ETIP #188

Google’s Mobile Friendly Algorithm Update and What’s Next.

Google’s Mobile Friendly Algorithm Update and What’s Next.

Whenever Google updates its algorithm, it always generates a lot of buzz!

Our first Mobile eTip highlighted “Responsive design and why is it important” to have a mobile friendly site in today’s world. Although some have coined Google’s latest update as “Mobilegeddon“, it’s all not doom and gloom however, you may not like the results.

The buzz started when rumors alleged that if your website was not mobile friendly, it would “disappear” from mobile search results. Although the latest Google Mobile algorithm gives preference to sites that are mobile friendly, your website will still display in mobile-search results albeit further down on the list, a lot further, and the likelihood decrease in mobile — organic traffic.

The mobile-update rollout began April 21 with changes noticeable as early as 24 hours later. Most who are tracking the algorithm aftershock state they have seen a 5.1% difference in Google’s mobile vs. desktop search results day over day.

With SEO experts calling the winners and losers after extensive analyses of website traffic and mobile search results for major brands, the reality is that the biggest losers are those businesses who did not take the proper measures to develop and execute a mobile strategy for their websites.

On a more positive note, if your company has an app, Google is currently looking at App Indexing Beta testers, in other words, your mobile apps may soon appear in Google mobile search results too as Google’s Developers Page blogpost.