You may have heard mobile first indexing being mentioned, but not be aware of what it will mean for your business. The fact is, this is an important change in the world of SEO so you need to pay attention to it. Failure to do so could lead to you losing out on precious search engine rankings.
The aim of this article is to improve your awareness of mobile first indexing. Reading it should make you aware of how to be better prepared for when it becomes a reality, in the latter part of 2017.
What is mobile first indexing?
The majority of people now use a mobile device to access the Internet. Last year, Google announced its intention to test mobile first indexing, in recognition of this fact. This is a new way of determining search engine rankings, by using the mobile website of a business or organisation as the first port of call. What this means for you as a business is that, when mobile first indexing is introduced, your mobile website will be used to determine how high you appear in search engine rankings, not the desktop version of your site.
This only applies if you have a mobile web presence. But, let’s face it, what business can afford not to with mobile web browsing being so prevalent.
What do you need to do?
If you are already ahead of the game, and your mobile web presence is fully optimised, you may not have to do anything. But, this is not going to be the case for many businesses. Do not forget that simply making use of responsive web design is not enough, although it’s a good start. You still have to concentrate on providing a good user experience for mobile users. Here are some tips to help you.
- Always think mobile first. Your website design should be centred around mobile users first, and then adapted for desktop.
- Make sure your load speeds are quick. Mobile users expect load speeds of around 2-3 seconds. When it comes to search engine rankings, you will be penalised if your load speeds are slow.
- Make sure links can be accessed easily using a small touch screen.
- Use a font that enables mobile users to view content easily, without having to zoom.
All of these factors should help you optimise your web presence for mobile.
Mobile optimisation has been an important consideration for a while now. As a business, you cannot afford to miss out on such a large potential audience. Now, it’s becoming even more vital. If you do not make sure your mobile web presence is optimised your search engine rankings could suffer. The expected arrival of mobile first indexing is not too far away. This is why it’s a good idea to make a start on necessary changes straight away. You need to give yourself time to make sure your mobile website is as effective as possible. If you feel as though you are struggling with making this happen, you may want to speak to experts in web design in Sydney. They can help take the workload off your shoulders, and produce the results you need.
About The Author
Deepu Balan
Hi there! I’m a web UI/UX architect. This is my online playground, my beautiful space to share my passions, my work and what I find inspiring.