We know that Google has been prioritizing mobile-friendly websites since 2018, but starting this month, Google is switching to mobile-first indexing for the whole web.
What does this mean for your business?
You need to implement advanced mobile SEO techniques to ensure you reach the right customers at the right time in the right location. You need to offer them an exceptional experience with content that matches their search intent. A responsive design is just the beginning.
Why Is Mobile SEO Important?
Starting from September 2020, only the mobile version of your website’s content will show in Google’s search results in response to a user’s query.
URLs in search: With Mobile-first indexing, we index the mobile version. When we recognize separate mobile URLs, we’ll show the mobile URL to mobile users, and the desktop URL to desktop users – the indexed content will be the mobile version in both cases.
— Google Webmasters (@googlewmc) June 14, 2018
In other words, regardless of whether you are searching on a mobile device, a desktop or a laptop, only the mobile results will be displayed. By March, 2021 all sites are expected to be indexed mobile-first.
And with a recent study by the Boston Consulting Group highlighting just how unwilling people are to give up their smartphones, there is no doubt that a great mobile experience is crucial to the success of your business.
What would you give up before letting go of your smartphone?
%
1/3 of people would rather give up sex for 1 year
%
46% would give up a day off per week
%
45% would put off going on a holiday
%
55% would rather give up eating out for 12 months
How is Mobile SEO Different to Desktop SEO?
While there are many similarities between desktop SEO and mobile SEO, there are additional factors to consider when it comes to optimising for mobile. These include:
- User location
- Screen size
- Operating system
- Page organisation
The interaction of these factors means search results are more variable on mobile than on desktop, with different devices displaying different results.
As long as you understand the differences, and continue to focus on performance, content and user experience, there’s no need to be concerned.
How To Improve Mobile SEO
Before you can improve your mobile SEO, you need to know how your mobile site is currently performing.
While there are a number of online tools, such as Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test, if you don’t understand the results, or how to fix the errors, they aren’t of much use.
And that’s where we come in. Nowra Web Design’s SEO service includes a comprehensive audit of your site, a detailed performance report, and implementation of a tailored strategy. Just some of the factors we analyse in a mobile SEO audit include:
- Site speed
- Responsive design
- Comparison of desktop & mobile content
- Page experience
- Local optimisation
- Voice optimisation
- Keywords
- Crawl errors
So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with our SEO team today and start getting more visitors to your site.
