Internet marketers today are used to being tossed to and fro by Google’s steady, but frequent algorithm changes. But this doesn’t mean we’re not constantly sitting at the edges of our seats each time an update rolls out.
If there’s anything we learned in the past is that when there is a Google announcement about a major change, it’s best to listen, wait, and watch. Hopefully, your site doesn’t end up with the short end of the stick and lose the ranking you worked so hard to obtain.
Most recently (March 2018), Google rolled out yet another algorithm change known as mobile-first indexing. If you’ve yet to read up on it or are wondering what this means for your site, then continue reading.
What is Mobile-First Indexing?
As you may already know, Google is all about pleasing its users. And a large share of its user base utilizes mobile devices to conduct searches.
Is it really surprising that Google would roll out a mobile-first indexing algorithm? Not at all. What we expect from this mobile version of search is this: Google will now look at the mobile versions of your site first.
This goes for both mobile and desktop website search results. Expect to start seeing mobile versions of web pages (and caches) in your search results from here on out.
But as Google stated in the official announcement, they will still put the user’s best interest first. In other words, they’ll serve up slower and desktop versions of the page if they deem it fit for the user’s search query.
What You Need to Do to Stay Optimized
At the end of the day, it’s all about ensuring your website is properly optimized to show up in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
In Google’s announcement, they made it clear that the same factors are still relevant going forward. For example, your web page loading speeds will need to be fast. In case you didn’t already know, if you have a slow loading website, your bounce rate will soar (and ranking will plummet).
As a rule of thumb, your pages should load within 3 seconds or less. And if you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to use AMP (accelerated mobile pages) for your site to ensure fast loading speeds.
It’s also essential for your website pages to fit the screen size of mobile devices. Some brands choose to build a mobile version of your website. But why go through all that when you can simply redesign your site with a responsive design?
This way, your site will adapt to whatever screen size the user is on (desktop or mobile). Also, make sure your content is mobile-friendly. Break up your text vs using long blocks of text.
What to Do Next After the Google Announcement
If you’re worried about how the Google announcement will affect your website, then it’s time to speak with an expert. The digital marketers at Spark Room can help identify what parts of your site and strategy need changing.
Our services include lead management, marketing analytics, and marketing automation. Contact us today to see how we can help drive more traffic to your website.