Make sure your website is set up for Google’s new mobile-friendly algorithm
There’s a change going on in web design right now – and the shift is caused by the growing use of mobile devices to access web content. What used to be fundamental truths about navigation, font size, page layout, and more are rapidly vanishing in favor of more fluid design. With this in mind – Google has started evaluating mobile usage as part of its search engine rankings. Users searching for a resource from a mobile device will automatically receive mobile-friendly sites higher-up in their search results.
Here’s a list of the four most common issues you should be aware of:
- Viewport not configured / Fixed-width viewport
- Touch elements too close
- Small font size
- Content not sized to viewport
So why is Google doing this? Quite simply, they want to remain the gold standard in internet search. If users keep finding themselves at unusable or inconvenient sites, they may cease using Google for future searches.
How should you Respond? The answer is in the question itself. Make your website more responsive. If you’ve spent time and resources towards SEO and search engine rankings – your hard work could be for nothing if mobile users can’t (or won’t) use your site. Google has even provided a guide to mobile-friendly sites and there’s a mobile-friendly test.