From the 21st of April, Google has rolled out a new algorithm that heralds significant changes for the way businesses rank on mobile devices.
Because around 50 per cent of website search now comes from mobile devices, Google are changing their algorithm to give search ranking priority to those websites that are optimised for mobile – or “mobile-friendly.” The algorithm update has been dubbed ‘Mobilegeddon’ because it seems certain to create upheaval around website rankings and change the way SEO is done in digital marketing agencies.
Mobile-friendly sites are sites that have responsive web design that optimises them for mobile-use (including resizing text and images). Work also goes into the back-end of the site to make sure Google’s robots can read it correctly.
If you’re worried your site isn’t mobile friendly – and with the new algorithm, it should be of some concern – you can test it out with Google’s own ‘mobile-friendly test.’
The algorithm will only change the way mobile users see you in search rankings – so on desktop computers, rankings remain the same. It’s unclear exactly how much of change the update will make, but Google warned in February that it would have a “significant impact” on search rankings.
So what can you do in light of these changes? Undertake the mobile friendly test, avoid common mistakes that make mobile your website’s enemy, and contact our digital marketing agency to find out how we can help you optimise your website for mobile and improve your mobile search ranking.
