Mobilegeddon: What you need to know

Today marks the launch of a Google algorithm update that will affect mobile search rankings. Mobile friendly websites will rank higher in mobile searches, while non-mobile friendly websites will experience a drop.

People within the industry are calling it “Mobilegeddon”- a term that is making people outside the industry panic. So is the update the end of the world for non-mobile friendly websites? Bravr gives you the facts and breaks down the misconceptions surrounding Google’s latest update.

So what’s Mobilegeddon?

From today, Google has begun using mobile-friendly factors in its mobile search results.

What does this mean?

Quite simply, mobile friendly pages will be given a boost in Google’s mobile search results. This will also mean non-mobile friendly pages will drop in rankings.

Will this affect my desktop and tablet searches?

No. There has been some confusion across this issue. Many have assumed the updated will affect tablet searches as well, but Google has confirmed that the update is restricted to smartphone searches for the time being. Your rankings in desktop and tablet searches will not be affected.

Will this affect local search results or news results?

No. The updates is restricted to core web search results and will not impact other vertical searches.

Is it sitewide?

Google has confirmed that the algorithm update will on a page-by-page basis. This means that even if you only have some mobile pages on your website, you could still benefit.

How quickly will the update take affect?

The update has launched today and will roll out over a week. The update will occur in real time.  This means that when Google next crawls your mobile friendly page, it will immediately benefit. This also means if your pages are slow to be indexed because you rarely add content, it may take longer for you to notice any changes, making it important you make your website mobile friendly ASAP.

How badly will the update impact non-mobile friendly websites?

It is uncertain at present, however, Google’s Zineb Ait Bahaji from the Webmaster Trends team was quoted at SMX Munich saying the update will have more of an impact on Google’s search results than the Panda and Penduin updates.

How can I determine if my website is mobile friendly?

Your website is either mobile friendly or not. It’s a yes/no question, therefore it is important to get it right. A website is considered mobile friendly, if it does not use software this is incompatible with mobile devices, uses text that is readable, sizes content to the screen so users don’t have to scroll horizontally or zoom and places links far enough part so you can easily tap the correct one without making a mistake.

The easy way to check is to use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. You can also get a list of mobile usability issues which could impact your mobile search ranking by using Google’s Mobile Usability Report.

How can I make my website mobile-friendly?

Google has released a series of guides on how to avoid common SEO mistakes that affect mobile websites. Issues include, blacked JavaScript, CSS and image files, unplayable content, faulty redirects, mobile-only 404s, irrelevant cross-links and slow mobile pages.

However, the easiest way to get an SEO-friendly, mobile optimised website is to use a trusted and experience design and development agency. Bravr is adept at creating compelling mobile experiences that boost superior usability.

Contact us to discover how we can help you get through Mobilegeddon.