We are now living in an ever-evolving digital world, where the landscape of online marketing and business is constantly shifting. To remain competitive, businesses must be able to keep up with these changes and stay ahead of the competition. One such change that has had a significant impact on the way businesses operate is website development. Gone are the days when creating an interactive website was all that was necessary to gain customers; in order for a company to be successful in today’s market, their website must meet Google’s highest standards for search engine optimization (SEO). Through implementing best practices such as writing quality content and making sure your site is optimized for mobile devices, businesses can ensure that their websites will rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
According to Google’s AdSense,
“Starting April 21, 2015, Google Search will be expanding its use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in Google Search results.”
This requirement means that in order for your website to find a workable ranking in the Google search engine, it must be mobile friendly. It is no longer a matter of only having quality content on the site; users will need to be able to navigate your site easily from their mobile devices.
Google’s Warnings
Since that new algorithm went into effect, Google has stepped up the pace even more. They are now issuing warnings to website owners whose sites do not currently meet the standards of being a mobile-friendly web design. These warnings will appear in the search results from the mobile device. However, they won’t be made public. In other words, they’ll only be viewable by the actual site owner.
The purpose of the warning is to advise the concerned site owners to bring their sites up to Google standards in order to maintain their SEO rankings. To do this, they must ensure that their webpages are optimized for mobile viewing, and that all content is accessible on smartphones and tablets. In addition to this, they must also make sure that the website’s loading time is fast enough to keep users engaged.
Google knows that as Internet technology continues to advance, users will be using their mobile devices to access the internet more often. Therefore, it is important for site owners to have an online presence that is optimized for mobile viewing.
Not only does having a website optimized for mobile increase the chances of higher SEO rankings, but it also improves user experience. If users can easily view and navigate through your website on their mobile devices, they are likely to stay longer and return more often. This will help lead to increased conversions and engagement levels which in turn will boost revenue.
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can be used to assess whether or not a website is properly optimized for mobile viewing. Site owners should take full advantage of this tool in order to ensure that their websites are up-to-date with Google’s standards. This way, they can ensure that their website is visible and properly indexed on search engine results pages. Additionally, they should also monitor the performance of their mobile site in order to make sure that it is providing a good user experience for visitors.
Why the Change Is Necessary
Google knows that as Internet technology continues to advance, users will be using their mobile devices to access the internet more often. Therefore, it is important for site owners to have an online presence that is optimized for mobile viewing.
Not only does having a website optimized for mobile increase the chances of higher SEO rankings, but it also improves user experience. If users can easily view and navigate through your website on their mobile devices, they are likely to stay longer and return more often. This will help lead to increased conversions and engagement levels which in turn will boost revenue.
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can be used to assess whether or not a website is properly optimized for mobile viewing. Site owners should take full advantage of this tool in order to ensure that their websites are up-to-date with Google’s standards. This way, they can ensure that their website is visible and properly indexed on search engine results pages. Additionally, they should also monitor the performance of their mobile site in order to make sure that it is providing a good user experience for visitors.
The Statistics
These facts are supported by the new figures on Internet shoppers. It appears that with each passing year, more and more people are accessing the Internet from their mobile devices than ever before. In fact, according to statistics, mobile Internet searches have already surpassed desktop shopping activity.
These are easy numbers to figure out. If you plan on conducting any type of business online, it is a smart move to design your website to be adaptable to mobile devices. It’s the way people are shopping now and how your customers will find you. Experts suggest that you adapt your site to the screens of a smartphone and that of a tablet for the best results.
Staying abreast of the constantly changing trends in online business marketing can actually turn into a full time job. It is often a challenge and is a pretty safe bet that within a very short amount of time Google will make another major announcement that will require us to make more adjustments as well. It can be frustrating to keep pace with today’s modern world but those that do will soon realize that they are placing themselves at the very forefront of business and carving their niche in the modern world of online shopping.
And finally, it is important to remember that the mobile element of web design must not be overlooked. People are increasingly using their phones and tablets as a way to access websites, meaning that they should not have to sacrifice quality for convenience. When designing a page, make sure that it looks just as good on the screen of a smartphone as it does on the computer. Doing so will ensure that customers can have an enjoyable and user-friendly experience, no matter what device they are using to access your website.
