Google says mobile-friendly sites will be favored in search rankings

12 Mar 2015

Mike Patel

Google says mobile-friendly sites will be favored in search rankings

Google just announced its next search algorithm change and they’ve come right out and said that they WILL start favouring mobile-friendly sites in their searches, beginning April 21^st.

Google announced on their official webmaster blog…

“Starting on April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact on our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high-quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”

If you do not have a mobile-friendly site, it’s more important for your business now than ever before. It’s not just a perk or a gimmick, it drives real traffic to your site as more and more consumers are using smartphones and tablets to shop online. And now, according to Google, having a mobile-friendly site will actually impact your search rankings as well.

Not only that, as we wrote about in November, Google is already labelling sites as “mobile-friendly” directly in their search results. Meaning, someone on a mobile device can tell before they even click on your site whether or not it’s mobile-friendly. This is influencing the way people choose which websites to visit – and it’s positive for mobile-friendly sites.

If you do not already have a mobile-friendly or “responsive” site, I strongly urge you to contact us right away so we can help you get your website mobile-friendly as soon as possible.

You can email me directly at mike@iovista.com or give me a call 248-233-0628.

Any site can be pulled up in a web browser, whether it’s mobile-friendly or not. The difference is that mobile-friendly or responsive sites are optimized to work in all formats – from a big computer screen to a small touchscreen on a phone or tablet. Not only that, mobile-friendly sites can handle transactions from mobile devices while a standard site might not be able to perform a transaction properly or at all from a mobile device. Simply put, most customers have come to expect websites to work completely on a mobile device and as it’s becoming the norm. A site that isn’t mobile-friendly will cause those customers to search elsewhere. We wrote more extensively on this topic back in January if you’d like to check that out: Why you need a mobile-friendly site in 2015.

I’ve also included some links to additional articles discussing this coming change from Google, below so you can see what others are saying about it, too:

Triangle Business Journal: Google prepares algorithm change; website owners must migrate to mobile
Internet Retailing: Prepare for drop in rankings if your site isn’t mobile optimized, warns Google
Search Engine Land: Google Search Algorithm Adds Mobile-Friendly Factors and App Indexing to Ranking

If you’re not sure if your site is mobile-ready, just give us a call or send us an email and we’ll take a look. Or you can also check out this tool that Google offered in its announcement:

Google’s Mobile Friendly Testing Tool

There’s no reason for panic if your site is not mobile-friendly but now is definitely the time to do something about it. It makes sense for so many reasons: more traffic, sales, credibility, and now it will help your search ranking.

If you have any questions or want to know what it takes to get your website mobile-friendly, email me or give me a call.

Mike Patel

Mike Patel is the Founder and CEO of ioVista, a leading digital commerce agency specializing in eCommerce solutions. With a strong background in business and technology, Mike Patel has been at the forefront of driving digital transformations for businesses. He has successfully navigated the ever-changing landscape of eCommerce, helping companies leverage the power of online platforms to grow their brand, increase revenues, and optimize their digital presence. Under his leadership, ioVista has become a trusted partner with major technology companies: Adobe/Magento, Google, BigCommerce, Shopify, and Yahoo. He is dedicated to staying ahead of industry trends, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and continuously improving strategies to provide clients with a competitive edge. Mike’s commitment to excellence and client satisfaction is evident in every project ioVista undertakes.

Google says mobile-friendly sites will be favored in search rankings

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