As internet usage trends increasingly towards mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly web page is essential to maximizing your website traffic. 60% of online traffic is now coming from mobile users, but those users may not find your web page as easily as before (1). In mid-April, Google made changes to their mobile algorithm to adapt to the shift in browsing methods. With these changes, mobile-search results now give preference to websites Google deems mobile-friendly, while penalizing those that are not. For the search engine which has traditionally focused on content relevancy, it is a big shift to see user-experience hold such weight.
So, what is mobile-friendly? There are several factors to consider, but the overall emphasis is on having a webpage that, when viewed on a mobile device, fits the screen, is easy to navigate and runs well. To ensure mobile-friendly usability, text should be easy to read, links should always be clear and clickable, sideways scrolling should be eliminated and your load times should not be bogged down by large image files. If any of these factors are ignored, Google might not view your site as mobile-friendly, and your reach will suffer.
While this change will not have an effect on searches from tablets or personal computers, it is important to keep in mind when trying to take full advantage of your website as a marketing tool.
Not sure if your website is mobile friendly? See if you pass Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
Interested in learning more about mobile optimization or maximizing your website traffic? Contact us at [email protected] or 646-389-2618.