Prepare for Google’s Mobile First Index

DIY Sprocket Solutions

Smartphone use for internet search has exploded over the last few years. Previously, Google has analyzed content for ranking of search results primarily from the desktop version of a website vs a mobile version. More and more people are using mobile devices every day to search and navigate the internet. Because of this, Google has decided to change everything around and start prioritizing the mobile versions of websites. This new index will be rolled out over the next few months. It means that there will be big changes for marketers and website owners to prepare for.

Here’s how you can prepare:

Make sure you are mobile friendly in every way. Google will now be using the mobile version of the website primarily to analyze content for ranking on search results. So, your mobile site needs to be up to snuff. You’ll have to ensure that your website is responsive. This means that people can easily use your site from different size screens because the website will adjust depending on where it’s being viewed. You should also make sure your site is mobile friendly in other ways. Make sure you’re not using flash images that can’t be viewed from small screens. Make buttons big enough to click with a finger on a small device. Avoid pop ups as they can be nearly impossible to close out of on a mobile device. This will equal a much higher bounce rate. The bottom line is that you need a very strong mobile site. Put as much effort into creating a mobile site that is as fantastic as your desktop website.

You should also make sure that your site is loading quickly on mobile devices as well. Google thinks that two seconds or less is what the loading time for a website should be. Don’t get knocked down on the search results because you don’t have a website that loads in an acceptable amount of time. There are several ways you can improve your site loading time if it is slow going, but this is not a problem to ignore.

Now that a mobile shift is taking place, make sure to register and verify your mobile site in the Google search console. Once the separate website is registered, it can be analyzed for search results. If you’re not sure about how your site is showing up or just how visible it is, you can test it. Tools like Fetch and Render allow you to see what the search engine sees and indexes from your site. This is a great asset because it allows you to see what content should be added and then you can remedy it.

This change will be rolled out over the next few months, but it’s good to make the changes as quickly as possible so you are not behind the curve. What changes will you be making to your mobile site to ensure your ranking? What do you think the most important components of a mobile site are? What do you think should be most important to analyzing? Comment below!

Breanne BannonBreanne Bannon

Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.

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