At the frontier of the digital world, Google is constantly updating its search engine and algorithms to reflect the needs of today’s average online user.
The majority of online activities are now carried out on a mobile device. Therefore, it is no surprise that Google is actively developing their services to cater to those users.
Google has just released their ‘mobile-first’ index, which is seriously changing the game regarding your SEO.
What is the mobile-first index?
Google collects information on every web page in a massive catalogue, known as an index, which it then uses to formulate and display search results for various queries. Until recently, Google primarily viewed web pages through the eyes of a desktop user, treating mobile pages as necessary but secondary to those desktop pages.
Now, Google is treating the mobile versions of each page as the primary page to index, with desktop versions being secondary.
The mobile-first index has already been rolled out to some users, but like most of the search engine’s significant updates, it is being rolled out gradually. Though no firm dates have been given, experts suspect the rollout could occur over the next several months.
The Impact of mobile-first
Google has stated that the new mobile-first index will not penalise your website based on its mobile friendliness.
Instead, the impact of the new index system will come into play if your mobile and desktop sites are vastly different. The mobile version of your website will now be treated as the primary version, which could affect your visitors’ impression of your business if it has less content.
Discover how our SEO services will adapt as a result.
Recommendations
Thankfully, the new mobile-first index isn’t so disruptive that it will alter your entire SEO strategy if you’ve already been following best practices. However, we recommend doing the following to ensure your business website isn’t affected by the changes:
- Ensure full mobile compliance.
- Ensure you have a fully functioning mobile version of your site — preferably using a responsive web design that automatically flexes based on the device used to access it.
If you want advice on a new responsive design, email us at info@vcm.co.uk. Ensure your desktop and mobile websites are equal. If you use a separate mobile version of your site, you’ll want to ensure the two versions are as similar as possible. Speak to a consultant.
Make your mobile version your “primary” version, and ensure it’s continuously updated first in future revisions. – The mobile-first index may not affect your site much directly, but it’s essential to understand its effects and what it means for the direction and priorities of the search engine giant. Continue prioritising your mobile users, and you’ll remain on Google’s good side!