As of Tuesday the 21st of April – Google will change the way search results return queries based around mobile friendly website design. What does this mean for you as a business owner? Typically, Google search results are non-biased. Meaning all platforms and devices are ranked equally, regardless of whether your website is optimised for mobile or not. However, after he 21st of April Google will prioritise search results on mobile platforms (Phones and tablets) towards websites that are mobile friendly, meaning that if your website isn’t mobile optimised you could find yourself slipping down the rankings on Google.
What exactly does this mean for my business and how does it work?
The changes to Google’s search algorithm means that any searches made from mobile platforms such as phones and tablets will favor websites that are deemed mobile friendly by Google. For example if you are in the Restaurant industry and your competitor’s website is mobile friendly, they will be prioritised in a search made from a mobile platform over your website if you do not have a mobile friendly website design. Bottom line, if you do not have a mobile friendly website and are in a competitive industry in which you rely on organic search results from Google you are at an immediate disadvantage by not having a responsive website.
Does this mean my website will disappear from Google Altogether?
No. Your Website will not disappear from Google’s search results. However, if your Website was developed solely with desktop in mind your placement in Google’s search results (made from mobile devices) will be less prolific than before, meaning your exposure on the internet will change.
Is My Website Mobile Friendly?
If you’re not sure whether your website is mobile friendly or not, you can check Google’s Mobile Test to see. Whatever way you look at it, having your website display on mobile platforms is vital nowadays as more than 60% of web users search for content on the web using their phones and mobile devices.
My Website isn’t Mobile Friendly, what should I do?
If your Website didn’t pass Google’s Mobile Friendly Website Design test then you can take steps to make sure your traffic and search relevance doesn’t suffer too much as a result. First and foremost, you will need to develop your Website in accordance to Google’s new benchmarks. At Opus Creative we offer all our clients Mobile Friendly Website Design as standard. However, if you have previously developed a project with another company we are happy to help you turn your existing design into a responsive mobile friendly website.
Items Google’s new algorithm looks for when determining if your Website is Mobile Friendly:
- Larger, more legible text on mobile platforms
- Use of clean graphical style
- Links with adequate spacing
- Removal of non-conformity web technologies such as Flash
- Clearly defined viewports
How long will it take for the changes to reflect on Google?
The new algorithm is real time so any changes made to your websites structure will be reflected in Google almost immediately, meaning the sooner you get pro-active about optimising your website for mobile the better. With a more than 60% of people using their mobile devices to search for content on the web now is the time to ensure you have a mobile friendly website design to avoid becoming invisible in search results.
Please help me with my Mobile Friendly Website Design
At Opus Creative we can help you avoid loosing traffic with Google’s new updated search engine. If you have an existing website that needs to be optimised for mobile platforms then we can help. You can get in touch with us by email hello[at]opuscreative.ie – Alternatively, you can call Ray for Design queries on +353 (86) 730 3241 or Gareth for Developer queries on +353 (85) 741 8619
