The big news lately in the SEO world is that Google has announced that they are dropping a new search algorithm on April 21st that will begin penalizing websites for not having a mobile-friendly version. The Big G is really stepping up to the mobile plate by doing this! It’s been common knowledge for years that Google has always preferred mobile-friendly websites – now it’s official! In a previous 5 Stones blog, I wrote about why you should make your website responsive). Well, now is the time to update your site to keep your Google search rankings high!
As the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy says, DON’T PANIC! Google has released some handy tips on how to prepare for the algorithm change:
- To find out how to implement App Indexing, which allows us to surface this information in search results, have a look at Google’s step-by-step guide on Google’s developer site.
- To get help with making a mobile-friendly site, check out Google’s guide to mobile-friendly sites.
- If you’re a webmaster, you can get ready for this change by using the following tools to see how Googlebot views your pages. Just use the Mobile-Friendly Test.
- If you have a site, you can use your Webmaster Tools account to get a full list of mobile usability issues across your site using the Mobile Usability Report.
- If you have questions about either mobile-friendly websites or app indexing, Google is always happy to chat in Google’s Webmaster Central Help Forum.
- Don’t forget your towel. (Okay, that’s not a Google tip. I just wanted to keep the Hitchhiker’s Guide references coming.)
Of course, if you don't want to deal with the hassle of all of this, let 5 Stones Media handle it for you! We ensure that every new website we create for our clients is responsive and works on multiple devices – from Apple to Android. Contact us today to find out how you can make the most out of mobile!