website it is critical to have your SEO team onboard early to prevent any loss in search engine equity!
What About Mobile SEO? This is an easy one – RightNow has you covered! Seriously though, if your site performs well in organic and local search then you should be in great shape as long as your site meets Googles mobile friendliness test. There are hints that mobile specific SEO may be coming in the future.
Who Does This Help or Hurt? Big brands have been gearing up for this for a long time now and will be just fine. Businesses that depend heavily on Local Search will experience significant losses if they are not mobile compliant. If you have a static HTML site, or are on a proprietary platform you may have your work cut out for you. If you are already on a popular CMS platform like WordPress or Drupal then you should have no problem making the transition to mobile friendlyville.
What About Branded Search? If your have an established brand that is recognized by Google currently then mobile friendliness should not impact your search engine results for brand specific search.
Will Spam Rule The Day (Again?) No. This will not be another spam free-for-all that shows mobile friendly junk sites before legitimate non-mobile friendly websites. There may be some exceptions but generally speaking this is not an issue.
Moving Forward: RightNow is running an Audit for all of our clients to determine what needs to be done to address the Google Mobile update. If you have any immediate questions please shoot us an email or give us a call!