What’s new –
Google is constantly updating its search algorithm. So to say nothing is new wouldn’t be completely accurate. Nothing big is new just yet, though it is coming. Google has released information on a big update that will take place in mid-April, or April 21 to be exact.
The update includes a significant change to the algorithm that will now factor in a site’s mobile-friendliness. Basically, Google seems to be splitting its search results. If you ranked high in organic search previously, this might soon be changing depending on the responsiveness, or mobile-friendliness, of your company’s site.
Why it matters for you –
Marketers will now have to pay attention to two different organic search rankings: desktop and mobile. This means two sets of research for search engine results pages (SERPs).
It is important to note that this is not believed to be a detractor to a site’s desktop rankings. These should stay the same. The only change you should notice is in your site’s ranking on mobile devices. But, you may not notice a change here either, if all your competition in organic mobile search is on the same playing field. Chances are, though, this isn’t the case.
You may need to take some important steps to prepare your sites for the update, in order to maintain your organic search rankings on mobile sites.
What do you need to do to prepare –
First things first, take out your Blackberry, iPhone or whatever Android device you might have, and load your website’s homepage. What do you see? Can you read the text? How close together are the links? Can you easily click one or another?
These are all questions that need answered to determine if your site passes the mobile-friendly test. Luckily, Google was on-board with this and has provided a tool to analyze mobile-friendly qualities for you. Click the following link to start testing your sites: Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
If you pass, excellent! I recommend keeping an eye on both your mobile SERPs and your desktop SERPs in the beginning. As long as Google doesn’t roll out a new mobile-related update to its algorithm at a later date, you should be set.
If you didn’t pass, that’s okay! There is still time to create a responsive, mobile-friendly site before the rollout occurs.
