Google’s algorithm change – Is your website Mobile optimised?
May 4th, 2015
Have you heard about the recent Google Algorithm Changes? Do you know how they will affect your business?
Google search and mobile devices have quite literally changed our lives, the ability to access content on demand, find restaurants, shops, purchase items, book accommodation, movie tickets and entertainment, all on your mobile phone whilst waiting in line for a coffee or walking down the street.
The convenience and the widespread adoption of technology, is only fueling the demand for more mobile content. In 2014 data analytics has shown that 30 percent of all online search queries originated from a mobile device, in 2015 that figure has exploded to over 60 percent. As a direct result of this surge in mobile traffic, Google has responded by transforming its search algorithm to reward web sites that are mobile friendly or responsive.
How will these Google changes impact on your business?
This Google search algorithm change is major and one of the biggest in years, more importantly it will have a big impact on every day businesses. From now on, a web site’s “mobile friendliness” will now be a key factor in determining google search rankings. Websites that are not mobile optimised will drop down on Google’s search results.
With searches through mobile devices growing at ten times the rate of desktop, if your website is not mobile friendly, your site is set to lose a third of your traffic.
What will Google be checking on your website?
The algorithm will go through every page on your site, checking for mobile friendly design and mobile best practice, responsiveness and page load times. The current algorithm change does not impact searches and rankings on tablets, however, it is inevitable that these changes will be implemented across all mobile devices, so it’s best to start planning for the future.
Some key factors include pages that are readable without having to zoom in or scroll, correct spacing of links and responsive menus, Google will also penalise sites that are Flash based.
So what does all of this mean?
In case you’re a business that strives to improve the “mobile friendliness” of your site you’ll have better mobile SEO over competitors that are slow to adapt. Then again, on the off chance that you are falling behind on mobile usability but have an incredible desktop site, your desktop SEO ranking will stay unaffected.
It’s in the best interest of all organisations to get up to speed and have a mobile optimised website, and ensure a consistent user experience across all devices. It really is a no brainer when you consider the rate at which mobile search is growing, along with the impending growth of mobile ecommerce, users are likely to move away from your brand if they are having difficulties viewing and purchasing your products, or contacting you when on your site.
If you don’t have a responsive or mobile optimised website, and need some help with mobile strategy CircleBC can help.
