Mobilegeddon has landed
The mobile friendly algorithm announced by Google on February 26 2015 is beginning to take effect. For the unprepared it may not be too late if you act now.
Earlier this year Google had announced an update to their algorithm regarding search engine queries on mobile devices. In order to be relevant to mobile searches websites are now required to be mobile friendly to be indexed higher in mobile search results. Beginning on April 21st the changes gradually began to take effect and will be complete within a week or so.
Not many have noticed the changes but because it is only in its initial stage the differences will not be apparent until a few weeks from now. Sites that have not prepared for the updates can still check if their website is mobile friendly by using the "Mobile-Friendly Test" and testing a few pages or by logging into their individual Webmaster Tools accounts to analyze the full site. The report will detail exactly what the problems are and will even provide methods to correct the site.
We've been following a few websites since #Mobilegeddon has been in effect and we are noticing changes in the mobile results.
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- Text too small to resd
- Mobile viewport not set
- Links too close together
Although #Mobilegeddon will not affect results from desktops and laptops, website owners are urged to comply with the changes because consumers are increasingly mobile and this may result in a significant drop in traffic.
- 1. Switch your template theme to one that is responsive.
This is the best method for sites such as WordPress where you have the ability to select a new theme for your website. - 2. Build a mobile site to which web visitors will automatically be directed to.
If you aren’t planning on building a responsive website anytime soon and have a custom site this is the way to go. You can select which pages to be in the mobile version easing customer browsing and avoid penalization. - 3. If your website is showing its age it may be time to upgrade to a responsive design website.
Technology gets new every day. A piece of equipment or a website that was ahead of its time five years ago is now old. If you are building a new custom site consider responsive design. A responsive website adjusts automatically to the device it is being viewed on.
