What Is “Mobilegeddon” And Will It Effect Your Website

In the search engine optimization world it has been hard to escape the news of the newly implemented Google Mobile-Friendly update. As the launch date approached many web outlets were dubbing this new update the “Mobilegeddon” in anticipation of the effects that it could potentially have on webpage rankings. However, many are still left in the dark as to what exactly this update is and how it could potentially affect them.

What exactly is Mobilegeddon?

Search engines use complex algorithms and formulas to calculate where your website should appear in various search results. These algorithms factor in various elements, for example, the number of visits to your webpage or the quality of content. Google is known for keeping the most up to date algorithms. Therefore, it was no surprise that with the recent sharp rise in the use of mobile devices that they would factor this into their ranking results.

It was announced that on the 21st of April Google would now consider how Mobile-Friendly your website was in determining how well you would rank on their search results.

What are the results so far?

With a code-name like Mobilegeddon you could almost expect an apocalyptic change in search engine results and rankings. However, the results brought about by the Mobile-Friendly update are considered reasonable at this stage. Keeping in mind that this is just the beginning of the update, it would be realistic to imagine that the algorithm will continue to produce changes over the coming months. Now is the time to consider whether your website complies with the new update so that your future search rankings are not affected.

How to comply with the Mobile-Friendly update:

Making your website compatible with the new changes to Google’s algorithm is easy.

First, Google actually allows you to test whether your website is Mobile-Friendly or not. You can do this through submitting your url to the following link: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

Second, if your website doesn’t pass the test it is time for some updates. For example, by utilizing a Mobile-Friendly responsive theme on WordPress you can easily comply with the current algorithm.

You can also take advantage of Mobile Site Builders to bring your website up to the necessary Mobile-Friendly requirements.

Third, for more information check out the official Google Mobile-Friendly FAQ found at this link:

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2015/04/faqs-april-21st-mobile-friendly.html

Mobile is the future.

The truth is that Smartphones and tablets are here to stay. Google even reported that they get more search queries through mobile devices than personal computers. It would be safe to assume that as this technology grows and becomes ever increasingly popular Google will continue to incorporate more Mobile-Friendly factors into their algorithms. To keep up with the demands of web users, along with the search engines they use, it is essential to incorporate Mobile-Friendly elements into your website design and search engine optimization practices.