Google’s mobile-first index – three steps for optimising your site
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If you are not fully aware of Google’s mobile-first index then you really need to learn more about how it will affect your search engine rankings. The mobile-first index was first talked about around twelve months ago and now it’s actually being tested. This is something which looks as though it will start having an effect on your online presence in the not too distant future.
In this article we are going to explain what the mobile-first index is. We are also going to take a look at three ways in which you can optimise your site in readiness for the index. If you want to protect your Google search position, optimisation is something that you have to take very seriously right now. |
What does mobile-first actually mean?
The mobile-first index is a departure from the way Google has previously measured the effectiveness of a website. Google will now look first at the mobile versions of your website. It will only look first at the desktop version if there is no mobile version present.
Immediately, you can see how this could potentially have a detrimental effect on your search engine rankings if the mobile version of your website is not up to scratch. The reason for the change in emphasis is the rise in the domination of mobile when it comes to accessing the Internet; around 65% of online media access is now completed using a mobile device. If you have not already fully developed your site to be mobile accessible then it’s now time to get on board.
You may be thinking that you are already covered if your website was developed using responsive design; this is not necessarily the case. There is a lot more to ensuring a good search engine ranking than just responsive web design; you need to ensure that your site is optimised for mobile. Let’s take a look at three of the best ways you can make this happen.
Immediately, you can see how this could potentially have a detrimental effect on your search engine rankings if the mobile version of your website is not up to scratch. The reason for the change in emphasis is the rise in the domination of mobile when it comes to accessing the Internet; around 65% of online media access is now completed using a mobile device. If you have not already fully developed your site to be mobile accessible then it’s now time to get on board.
You may be thinking that you are already covered if your website was developed using responsive design; this is not necessarily the case. There is a lot more to ensuring a good search engine ranking than just responsive web design; you need to ensure that your site is optimised for mobile. Let’s take a look at three of the best ways you can make this happen.
Concentrating on the speed
Google has long since talked about the importance of making sure that your website is quick to load. Mobile device users do not have a very high tolerance threshold and they are not going to wait an age to view your web content. If your website is slow to load then people are going to try elsewhere and you are going to risk your search engine ranking when Google starts using the mobile-first index.
According to Google the threshold for an e-commerce website is two seconds and if you have an e-commerce site you should be aiming for half a second or less load time. If you need to look at ways to optimise the speed of your site here are a few things you should consider.
According to Google the threshold for an e-commerce website is two seconds and if you have an e-commerce site you should be aiming for half a second or less load time. If you need to look at ways to optimise the speed of your site here are a few things you should consider.
- Check out the images on your site. One of the main culprits for a slow loading site is often the presence of large images. If you optimise the size of all images on your website you stand a good chance of increasing the load speed.
- Make sure that code is minified. Your website has source code behind it and you should ensure that you only have necessary code in place. Removing all unnecessary code, while retaining full site functionality, can help with the speed of your website.
- Make use of browser caching. This is the process that enables the resource files for a web page to be stored on a local computer.
CSS, JavaScript and images should not be blocked
If you were around in the early days of mobile website design this may seem like an alien concept. At that time normal practice was to block all of these elements. The reason for this was that they often caused problems to occur with the website. Since these early issues technology has moved on and the situation has changed.
You would be surprised at just how powerful smartphones can be. There is very little that a smartphone cannot handle. If you try and hide any of these elements the smartphone GoogleBot will not be able to see them. This is not a good thing at the GoogleBot needs to be able to see content in exactly the same way as a user does.
You would be surprised at just how powerful smartphones can be. There is very little that a smartphone cannot handle. If you try and hide any of these elements the smartphone GoogleBot will not be able to see them. This is not a good thing at the GoogleBot needs to be able to see content in exactly the same way as a user does.
The importance of designing for mobile
As we mentioned earlier, it’s not enough to just adopt responsive design for your website; the site has to be designed with mobile users in mind. It’s all about understanding the mobile user experience. That being said, it’s still a good idea to use responsive web design as part of the process. If you are designing a website for mobile there are several points you need to consider. Here are some of the most important:
All of these aspects of good mobile website design require careful consideration. If your website is difficult to navigate around, or it’s hard for users to access certain content, there is a good chance your search engine ranking may suffer.
