With Google making significant changes on 21st April 2015, is your website mobile friendly?
Technology moves at quite a rate and it’s not always easy to keep up. At the start of 2005 just 10 years ago, Internet Explorer was the largest web browser around having a total market share of 74.5 %. Currently it stands at a not so healthy 8.0%. So what’s changed?
Google’s ever changing algorithms
Well the biggest shift in Internet searches has been the introduction of smart phones and tablet devices. More and more people are viewing the internet on the go. Checking up on a customer/client’s website whilst travelling on the train to a meeting, researching or fact-finding whilst watching television in the evening, tweeting in the coffee shop – you get the picture. Anyway in recognition of this phenomenon, Google is changing its algorithms to reflect this ever-expanding market.
The EWC website is fully responsive so it looks and operates equally well on a smartphone.
When trying to explain to clients about the fundamentals of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), one of the first things we always emphasise is content is ‘king’.
Google wants to show you the most relevant information when you do a search. If you search for bikes, it will place emphasis on cycle shops near you, then cycling clubs, then informative sites about cycling, etc. – again, you get the picture. If it showed you, as its number one entry, someone’s blog when they mentioned cleaning the shed that the ‘bike’ was in, you just wouldn’t use that search engine again.
Relevance is the key
What we’re trying to emphasise here is that relevance is key. Google’s closely guarded algorithms work hard to anticipate your needs so you don’t have to work hard discovering the answers to them. In view of this, and combined with the earlier facts that more people are using tablets and mobiles to search the internet, there is a big change planned.
Google is altering its algorithms to give more emphasis to mobile-friendly sites when searched using said device. Although not entirely disastrous for your site if it is not mobile friendly, it could mean you are no longer high in the rankings on mobile and tablet searches. However, it is important to know your audience because if mobile browsing is how most of your customers find you – you could be in a pickle.
Test your site
Test your site here using Google’s own test page – mobile test.
And remember if your website isn’t mobile friendly, don’t panic – just get in touch!
