Alright people, Google is at is again..
If you haven’t heard already, but April 21 is the big day. Google will be implementing some new changes to their algorithm on this day, even though it seems they may have already started applying some of these changes. The bottom line is this; Google will not be indexing your page if there is no mobile or responsive page. Google will be launching a new mobile crawler. This crawler will be able to do a better job of crawling single-page web apps, android apps and Deep Links in iOS apps. The web community are starting to call this big change #mobilegeddon, which is more than fitting.
Don’t even want to try to understand the headache this might cause? Let us deal with it.. Call us at (507)933-4486 for a consultation or visit our site and let us deal with the new Google updates..
Will your desktop rankings be affected if you don’t have a mobile-friendly site?
No, this change will only affect the mobile Google searches. It is unclear if it will be impacting android or iOs differently. The change might effect one phone over the other, we just don’t know yet. If you see here you can see a what googling Nike shoes brings up on a mobile search vs. a desktop search. You can see that the SERPs are different.
How do you know if you are mobile friendly?
Search Engine Land is able to answer this question.. “There are a few ways but the only way to know if your site is already indexed by Google as mobile friendly is to see if your site has the mobile friendly label in the mobile search results. Using the mobile friendly testing tool will show if you pass the test, but Google may still need some time to update their index to pick up on the fact that your web pages are mobile friendly. You can also the mobile usability reports within Google Webmaster Tools, but those can be fairly delayed.”
If this hasn’t knocked you off your socks yet, it is said that this 4/21 change will be bigger than the Panda and Penguin updates and if you experienced this you understand the shock. This is something that all site owners need to be aware of because all of your work could be flushed down the drain.
What can you do?
It’s hard to get that email from Google but it can also be a wakeup call – remember, in the past Google never gave us a heads up…. so hey… thanks Google! Quick Fix, or Strategic Planning? Any good solution on any platform takes time and dedication to get right. Nobody wants to lose all the work they’ve invested over the years be that SEO, usability, conversion rates, etc. The solution is getting your site templates setup correctly. That can be done on yahoo stores with the right developer. Yes, mobile rankings are now a factor so if your site isn’t mobile friendly than it’s about to get dinged in the Google “mobile” rankings. (PM me if you want to know more about Mobile SERP’s vs. Regular) A mobile app or plugin is a fair solution for a QUICK fix, but if you’re only just now looking into these changes then chances are your site needs attention to other matters as well, so take that time and make a plan,
There is a Quick Fix or a Solution. The solution will take time & dedication so you don’t loose all you have created over the years…such as SEO, Usability, Conversion Rate and more. The solution is updating your site(s) templates, or recreating your templates just as we did when Google wanted CSS and NOT tables… It’s hard to get that email from Google but its a wake up call. 2015 is mobile time and everyone uses mobile search, so if your site is ready for mobile, you get SERP in the mobile index, BUT if you are not you will still be indexed in the regular SERP, and should not be penalized. Quick Fix, get a fast mobile plugin from above per done, then come together and build a strategic plan to upgrade your site. Either build a responsive site on your yahoo platform or if you move platforms either way both will take time, money and if its a new platform a learning curve. Personally have your clients in Yahoo or non-mobile friendly sites look at the data.
Call us at (507)933-4486 or visit our site and we can talk about what we can do for you in order to not only get through this change, but conquer it and get that ranking.
