Mobile is slowly taking over desktop traffic. According to one study, over 55% of all traffic is now coming from mobile devices. While that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should kill your desktop website, it’s becoming abundantly clear that users prefer using their mobile devices to browse the web.
Google has taken notice of this trend too, and it’s planning to launch its mobile-first index soon.
What will this update mean for your online business and what can you do keep pace with the change? D6 Interactive, a Dallas SEO company, has taken a brief look at what you can expect from Google’s mobile-first index update.
What Will Change
Up until now, Google reviewed your desktop experience and content to determine where to place your website in search results. With the mobile-index update, the search engine giant will begin ranking your site based on the user's mobile experience and the content you provide to users. In other words, Google will begin favoring responsive pages that look and perform well regardless of the screen size.
The good news is that Google doesn’t have a timeline for the mobile-first index yet. Google will most likely roll out the update this year and in batches as opposed to one big change. This means that if you didn’t prepare your website for the mobile experience, you still have some time.
How to Prepare for the Mobile-First Index
Educate Yourself about the Change - Google has been very vocal about their mobile-first index plans and has published comprehensive information on the subject. Head on to the Webmaster Central Blog and learn about the update straight from the source.
Make Your Site Responsive - If your site isn’t responsive yet, then you should get busy fast. While it’s still okay to have a separate mobile site, a unique URL that adapts to all devices is the best option for your business and audience.
Move Your Primary Content on Your Mobile Site - If you don’t have a responsive design just yet, make sure to move your primary content on your mobile site. As mentioned above, once the mobile-first index becomes active, Google will look at your mobile content to determine your position in SERP.
Whether you like it or not, change is upon you. Don’t waste any more time and build a mobile-friendly site that complies with Google’s rules. Feel free to also get in touch with us at D6 Interactive, a Dallas SEO agency, to help you translate your objectives into a professional, responsive website.
Sources
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-mobile-first-indexing-what-it-is-how-you-can-prepare/212104/
https://superb.digital/search-engine-optimisation/need-know-googles-mobile-first-index/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/mobile-first-google-index
