You’ve probably heard of the “mobile-first indexing” Google update announced at the SMX event in Seattle. But what exactly does it mean? Short answer: if you currently aren’t thinking about your users’ mobile experience when designing and developing websites, you may need to get on board with responsive design (or get left behind).
The Mobile-First Google Update: Winning With Responsive Web Design
The main reason for this update
Already, more than 50% of Google search results are displayed on mobile devices, so having a site that simply works across platforms is no longer an option — it’s table stakes. The good news is that all sites have already been getting indexed by Google for several years now. Instead, this update will affect how much weight Google gives them in the search engine. Sites that have good mobile experiences will be rewarded with a better rank, while those that don’t may see their rank suffer. This is nothing new for Google; the company has been rewarding sites that provide a good user experience for some time now. However, with more and more people using their smartphones and tablets to search for information, this update puts an even greater emphasis on delivering a great mobile experience.
So what does all of this mean for you?
It’s time to start thinking about your website design from a mobile-first perspective. That means ensuring that all of your content is easy to read and navigate on small screens and that your buttons and links are large enough to be tapped easily. You’ll also need to consider how users will interact with your site on a touch screen. For example, will they be able to swipe to scroll through pages, or will they need to use your site’s built-in navigation? What spacing will your text have after the main body copy? Will images be able to load quickly on a 3G connection, or will they need to be scaled down? The list goes on.
What does this mean for content?
Now is also a good time to make sure you’ve got strong content that will display well across devices. While it’s true that users don’t pay much attention to meta tags like keywords and descriptions (if they use them at all), you’ll want to consider how long your pages are, as well as their density of keywords — since these factors can affect both rankings and readability. You might even want to revisit some of this information in light of Google’s recent announcement that it plans “to use entity understanding…to help return more relevant results” since users may be more likely to click on pages with longer, more detailed descriptions.
Things to keep in mind
If you’re starting fresh with a site redesign or new site build, make sure to use responsive design. (If you can’t afford to undertake a complete re-build, prioritize your mobile experience by working some responsive design into an existing site.) Make sure that your content scales down for small screens and that any multimedia files are available in both standard and high-resolution formats. Ensure that your navigation menus are visible no matter the device — consider making them disappear on smaller screens, so important links aren’t hidden from users. Finally, don’t forget about offline experiences; if you want Googlebot to index them, make sure they load through the Googlebot crawl process.
Suppose you’re already well on your way to a great mobile experience; congratulations! You’re ahead of the curve and should see your rank increase as a result of the update. Keep up the good work, and make sure to test your site across different devices and browsers. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your friendly neighborhood SEO expert.
At the end of the day
It’s important to remember that designing for mobile is about more than just following Google’s guidelines. It’s about creating an enjoyable experience for users that will keep them coming back for more. So take the time to think about what makes sense for your specific site, and don’t be afraid to experiment a little. The Mobile-First Google Update is just the beginning; responsive design is here to stay.
