Announced earlier this year, Google’s “mobile-friendly” algorithm update, which began rolling out on the 21st April 2015, has boosted the search rankings of mobile-friendly pages for users searching on mobile devices. However brilliant this news is for those devoted to their mobiles, the announcement understandably made ecommerce companies the world over reconsider their mobile online marketing strategies. Read on for more information!
What You Need To Know About Googles Algorithm Update
First of all, if your website hasn’t been designed for mobile, don’t dismay! Although the algorithm update is likely to favour pages that function well on mobile – such as pages that feature readable text without tapping or zooming – if your content is high quality and relates to the search query of a user more than another page (such as from a competitor) your page could still rank highly on Google.
It’s important to note that the update will only affect Google search results, not Bing, Yahoo and other search engines, but as Google is the most widely used search engine, it’s not surprising many business owners are reviewing their ecommerce sites. Other search engines are likely to follow suit eventually anyway, so it’s advised that companies make their sites mobile-friendly sooner rather than later.
It also exclusively affects mobile devices - such as tablets, smart phones and e-readers - so all desktop search results will remain the same. If your company isn’t one that consumers are likely to visit on a mobile device, then you needn’t worry too much. Even if your website does rely heavily on mobile traffic, and you have seen your high search ranking diminish, this is no time to lose hope! Google will continue to crawl your website’s pages and credit any improvements with a higher ranking. With the help of online marketing and design experts, and a little patience, your website is sure to be bombarded with mobile traffic the world over.
Other Things You Should Know About Google’s April Algorithm Update
- Did we forget to mention that the algorithm will affect search results in all languages globally? Well it’s true!
- The algorithm applies to only individual pages, not entire websites.
- It will favour appropriately sized ‘tap targets’. Tap targets are buttons or links where a user might tap on their touchscreen mobile device. As such they shouldn’t overlap, or be too small that they’re difficult to accurately press.
- It won’t favour software that is not common on mobile devices, such as Flash
Feeling Confused? Get Online Marketing Help
With the help of our online marketing experts at SEO Junkies, your website’s rankings are sure to improve! If you’re interested in our fantastic online marketing services, or would like more information, get in touch with us! Call 0118 380 0203 or email our friendly support team at sales@seojunkies.com. See you at the top!