A lot has changed when it comes to ranking websites. Ever since Google rolled out their first rule about mobile websites in 2015, things are continually being tweaked and updated to adhere to these rules. In that past year alone, another new rule has everyone in our industry talking about it: mobile-first indexing.
What does this mean for business owners, exactly? This is what we’re going to talk about in today’s article.
What is Mobile-First Indexing?
Mobile-first indexing is a new action that Google performs for ranking websites. Since the rule was fully rolled out in July 2019, Google bases what it places in its index based on the mobile version of your website. Before, they used to index the desktop version of your website first.
Why was this rule introduced?
According to a recent study, more and more people have been using their mobile devices to look up websites over desktop since 2016. In order to give these users a better mobile experience, Google then decided it was time to prioritize mobile search engine results.
One thing that’s worth mentioning is the mobile-first index is not a separate one; Google only has one index from which it serves results.
What does it mean for my business’s website?
To put it plainly, if your business’s website isn’t already built as a responsive one, you may need to reconsider getting a new site. WordPress sites are in the clear, because those are made to be responsive on mobile from the get-go. If, however, you have two different websites optimized for desktop and mobile and your mobile website has a lot less content—that’s when you need to be concerned.
If you’re wondering whether or not your website needs separate mobile URLs in order to adhere to this new rule, don’t. In fact, Google has suggested that websites support responsive web design as opposed to the URLs in their documentation about mobile-first indexing.
Do you need a website that’s responsive and mobile-friendly? We’re the team for you. Give us a call if your business needs a new website that aligns with this latest rule and will be responsive across all devices.