Latest online marketing news is that Google has announced that it has been experimenting with a mobile first index.
- But what is a mobile first index?
- Why has it been introduced?
- And what is the potential impact for websites and eCommerce stores?
We are here to help answer your questions.
What is the Mobile First Index?
Earlier this month Google announced officially that it was shifting its focus from desktop to mobiles to reflect how Google is now used. Their statement is:
“Today, most people are searching on Google using a mobile device. However, our ranking systems still typically look at the desktop version of a page’s content to evaluate its relevance to the user. This can cause issues when the mobile page has less content than the desktop page because our algorithms are not evaluating the actual page that is seen by a mobile searcher.”
The resulting change in their algorithms to focus solely on mobile first is going to see large changes in the way that websites are ranked by Google and how they are presented.
Why has it been introduced?
It is no secret that the vast number of Google users now use their smartphones to make their searches. Indeed, Google has already changed their platform to better suit these users, an example being the removal of side ads in search results.
The new mobile first index is another example of Google taking a more focused approach to better suit their users. After all, without their users Google would no longer be able to compete.
What is the Potential Impact for Websites and eCommerce Stores?
Whilst Google has been placing a preference on mobile friendly websites and mobile friendly content, this change in Google’s algorithm will only further impact websites that are not yet responsive, or perform poorly when viewed on mobiles.
Any websites that have a separate mobile website for mobile users could see some impact on their rankings and traffic depending on how these have been set up.
What Actions can you take to protect your Rankings?
To help protect your website from Google’s new mobile first index you can undertake the following tasks:
- Check that your website is responsive, if not, make it responsive
- Check that mobile users on your website have a good user experience, if not, look into ways to improve the UX
- Test your website’s speed; smartphones need fast loading websites and website content
The team at ExtraDigital is on hand to talk you through what is needed to ensure that your website is protected against Google’s increasingly mobile focused actions.
Call us today on 01227 68 68 98 or tell us about your website below.
