Introduction
Ever try to read an article and you visit it through a phone and then you are zooming or scrambling sideways to get the rest of the content? If you did, you likely exited that site feeling frustrated. This is what happens when a website isn’t optimized for mobile devices.
Now more than ever, this matters because Google has rolled out Mobile-First Indexing. But what does that say for you, and why does it matter? So let’s unpack it and learn a few things to ensure your website is mobile friendly.
What is Mobile-First Indexing?
In plain and simple terms, Mobile-First Indexing is the idea that Google will consider the mobile version of your website’s content when deciding where to rank it. Previously, people used the desktop versions of the site for indexing, now the focus is on mobile devices.
Why the change? For instance, I can say that today, more than fifty percent of all internet traffic is generated through mobile phones. Google wants to ensure users have a great experience regardless of whether they are accessing their website from their smartphone or PC. Whether your site is mobile friendly, you can find that your sites do not rank well for search – irrespective of the fact that the main site works well.
Why Should You Care About Mobile-First Indexing?
A larger percentage of the populace uses their mobile phones to access the internet. It is reported that mobile devices generate more than 50% of the total web traffic. It makes visitors unhappy and Google might push you down in the search rankings.
You cannot think of mobile optimization as just optimizing your website to suit a small screen, instead, it is actually about how friendly and Google-friendly is the experience of your site to a mobile user.
Think of it like setting the table for a dinner party: you want everything to be perfectly neatly arranged in the best way to make your guests feel as comfortable as possible. In the same way, you do not need mobile users to shun your site the first time they visit your website.
Check if Your Website is Mobile-Friendly
Before dipping into optimizations, It is Vital to check if your website is already mobile-friendly. Google has a free utility that has been formed called the Mobile-Friendly Test. All it takes is to input your website’s address and get a brief evaluation. If your site passes, you are surely on the right track. If not, do not fret—that is easily rectifiable as outlined below are several easy ways to do so.
Use Responsive Web Design
The most effective way to ensure your site is ready for Mobile-First Indexing is to use responsive design. A responsive website adjusts its layout and content based on the device it’s being viewed on. Think of it like a fluid container: it takes its form according to the current situation and circumstance that it is in.
This approach gives clients the best experience irrespective of the way they come to your website. You do not have to design two separate sites for mobile and PC / laptop users. Google likes responsive design because they prefer things to be easy and the same across all devices.
Optimize for Faster Loading Times
You may not know that but a website that takes more than three seconds to load can lead to users abandoning it. It is crucial to achieve a fast load time, especially on mobile. Google takes into deliberation the site speed when ranking websites, therefore, a slow site can pull down your SEO.
To increase the speed one should optimize images, reduce code, and use cache facility in browsers. I like using Google PageSpeed Insights to check areas you can improve to make your site faster.
Optimize Images and videos for Mobile.
Let’s all face it, everyone loves graphics, but huge files like images and videos will clutter your site and be slow on mobile devices. The next great secret to consider in the case of Mobile-First Indexing is the image format and compression.
Most of the time use forms like JPEG or WebP since they are better in terms of compression. It is also important that your videos are mobile friendly and require to consider using HTML5 players and enabling lazyload, this means that images and videos will load as users scroll down, improving overall site speed.
Make Your Text Readable Without Zooming
Have you ever visited a website and found yourself squinting at tiny text? It’s not a great experience. In mobile, the font opens to a larger size as its, compatibility with the small screens makes it difficult to read small fonts, such as the 16px or even larger. Also, spacing needs to be provided between lines of text or between a line of text and a button so that the user is not mistakenly clicking on the wrong link. In other words, you don’t want the visitors to have to zoom in on your page just to be able to click certain links.
Avoid Pop-Ups and Intrusive Ads
Pop-ups can be effective for capturing attention, whereas, on mobile devices, they can be intrusive. Imagine you’re reading an article on your phone and a pop-up appears taking the whole screen. It’s annoying, right? Intrusive pop-ups are very aggravating to the users and can be very damaging to your website’s overall search engine optimization.
Google has a negative attitude towards the benefit of pop-ups mainly on mobile devices since they inconvenience users. The only exceptions are moderately small Pop-ups, message-wise, undisturbing the users’ experience, or difficult to eliminate.
Test and Monitor Regularly
In addition, once you have made all these changes, It is wise to ensure that you validate your site often. Mobile technology is dynamic, and there is a chance that what may be effective now, May won’t be effective in the future.
Reciprocal Testing helps your web page maintain the usability element and conform to Google’s shifting standards on Mobile-First Indexing. Other than Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test, you can utilize the Google search console to check on how your site is performing on mobile. It is like getting a website checkup – you get to notice where you are thriving and struggling.
Conclusion
As the world becomes increasingly mobile, Mobile-First Indexing is no longer something you can ignore. The cause why you have to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly is the two factors of SEO – USER Experience and Google – like the idea.
But if you continually use a targeted responsive design that focuses on speed, easy navigation, and constant testing – you will remain relevant. For example, imagine you own a store and all doors are open to everyone who brought you there – Through their phone or the computer.
Are you all set to go mobile with your website? Let’s light up the signal and receive our guests, regardless of the tools they use.