Have you prepared your website for the just released, updated Google search algorithm?
If yes, congratulations on maintaining a current website and staying abreast on the changes in our search-driven world. (I would still encourage you to keep reading. Just in case.)
If your answer is no, or you have no ideas what I’m talking about, let me catch you up.
In February, Google casually gave the world of website owners, web developers and marketers good indication of a coming change to their search engine’s ranking algorithm. This casual indication included a release of Google’s mobile-friendly test, which indicated what we all knew had to be upon us soon, a priority search ranking for sites that adjust for smaller screens.
In other words, a website that is developed and designed for viewing on a mobile device is a must by Google’s standards. Even a mobile website that has slow loading pages, blocked images or videos that do not play on mobile devices will be lessened in their search ranking by Google.
This has caused a lot of buzz, worry and scrambling to make sure websites are up to date in order to retain their search rankings. The new adjustment to Google’s algorithm was released on April 21, but unlike some other search updates by the search engine in the past, it may not cause immediate impact to a site’s SEO. However, action by companies to ensure their websites are mobile-friendly should still be taken as soon as possible.
I have a feeling your first question is probably…
Why should I care?
- Google is used by two-thirds of the U.S. search market.
- 60% of web traffic is viewed on mobile devices today, as reported by FORTUNE and looks to be growing each day.
- This is just the first step in mobile-optimization. We should be thanking Google for the friendly push.
- TechCrunch estimates that over 44% of Fortune 500 websites are not mobile optimized. This means greater opportunities to stay ahead of your competition.
- You need to be where your customers are. If 60% of web traffic is viewed on a mobile device, and that number is likely to increase, don’t you want to be readily available to them?
Did I get your attention? Sounds pretty important to have a mobile site, doesn’t it? Have no fear. The greatest feature of a website is that its development is never final, and it is a platform that allows for constant updating.
From a marketing viewpoint, this is a great opportunity to review your digital presence. We know the internet isn’t going anywhere, and people seeking information isn’t going anywhere either, so why not take your digital marketing presence to new heights?
What a perfect time to not only become mobile-friendly, but what about updating your website to be more customer-friendly, SEO-friendly, navigation-friendly, content-friendly…you get the picture.
You won’t have to go it alone, however. We’re here to help.
Reach out to us and we’ll take a deeper look at your current site and create a plan together that will not only create a website that can be viewed responsively on smaller screens, but connects current and new communication channels with you target customers.
Important note: This new Google search change doesn’t hinder desktop or tablet search rankings, but one could confidently assume more emphasis will be directed towards that way in the future.
