After the stir caused by Panda and Penguin, the Mountain View giant has launched a new update to give mobile-friendly websites a big boost in search rankings. With the world gearing towards more “mobility”, it’s pretty obvious that Google would do something about it. In this post, we will be talking about the “what” and “why” of the new search ranking update as well as some FAQs to shed some light on the topic.
What the New Update is All About
Previous updates only required website owners to make their sites optimized for viewing in smartphones and mobile devices. Today, Google is taking the term “mobile-friendly” more seriously. The new search ranking update will not only consider how a website will look in mobile devices but will also take into account other factors such as responsiveness and readability. Use of software that are not mobile-friendly (like Flash) will also have a significant impact. In addition, Google will also be launching App Indexing. This is a new feature which indexes apps for contents that can be displayed in search results.
Why Google Launches a New Search Ranking Update
“Google’s new search ranking update will have a more significant impact on mobile-friendly sites than Penguin and Panda” says Zineb Ait Bahajji of Google’s Webmaster Trends team. Almost 50% of Google’s search traffic come from mobile devices. The new update will make it easier for users to find relevant information across the web using their mobile devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will the new update affect my desktop search results?
When asked about this matter at SMX Munich, Zineb answered a clear “NO”. If your website is not mobile-friendly, your desktop search ranking will remain unaffected since the new update is geared towards mobile search results only. Webmasters must keep an eye on possible influences though.
2. Will having a mobile app improve my mobile search rankings?
Yes! Google has started treating apps as a new kind of search result for mobile devices. Having a mobile app for your business could lead to more visibility and traffic. This is confirmed by Mariya Moeva, Google Webmaster Trends Analyst, in one of her statements at SMX West. Google will be considering high quality apps as positive search ranking factors in mobile search.
3. Is my website mobile-friendly?
You can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to know whether your site is mobile-friendly or not.
If there are any issues, you can generate a Mobile Usability Report through Webmaster Tools and refer to these guides for instructions on how to fix them.
Let Us Help You
Adopting Google’s new update can be a challenging task. With over 600 successful projects to date in web and mobile design, we can make your website mobile-friendly or develop a mobile app for your business that will help you take on the most coveted spot on Google’s mobile search ranking results. Let us help you! Contact us now!
