Mobilegeddon is upon us, and there is nothing that can be done to turn it around. Google has announced the biggest change in its algorithm in two years, and it is likely that it will completely shake up the page rankings of various websites. This is because the new change means, websites that are mobile friendly will automatically be given prime spots.
From April 21, 2015 onwards, it is hugely important to have a website that is friendly and accessible to mobile browsers on tablets and smartphones. That is because, from that day forward, Google will focus more strongly on mobile delivery and “brownie points” will be given to websites that conform to this. Understanding the Google algorithm has always been key to the success of a website, and it seems that many site owners will now have to completely changed the way they operate, particularly if they have not yet focused on mobile friendliness.
But all is not lost through Mobilegeddon. This is because the rankings will only change when people actually use mobile devices to search for a company. Many websites do not focus at all on mobile users (which some would suggest is a big mistake to make), and this means that they will not be as badly affected by it. Nevertheless, it is a known fact that mobile internet access is on the rise, and missing out on a piece of that particular pie could be very damaging overall.
So what does this actually mean? Simply put, Google will no longer just label a website for having a good mobile option. Instead, it will actually have a huge impact. When Panda was released, 12% of all websites were affected, and Penguin affected 3%. It is believed that this particular change will have a far more significant impact.
We will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results.
Basically, Google believes that the new change will ensure that mobile users will find it much easier to be directed to a website that actually supports the device that they are using. Tweaks to the algorithm are very common and most of them are never announced. Since this one has not only been officially announced but has also been dubbed “Mobilegeddon,” it is pretty safe to say that the change will have a tremendous impact. This means that websites will see a significant variation in the amount of traffic they receive, and this means their revenue will be affected as well. This can be highly damaging to those who rely on search results to drive their traffic.
Interestingly, there will also be some highly ironic problems caused by this new algorithm.
An online test provided by Google shows that the EU’s Europa website is “not mobile-friendly”. It contains text that is “too small to read”, links that are “too close together”, and content that is wider than the screen.
This means that the very institution that is currently in a legal battle with Google, accusing the search engine giant of dominating the globe, will be negatively affected. Whether or not this will prove the standpoint of the EU’s antitrust chief or not remains to be seen. However, some glee will no doubt be felt by those involved.
The change has been in the pipeline for some time now, and was first announced in February. Since then, a number of tools, including a mobile friendly test, have been made available. These tools allow website owners to check whether or not they are mobile friendly. Additionally, they are provided with everything they need to improve their standing.
Let’s make sure your site shows up in search results. In these sections, learn to configure your site for multiple devices, help search engines understand your configuration, and avoid common mistakes along the way.
This Google site includes a comprehensive guide on how to address all the issues that a webpage may be facing in terms of becoming mobile friendly. Google feels that they have addressed any potential issues sufficiently in doing so and that those who choose not to take advantage of this should not be surprised if they lose some of their page ranking and authority. As such, if done properly, Mobilegeddon could be avoided. However, as is generally the case, sites that have never focused on becoming mobile friendly either aren’t aware of this change happening, or they simply do not care.
It is believed that mobile internet use will outrank desktop internet use this year. Although the difference between the two in terms of average daily usage will be minimal, mobile use will “win” by a few minutes each day. It is also believed that the difference will only become bigger overtime as well. Google itself beliefs that at least half of all searches that are currently performed are done through mobile devices.
At the same time, research has shown that browsing is still something that is mainly done on PC. Globally, 62.4% of all browsing is done this way, compared to 31.7% of browsing on mobile devices. Just 5.8% of browsing is done on tablets. This is according to figures released by StatCounter several days ago. However, while 62.4% is still a high percentage, it is a massive decline over the past few years, as it was 85.6% in August of 2012 and 70.5% in April of 2014. Interestingly, internet usage on tablets and consoles has remained stagnant, but mobile browsing is increasing. And Google clearly wants to preempt any future growth.
According to Google, the vast majority of large companies already have mobile friendly websites, which means they should not be negatively affected by this change. Indeed, responsive design is the hottest topic in webdesign at the minute.
Responsive web design is a technique for building websites that work on mobile devices, tablets, and desktop screens. Responsive web design solves the problem of making the same code work across multiple screen resolutions.
Simply put, a responsive website understands how an individual is accessing the site, and the screen is automatically changed in order to be visible on that device. Any website that is fully responsive, therefore, should not notice a negative impact from Mobilegeddon. At the same time, however, Google is keeping very quiet about the number of searches that will likely see an impact.