On April 21st Google will begin to roll out a series of considerable algorithm updates which will change how the search engine indexes pages for mobile searches. Much has been said already, try performing a quick search on Google to realize how much convoluted hype this announcement has created. What the search engine giant is looking for to accomplish is nothing more than to improve searches that are visually compatible with our mobile devices: for most Google users it is that simple.
Don’t Panic, Take Action
First of all, you should avoid reading anything that isn’t coming from Google itself. Google wants to improve our experience and it is them who dictate how things will work starting April 21. This Google Webmaster post about mobile-friendly search results is the first step to understand, in plain English, what Google wants all website owners to know. As you see, there is a mobile-friendly test tool you can use to verify if your page, not your entire website, is optimized for mobile devices. We ran our own website’s home page and below is what you can expect to see if your page is ready:
If your pages are not passing the test or you simply just know your site isn’t mobile friendly then it is time to take action. Google isn’t trying to penalize you for not having a site that isn’t mobile, they are just trying to move ahead with what today’s users need. All of us are looking for a smooth, screen-pinching-free experience and the search giant is simply moving ahead with those websites that are compliant. Those that aren’t will continue to show on desktop computer searches but for mobile users Google will take a different approach. As they put it:
“These pages will not be seen as mobile-friendly by Google Search, and will therefore be displayed and ranked appropriately for smartphone users.”
If you need help we will be more than happy to review your site and get on the phone to answer any questions you might have.
