FAQs about the April 21st mobile-friendly update. We’d like to share answers to your frequently asked questions.
For background, in February, we announced that the mobile-friendly update will boost the rankings of mobile-friendly pages -- pages that are legible and usable on mobile devices -- in mobile search results worldwide. (Conversely, pages designed for only large screens may see a significant decrease in rankings in mobile search results.) To get us all on the same page, here are the most frequently asked questions: General FAQs 1. No, this update has no effect on searches from tablets or desktops. 2. It’s a page-level change. 3. Individual pages can be tested for “mobile-friendliness” using the Mobile-Friendly Test. Test individual URLs in real-time with the Mobile-Friendly Test. Mobile Usability in Webmaster Tools provides a snapshot of your entire site’s mobile-friendliness. 4. 5. 9 Things You Need to Know About Google's Mobile-Friendly Update. Rumors are flying about Google's upcoming mobile-friendly update, and bits of reliable information have come from several sources.
My colleague Emily Grossman and I wanted to cut through the noise and bring online marketers a clearer picture of what's in store later this month. In this post, you'll find our answers to nine key questions about the update. 1. What changes is Google making to its algorithm on April 21st? Answer: Recently, Google has been rolling out lots of changes to apps, Google Play, the presentation of mobile SERPS, and some of the more advanced development guidelines that impact mobile; we believe that many of these are in preparation for the 4/21 update. We believe Google will launch a new mobile crawler (probably with an Android user-agent) that can do a better job of crawling single-page web apps, Android apps, and maybe even Deep Links in iOS apps. Some example sites that use Responsive Design well in a single-page app architecture are: 2. Google Penalizes Non-Responsive Websites in Mobile Search. Mar 26, 2015 by Michael Grissinger Over the past few months (late 2014 and early 2015), you may have noticed when searching Google that you now get a friendly message letting you know whether a website is optimized for mobile or not.
It looks something like the results this screenshot taken a few moments ago. In an effort to provide the best results for its customers, Google believes a better result for mobile searches is a result that works best for mobile. It makes sense, but the announcement that came just last month has taken some businesses by surprise, and worse, some still don't even know. Why this matters If you're reading this article, then you've now been informed. There's a global average of 15-20% of users using your site on a mobile device. Mobile-Friendly Test. Google penalizes websites for not being mobile friendly. Are you ready for April 21?
No, I didn’t get that date wrong. We all know about April 15. Ugh. But as if April didn’t have ENOUGH going on already, Google has decided to crack down on websites that aren’t mobile friendly. If your site doesn’t pass Google’s test of mobile device usability, come April 21, it won’t rank as highly in searches conducted from mobile devices (like your phone or your tablet) as other sites do.
This change is being called “Mobilegeddon” around the web and is one of the rare times Google has just come out and said what they’re going to do with the next update. We’ve been preaching mobile responsiveness for over 3 years now – but now, the 800 pound Google gorilla is making everyone listen. You can visit this link to find out if your site passes. Oh Em Gee, you say!
If you’re an existing client of ours (who doesn’t already have a mobile responsive website), we’re working with you to make conversions as fast as we can.