- Flash is not a good idea. If you want mobile users to be able to see all elements on your website you should not use Flash. If you are designing a website for mobile you should always use HTML5 orb Java.
- Think again about pop-ups on your site. There may be very good reasons why you use pop-ups on your website but they are not a good idea when it comes to users accessing your website using a mobile device. This is because pop-ups are an irritation when viewed on mobile. If people who visit your website are bombarded with pop-ups they will simply become frustrated and leave for another website.
- Think about finger friendly navigation. It’s important to remember that anyone accessing your website using a mobile device will navigate the site using their finger. This is a different concept to using a keyboard. You need to think about this if you are designing a website for mobile. If people are forever accessing the wrong page because tapping and swiping are difficult they are unlikely to remain loyal to your website.
All of these aspects of good mobile website design require careful consideration. If your website is difficult to navigate around, or it’s hard for users to access certain content, there is a good chance your search engine ranking may suffer.
The bottom line
There are many businesses and organisations that have yet to fully embrace optimisation for mobile. If this applies to you then now is a good time to make the change. The fact is that by not optimising your website for mobile usage you are losing out on a large number of potential customers or clients. This in itself is a good reason to ensure your website is optimised. If you add Google’s mobile-first index into the mix, making the change is even more important.
You need to remember that the desktop version of your website is now a secondary concern; if there is a mobile version of your website this will be Google’s first port of call when it comes to establishing your search engine ranking.
The problem with many web designers is that they still concentrate on desktop first design. This is not ideal when you consider the importance of mobile. It makes sense to adopt a mobile first attitude to the design of your website. This way you embrace the mobile user experience. This is the path that both the majority of visitors to your website and Google want you to take.
You may have vaguely heard of Google’s mobile-first index but have been dragging your feet because it all seemed a long way off. The fact that testing is now taking place means that mobile first could now be imminent. If you are concerned about being able to optimise your website for mobile it’s a good idea to speak to professionals such as Quikclicks. They can put their experience and expertise to use helping to ensure that your website is optimised.
You need to remember that the desktop version of your website is now a secondary concern; if there is a mobile version of your website this will be Google’s first port of call when it comes to establishing your search engine ranking.
The problem with many web designers is that they still concentrate on desktop first design. This is not ideal when you consider the importance of mobile. It makes sense to adopt a mobile first attitude to the design of your website. This way you embrace the mobile user experience. This is the path that both the majority of visitors to your website and Google want you to take.
You may have vaguely heard of Google’s mobile-first index but have been dragging your feet because it all seemed a long way off. The fact that testing is now taking place means that mobile first could now be imminent. If you are concerned about being able to optimise your website for mobile it’s a good idea to speak to professionals such as Quikclicks. They can put their experience and expertise to use helping to ensure that your website is optimised.
What to do now
You may already be aware of any problems that need to be addressed, concerning the optimisation of your website. If you want to double check whether your website is mobile optimised you may want to use the online checker. You need to know where you stand at present in order to understand how much work is required.
If you know that your website requires work, when it comes to being accessible using a mobile device, you should ensure that you start this work as soon as possible. Hopefully we have shown you how important it is to be ready for Google’s mobile-first index. This means that you need to ensure that your website is based on providing an excellent user experience from a mobile device. Your site needs to be quick to load, easy to read and simple to navigate.
Speak to a website designer who can concentrate on design for mobile first. Many designers, even if they use responsive web design, still focus too much on desktop. If you make sure that your website design is centred on the mobile user experience you should have no problem with your search engine rankings once Google’s mobile-first index is up and running.
If you know that your website requires work, when it comes to being accessible using a mobile device, you should ensure that you start this work as soon as possible. Hopefully we have shown you how important it is to be ready for Google’s mobile-first index. This means that you need to ensure that your website is based on providing an excellent user experience from a mobile device. Your site needs to be quick to load, easy to read and simple to navigate.
Speak to a website designer who can concentrate on design for mobile first. Many designers, even if they use responsive web design, still focus too much on desktop. If you make sure that your website design is centred on the mobile user experience you should have no problem with your search engine rankings once Google’s mobile-first index is up and running.
