Having a search giant like Google has changed lives across the globe in a manner like never before. The search engine major is poised to make all kinds of changes to improve user experience in every possible way so that it is easier for users to look for whatever information they are seeking, be it a spa, a restaurant, a shop, buy products, book tickets, etc. and more importantly doing all this while on the move.
Studies reveal that mobile searches have gone up by unprecedented numbers in the last year, with the numbers being expected to swell at a faster rate. It is owing to this surging trend that Google has come up with the new modification in its search algorithm, shifting its focus to mobile friendly websites. This is being viewed as a major change by the search giant that is all set to make mobile friendliness a crucial factor for better rankings. According to studies a vast majority of Fortune 100 companies are not mobile friendly, which is good as well as bad news! Bad news because big corporations now have to work to redesign their existing websites to make them mobile friendly which could cost them a great deal of time, money and other resources in modifying their existing infrastructure. It is good news for small and medium sized enterprises that do not have large infrastructure to make changes to their website.
What will the new algorithm do?
Google’s new mobile algorithm will check whether a website is as good on a mobile as it is on a desktop or laptop. Every page of a website will be scanned for loading times, responsive design and best mobile practices. This new algorithm is set to target mobiles as of now but it is only a matter of time for tablets to come into the fray. Some things that business owners need to keep in mind are that they need to use text sizes that are easily readable without zooming in, website contents that fit the mobile’s display screen irrespective of the size so that scrolling is not needed, appropriate spacing so that links can be clicked on easily. Also websites operating with Flash are likely to get adversely affected because not all mobiles support it.
What will you have to do?
In the wake of this new algorithm by Google, every website has to be reviewed by business owners to continue enjoying the position they have been in the past.
· Google will check every page in a website. This algorithm will not be applied to the entire site all at once. This makes it easy for small business owners with limited online marketing budgets who can work on the home page and other commonly used areas of the website rather than the whole site.
· Google will view the simplicity of the site and number of clicks that are required to complete a task. Complicated processes will not be favored by the search giant.
· This algorithm is one of the first few of the steps by Google to improve online user experience by making tasks easy for them.
· Websites will now need to have responsive designs which means that users will have only URL to use to go to a website that shall adapt itself depending upon the device be it a phone, tablet, desktop or laptop. It is better to have a responsive website rather than having a separate mobile site especially for mobiles. The reasons in favor of a responsive site are:
1. Google would not like to crawl two different versions for the same business
2. It can be an irritating experience for users who may by chance click on the mobile site link while browsing on a desktop and vice versa
3. It is not the same URL and HTML content for users that offers a inconsistent experience across all devices
However, in conclusion we can say that every business has to strive to impart an enriched experience to its users to gain more clients, more revenue, more profits and growth in the long run.