Mobile-First Indexing Now Accounts for Over Half of Google Search Results
In 2016, Google announced its plan for mobile-first indexing, explaining that its algorithm will eventually rank sites based solely on their mobile versions. As more and more people switch to mobile browsing, Google wants to prioritize the mobile user experience over the desktop experience. They started to roll out mobile-first indexing in December 2017, but the change became more widespread in the spring and summer of 2018. A reliable San Diego SEO company such as Saba SEO can help business owners crawl their website on mobiles.
Over the last several months, many businesses have seen their search rankings change as Google crawls their mobile site. On December 19th, Google announced that more than half of the pages that appear in search results are ranked from mobile-first indexing. Therefore, it’s more likely that the sites you click on from a Google search are indexed based on their mobile version than on their desktop version.
Mobile-first indexing is one of the most important SEO factors for website creators to be aware of in 2018. If your mobile website is lacking, your search rankings could suffer, and you may lose your online visibility. Google should notify you with a message in the Search Console when they move your site to mobile-first indexing. You can also confirm the change by checking your server logs. If most of the requests are from the new Googlebot for smartphones, your site has likely become a part of mobile-first indexing.
The simplest way to improve your site’s mobile user experience is to switch to a responsive web design. This way, your mobile site will have the same content and structure as your desktop site, but everything will fit perfectly on any mobile screen. Even if your site isn’t currently impacted by mobile-first indexing, it’s only a matter of time before the change is applied to all sites. You should update your SEO strategy right away to make sure your rankings won’t drop as Google continues to roll out mobile-first indexing.
Mobile-first indexing isn’t the only factor that matters to rank a website on Google. If you need help with PPC campaigns, website development, or mobile SEO, contact Saba SEO, a reliable web design company in San Diego. To speak at length with one of our marketing experts, give Saba SEO a call today at 858-277-1717.