Google announced in November 2016 which over the next few months will modify the way it orders the different websites, giving priority to mobile browsing.
The Internet is mobile and the numbers prove it. According to the report The Information Society in SpainIn its 16th edition, 88.31% of Internet users access the Internet through its smartphone, while the 78´2% uses his computer. It was logical that, if most of Searches are done on mobile devices And if Google takes the way the user navigates as a reference, the search engine will end up making changes to its indexing algorithm.
Mobile First: prioritize the mobile version of your website
Mobile First It is a concept that refers to the need to design a website giving Priority to the design and operation of the mobile version. Consider that mobile will probably be the most demanding device from which your website will be visited due to the variety of terminals on the market (different sizes, screen resolutions, power, sensors…). If your website is perfectly adapted to mobile, it should not be difficult to obtain the desktop version. You can check if your mobile version is well adapted according to the optimal parameters for SEO on Google: Mobile friendly test toolUntil now, the search engine indexed based on the characteristics of the desktop version of a page, but from now on it will be able to analyze parameters related to its adaptation to the screens and usability of mobile devices, giving priority, precisely, to those sites that have been able to adapt better.
How does the new algorithm affect my SEO on Google?
Although it has been said that websites that do not have a mobile version should not worry about being indexed anyway, it is true that it will affect SEO. When faced with two websites competing for positioning, Google will give priority to the one that is able to adapt to mobile phones.Anyone who has a website will have no problem responsive or a dynamic publishing website, since Google will consider that the content is adapted to mobile devices and that in both cases it is the same. Changes will have to be made if the content shown on mobile and desktop is different.
Tips for ranking better on Google with mobile indexing
Among other things, Google recommends code that is adaptable to each device. Each screen has particular characteristics, so the way the user interacts with the website will often change. For example, buttons designed for desktop They don't work the same as in mobile, just as touch functions cannot be used on the desktop. There must be elements adapted to each of these devices, all under the same code if we have a website responsive. If we integrate structured data, we should avoid adding irrelevant data. Similarly, we should make sure that all our content is visible to Google, so we should limit the use of tags. Javascript and be clear that, if the seeker was already blind to flash, Android and iOS are also, so if you include content of this type, the user will not be able to interact with your website from a mobile device either. Check that the file robots.txt allows accessibility to Googlebot and don't worry about your canonical links, as if they were working correctly until now, they will continue to do so.Yes, it will be necessary to make changes in Search Console to include your mobile website if you haven't already and if you only have a web version, consider generating a mobile-friendly one as soon as possible.If it was already important for pages to be light, now it is even more important and Google pays a lot of attention to it, since the user has limited their data consumption in smartphoneAvoid excessive image loading and try to publish them in JPG format instead of PNG, which can weigh up to twice as much. If your page is too dense, it will take longer to load and you will get a higher bounce rate, which will penalize your positioning.
AMP: Accelerated Mobile Pages
To go a step further, Google suggests using a AMP version from your website. Accelerated Mobile Pages It is a very refined web format, in which frills and embellishments are dispensed with in order to prioritize the content above all: CSS limitation, images that only load when they are on screen (they are normally loaded with the rest of the page), simplified menus and options that are not present. Loading speeds are greatly reduced, as is data consumption. Better SEO is being achieved on Google for those websites that have AMP.
Applications to improve your positioning
Google is also indexing Android and iOS apps in its search engine, favoring those companies that own an app. Combining a website that is correctly adapted to small screens and having an app for your business will help you get a better position in search engines. King of App will allow you to create an application quickly and easily. With an app and a website you can combine ASO and SEO actions, achieving synergies that will favor your positioning in the search engine. In this article we discuss The importance of mobile marketing in your business strategy, referring to the need to combine actions and take advantage of the benefits of mobile devices.Are you interested in having your own app to complement your SEO strategy on Google?
Try it now King of App. Create your app for iOS and Android. Choose a theme, combine modules and add services to get the app you need.