Google to Boost Impact of Mobile-Friendliness on Search Rankings
Google has announced that it will increase the impact of mobile-friendliness on search rankings starting in early May. This update will strengthen the existing mobile-friendly ranking signal. However, if your website is already mobile-friendly, this change will not negatively affect your rankings.
Websites that are not mobile-friendly will experience a gradual decline in traffic over time, as Google has indicated that the update will roll out slowly. It is unclear whether this process will take weeks or months.
This update follows Google’s initial move in April 2015 to make mobile-friendliness a ranking factor, which caused some concern among website owners. Dubbed “Mobilegeddon” by SEOs, many feared that their sites would see a dramatic drop in traffic. However, the initial impact on search rankings was less severe than expected.
Despite the moderate effect of the 2015 update, mobile-friendliness is becoming increasingly important. A study conducted by Adobe from Q2 2014 to Q2 2015 found that sites with low mobile engagement saw organic traffic decline by up to 10% following Google’s algorithm change.
As mobile traffic continues to grow, surpassing desktop and laptop usage, mobile-friendliness will likely become a more significant ranking factor over time. Ensuring that your website is optimized for mobile devices is crucial to staying competitive in search rankings.
If you’re unsure whether your website meets Google’s mobile-friendly criteria, you can use the Google Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check. Simply enter your URL, and the tool will tell you if your site qualifies.
Need help making your website mobile-friendly? Contact Matrix today for a new mobile-optimized site and receive one year of free hosting!
Contact Matrix today for a new mobile-optimized site and receive one year of free hosting!
By Jeff Sheridan
By Irene Hislop