If your website isn't keeping up with the internet, it's falling behind—but luckily, so are your competitors.
🚨 Major Google Update:
As of July 1, 2019, Google declared mobile-first indexing to be the default for all new websites, making this the perfect time for your business to rise above.
Reporting nearly 60% of searches coming in from mobile devices, Google has been rolling out major shifts in the way it indexes websites since early last year. While the recent announcement mentions newly published websites, what will happen to your existing one?
That all depends on you.
Understanding Mobile-First Indexing
Historically, Google has indexed the desktop version of a website. Last year, the company began slowly migrating websites they felt were ready to be crawled and displayed in the search results based on their mobile versions. If your site has been shifted, Google will have notification waiting for you on Search Console.
Whether or not your site has been affected yet, now is the time to act. Given the "Mobile-first," and not "Mobile-only," nature of the shift, there will only be one index at work. This means your desktop-only site won't disappear from the search results; however, you will find it lower in the search results as this shift continues.
Key Mobile Statistics:
- • 60% of searches now come from mobile devices
- • 53% of mobile users leave if a page doesn't load in 3 seconds
- • Mobile-first indexing is now default for all new websites
- • One index will be used for both mobile and desktop results
Danny Sullivan, Google's "search liaison," explains mobile-first indexing
What You Need to Do Now
Danny Sullivan, Google's "search liaison," describes the situation best. Here's what you need to do to ensure your website succeeds in the mobile-first era:
📱 Create a RESPONSIVE and DYNAMIC website
A mobile site must now grab the attention of both viewers and Google. Try using pages that respond to the user's screen size and consider varying the text and graphics across device-specific versions. Your website should adapt seamlessly to any screen size, from smartphones to desktop computers.
🔄 Be CONSISTENT with your content and data
Google recommends having the same content encoded across both versions of your site. Moreover, the structured and meta data should match. Don't hide important content on mobile versions - Google will index based on what mobile users can see.
⚡ SPEED UP your site
Google reports 53% of mobile users will leave a page if it doesn't load within three seconds. Use PageSpeed Insights to run diagnostics and discover speed boosting opportunities.
Mobile Optimization Checklist
To ensure your website is ready for mobile-first indexing, use this comprehensive checklist:
✅ Mobile-First Optimization Checklist:
- • ✅ Responsive Design: Website adapts to all screen sizes
- • ✅ Content Parity: Same content available on mobile and desktop
- • ✅ Page Speed: Loads in under 3 seconds on mobile
- • ✅ Touch-Friendly: Buttons and links are easy to tap
- • ✅ Readable Text: No need to zoom to read content
- • ✅ Image Optimization: Fast-loading, properly sized images
- • ✅ Search Console: Monitor mobile indexing status
🍃 The Opportunity is Now
The fruit is hanging low for now. Mobilize your site before other businesses do.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
With mobile-first indexing now the default, businesses that haven't optimized for mobile are at a significant disadvantage. This shift represents one of the most important changes in how Google evaluates and ranks websites. Companies that act quickly to optimize their mobile experience will see:
- Higher search rankings as mobile-optimized sites get priority
- Better user experience leading to lower bounce rates
- Increased conversions from mobile visitors
- Competitive advantage over non-mobile-optimized competitors
- Future-proofing as mobile usage continues to grow
Ready to Mobilize Your Website for Success?
Don't let your competitors get ahead while your website falls behind in mobile search results. Our web design and SEO experts can help you create a responsive, fast-loading website that excels in Google's mobile-first world. From responsive design to speed optimization, we'll ensure your site is ready for success.
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