Google is about to update its search algorithm, again. Here’s what you need to know.
As a content creator, webmaster and blogging/publishing guru, you undoubtedly know how important your mobile traffic is to the vigor of your site’s performance. Over the last several years, mobile has been making a name for itself as it quickly caught up with desktop traffic. In some cases, publishers are seeing a large majority of their traffic come from users using mobile devices. You used to be able to make the argument that not enough people use their phones as means for accessing content online, but that time has passed.
On February 26, 2015, Google dropped a quiet bomb through their Webmaster Central Blog announcing their upcoming update to their search algorithms to account for mobile-friendliness as criteria for how sites are to be ranked on mobile devices. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one to miss the update. Over the last couple months, publishers have been scrambling to decide whether or not to make their sites mobile-responsive/device specific. Unless you’re one of the few publishers that sees little traffic from mobile devices, you should seriously consider taking steps towards updating your site to accommodate mobile traffic.
The first question you’re probably wondering is, “What changes are Google making to its algorithm?”
On April 21, 2015, Google’s mobile ranking factors will not only label your site as mobile-friendly, but will also use that to determine if your site should rank higher in the search results. Google said this algorithmic change will have a “significant impact” in the mobile search results, impacting all languages worldwide. Google shares that this is expanding on its mobile ranking demotion algorithm launched back in 2013. According to Google, the reasoning behind the update is simple: “users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”
How do I know if my site meets Google’s new mobile requirements?
Take the Mobile-Friendly Test and see how Google ranks your site through the lens of a mobile user.
My site does not meet Google’s mobile requirements. What now?
Check out Google’s Get Started blog on how to make your site mobile-friendly.
There’s no ignoring it anymore, mobile is here to stay.
Here are Google’s recommended next steps. We suggest you take their word for it.
