The key factor to Google’s search engine success is that it delivers the highest relevancy in its search engine results. Since the beginning, high relevancy has been why people chose Google over other search engines. Over the years, Google has updated their algorithm to continue to improve the relevancy of its search results.
During the last few years, an explosion of mobile device usage has changed the way people access the Internet and view websites; and today, the majority of people access the Internet from their mobile devices. This has created a challenge. Mobile devices have smaller screens, and they vary in size. This makes it more difficult for viewers to navigate and use websites that are not programmed to be mobile friendly.
Google recognizes this critical factor and wants its search engine to deliver not only highly relevant results, but also websites that are user friendly on each searcher’s device. — Implication: The faster we can get the information we want from Google.com, and the more satisfied we are with that information, we will come back to use Google more often, which will lead to increased bids for Google ads.
Here are possible impacts that this Google “mobile-friendly” update will have on websites going forward:
- Once Google begins labeling websites that are mobile friendly on all of its query listings (starting April 21, 2015), users will most likely click on those mobile-friendly websites because today, more and more searchers access the Internet on their mobile devices.
- Google-listed websites that get more clicks and visits (and visitors that stay on the sites longer) are moved up higher on Google’s search results. Soon, because more people are searching from their mobile devices, searchers will naturally push mobile-friendly websites to the top of Google’s search engine pages.
- Organizations who have websites that are not yet mobile friendly will see their mobile-friendly competitors’ websites outrank them in Google search results. Trying to regain their position by going mobile friendly later will become more difficult as time passes, because as other mobile-friendly sites gain ground, it will take more time and SEO efforts to regain their previous position. As always, searchers will continue to click on websites from the top down on search engine listings, which makes right now an important moment for you, if your website is not yet mobile friendly.
This Google update, and the trend of mobile searching, has created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for businesses and organizations to leverage this Internet reshuffling to gain ranking and exposure through Google. Like the gold rush of the mid-nineteenth century, the sooner you get there, the better your potential return on your investment. If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at (612) 590-8080.