Where do you do most of your Google searches?
The answer to that question has changed greatly over the last 5 years. There was a point, not that long ago, when web searches happened over desktops. Consumers would sit at their computer and do research about businesses. With smartphones and tablets becoming so prevalent, searching has turned mobile. Whether you’re walking around or sitting on the couch at home, when you need to do a web search, you grab your phone or tablet.
Google knows this, and their search rankings are going to reflect this. Over the next year, Google is going to roll out a new way to index websites. They’re going to look at mobile sites instead of desktop sites. This is big news for businesses who hope to rank high in those searches.
Why is Google going “mobile-first?”
For years, smart digital marketers have been preaching the importance of mobile-friendly websites. If your company’s website is desktop-only, you’re missing a huge number of potential customers due to the inability for them to navigate your website while on a mobile device. Whether you implemented a mobile-specific version of the website or you went with a responsive design, creating a mobile-friendly version of your website is critical.
Now, it’s becoming even more important as Google has said they’re going to ONLY look at the mobile versions of websites when ranking them. Google recognizes that a vast majority of their web searches are occurring on mobile devices, so it wants to steer their users to websites that are mobile-friendly. This isn’t completely new, as Google has previously said they give better rankings to those sites with mobile-versions, but this is further proof that if you don’t have a mobile-friendly site, you will be left behind.
How does “mobile-first” affect your business?
So, now that Google is beginning to implement this change to their indexing, what does that mean to your business? It’s quite simple. Either you have a quality mobile-friendly website or your ranking will suffer. If you have already implemented a mobile-friendly website that has the same info that is found on your desktop site, then you should be okay.
However, keep in mind, it’s crucial that you update both versions of the site to have the same content. Easiest way for this to happen is to adopt a responsive design for your website. Responsive websites are easier to maintain and can provide peace of mind that your website is ready for this mobile indexing.
Is your business prepared for mobile-first indexing?
As a business owner or manager, you only care about what’s best for your business. With that in mind, you need to know if your website is up to date and ready for this change. Even if you’re pretty sure your business is prepared, it’s probably a good idea to contact a Search Engine Optimization Expert to do a website audit.
At DLPR, we pride ourselves on being the best Digital Marketers in the Milwaukee area, and would love to provide a free consultation today! Contact us if you have any questions!