Is YOUR Website About to Disappear on Google?
SERP changes are afoot!
I was speaking to Steve The LoveMarketer today and I learned something pretty damn important! The balance has just shifted for Google, from desktop searches to mobile / tablet. Now over 50% of all searches are done on the run, with desktop friendly websites being left behind.
What do you need to know?
Google currently has two separate indexes and treats them as equals, but within 6 months “mobile will become the primary index and the one to optimize for.”
You’ve got a deadline people!
For businesses that have a website, since the 90s the default design has been desktop friendly. Although the first ‘mobile friendly’ or responsive website was Audi.com launched in late 2001 even until a couple of years ago and on great platforms like WordPress, your site may well still be back in the pre-responsive dark ages.
My own site, www.emmasidney.com is suddenly becoming a bit of a mill stone because it doesn’t have website responsive coding and I had that built only 3 years ago.
Now, if your business is like mine and it's not been rebuilt for a couple of years, you could be in a spot of bother.
Google will drop your ranking by 20 places or so, which is the difference between page 1 and page NOWHERE.
What will be affected?
- Desktop sites will be viewed by Google through it's own mobile agent for ranking factors
- The once popular Flash is not recommended as it's not mobile friendly
- The marketers go to of 'pop ups' is also not recommended
- Pixels around images must be changed and responsiveness added for 'finger friendly' use
- HTTP requests need to be minimal for speed
- Active browser caching for site recall is a must
- Have a map to integrate with Google Maps
- Call now buttons and responsive contact forms are best practice
Mobile Responsive websites are no longer optional
In other words, there’s a number of things to consider, a lot of them technical.
Some website developers may sidestep the process with a quick fix – the ‘mobile friendly plug-in’.
Don’t fall for that one!
This is a temporary fix to the overall website design that in my experience and that of technical experts I speak with every day isn’t fully responsive. The result?
You may have a site that kind of works on mobile but doesn’t look or feel user friendly, so again your domain trust will suffer through less interaction.
How do you know if you need a rebuild?
If I’m giving you heart palpitations right now, I apologise.
Many websites are dual developed – replicated if you will, for desk and mobile viewing. As the mobile site is going to be the primarily ranked one; that needs to hold and access all the relevant information your client needs to make a buying decision.
Your mobile site will make or break you in the coming year and I am offering a solution.
If you send your website address to me I’ll check if you are going to have an issue and give you some easy solutions.
While we are looking, my experts and I will check your backlinks, SEO, user journey and any copy that might be improved as well, so you’ll have a full website health check.
What do you have to lose? Google visibility ... and CLIENTS.
Get onto it and email me: Emma@digitalcopywriting.com.au.
Resources
Google Developers information
Wordpress mobile developers guide
Wikipedia - what is responsive design
More...
About the Author Emma Sidney
Emma Sidney is a copywriter who captures the essence of her clients thoughts and aspirations and translates them into real identifiable results online. As a digital strategist and thought leader Emma takes the content and powerfully adds value through context while explaining the digital space exceptionally well to her clients. Everyone wins when Emma writes.