We’ve often discussed how mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are playing an ever-more important role in the world of website design and search engine optimisation, and this has been further confirmed by Google’s latest announcement. It has been stated that there will be significant changes in May involving mobile search results. The updates will make Google’s mobile-friendly ranking signal more important and influential than ever, helping to improve the relevancy of search results and enabling users to locate the most mobile friendly websites for the easiest and most enjoyable browsing experience.
Google first began classifying sites as “mobile friendly” in November 2014 to identify which sites were optimised for users to visit on their phones. Three months later, they announced that search ranking results would now be influenced by mobile friendliness alongside the other factors traditionally influencing SEO, such as high quality content. This new announcement takes this a step further, reflecting the fact that more and more people are now primarily using their mobiles to browse and search for products and services.
In order to qualify as mobile friendly a site must meet certain criteria. The text must be sized to suit mobile device screens, and must be readable without the need to zoom in or scroll. The site must not incorporate software that is not commonly used on mobile devices, and links must be strategically placed so that users can easily click on them from their mobile device. You can use the Mobile-Friendly Test to check whether your site lives up to these requirements.
If your site is already mobile friendly, you won’t be affected by the new changes. However, your site has still not been optimised for mobiles, now is the time to make some changes so you’ll be ready for the update in May. Modern internet users want and expect sites that work well on a variety of different devices, so this is one of the most beneficial steps you can take to help your site’s performance and give your business the best chance of online success. Get in touch with our team of North East web developers and designers to find out how we can help make your website mobile friendly.