The majority of people use a mobile device to get on the Internet and Google is making changes to reward those sites that are mobile ready. Mobile-friendly sites use responsive design, which means that it features a sort of liquid template that will work with any size of device. As of April 21st, Google will be using mobile-friendliness as a ranking consideration. If you are not mobile friendly, then your ranking in the search results could be impacted significantly.
What Makes a Site Mobile-Friendly?
Have you ever been to a site that you cannot navigate using your mobile device? This is what Google is trying to keep from happening. They are looking for sites that use responsive design. This type of web design offers a mobile website that is easy to read with very little need for scrolling and resizing across many different sized devices; from desktop monitors to mobile phones and everything in between. A liquid template allows the site to change depending upon the device it is being viewed on.
Why Is Google Making This Change?
Some people estimate that more than 60% of searches are done on a mobile device, whether a tablet or smartphone. Google stated that their goal was to improve the search experience. As they and we all know, it is very frustrating to visit a website page on your mobile device that is so little that you cannot even click links without having to resize and scroll. This takes a user more time, and it often keeps them from coming back to the site. Google is trying to ensure that more searchers will find the sites that offer good mobile experiences, and they are rewarding those sites too.
Change Could Be Costly to Your Site and SEO
If your site is not ready for this change, then it could be hurting you on your website’s ranking within Google. If it is not redesigned to be more mobile friendly, then it could decrease your search hits significantly or even completely, depending upon the algorithm. The money spent to redesign your site is well worth it in the long run when you stay at the top of the Google search engine rankings and keep users coming to your site.
Not Sure?
Please contact Skol Marketing and we will offer you a FREE website check for mobile optimization and if you should worry or if your website is covered. Simply email us at info@skolmarketing.com to schedule your FREE website review today!
Don’t let Google’s changes send you into a tizzy. Take the time now to see how your site ranks on the Mobile-Friendly Test and make the changes you need to stay relevant in the search results. While this may cost you some time and money, it is essential to make the changes to create a responsive website and keep your traffic at a consistent level.
