Mobile strategy has come a long way in the past year. We have encouraged all of our website clients to become mobile-friendly and to have their sites re-designed using a mobile platform. Mobile’s command over any digital devices such as mobile phones and tablets is growing in importance.
Google will now be conducting an experiment making mobile platforms primary over their desktop versions. This means that top search engine bots will now be using a mobile-first indexing method. The search engines will be looking “first” at mobile versions of the website rather than desktop pages now being indexed.
The reason for the change to “Mobile First”
The current indexing structure still uses desktop versions of websites when determining page rank within the search engine results page (SERPs ). The rationale is that since more users are now searching using mobile devices, it is high time for change.
In the coming year, as we mentioned above, Google and top search engines will now experiment using the mobile version of a site’s content for indexing sites. However, if your website has no mobile destination, the Google algorithm will still use the desktop version for now.
Get ready for the big change:
At this time Google is still indexing desktop sites which have no mobile version. How long you can count on this is anyone’s guess. Businesses that have the primary content equivalent on the mobile platform as well as the desktop versions of the site are ok at this time. Keep in mind however, that if your primary content and source code is different from mobile to desktop, then you should consider changes.
In the future, those businesses that do not adopt a mobile strategy across all mediums will be left behind in search results.
Embracing “mobile first” strategy for the future:
The big change will occur in the near future, so it is best to get prepared ASAP for this change. When we refer to Google’s own statements, they will continue to experiment with this new method on a small-scale in the next few months. They will then slowly but surely make this change permanent as the user experience grows.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and we welcome you back to work. Our team feels this year will be a stellar year for Inside Design Orlando. We look forward to meeting with new clients and making new friends this year. Contact us to answer any questions you may have about the changes to come. We can critique your current site and offer suggestions and solutions for “mobile first” changes.
Enjoy the holiday season and the time for renewing relationships with family and loved ones.
Hurry back for more next time from the Design Wizards at Inside Design Orlando.
Jean Holland-Rose
Chief Creative Officer and SEO Professional
