As the dominant force in online search, Google makes the rules for how easy it is to find your Website. Recognizing that over half of all search now occurs on mobile devices, Google has been hinting for some time that they would change how they rank and display Websites, giving preference to sites that are “mobile-friendly”. The hints are about to become fact – and in a big way.
On April 21, Google will change their search algorithms to greatly favor mobile-friendly Websites. One big result of this change will be to punish the search rankings of anyone whose site isn’t mobile friendly. What does that mean? It means that many businesses will be pushed off the first page of search results – and for most searches, if you’re not on the first page, your site may as well be invisible. Even those companies who have put money into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve their Website’s free search position will likely still get buried in Google’s rankings, if their site isn’t mobile friendly.
If you’re worried about your company’s Website, Google makes it easy to determine whether or not they think your site is mobile-friendly. They published a tool anyone can use to check a site. You can find that tool here. Put in the name of the site you want to check. Google will tell you if you have anything to worry about.
Site already mobile-friendly? Congratulations! But what if your site doesn’t do so well on the Google test? What can you do about it? And if you really depend on your Website, what can you do QUICKLY? Contact us today. We offer a number of options, from special mobile-only optimized sites (that can often be deployed in a few days), to assistance with complete Web site remodels.
