Google Says: Fix Your Mobile Site

Google has been saying for years that businesses need to make their sites mobile-friendly.

And yet, according to a new study from Google, 61 percent of small businesses and 80 percent of big businesses still don’t have mobile-friendly sites.

The study found that while most small businesses believe having a mobile-friendly site is important, many don’t have the resources to invest in one. Forty-four percent of small businesses surveyed said they don’t have a website at all.

Of those that do have a website, 61 percent said it’s not mobile-friendly. The most common reasons given for not having a mobile-friendly site were lack of resources (57 percent) and lack of technical knowledge (50 percent).

Google has been trying to help businesses with mobile-friendly sites for years.The company launched a tool that allows businesses to test if their site is mobile-friendly.

The search giant also offers resources and advice on how to make websites more mobile-friendly.

Google says it’s important for businesses to have mobile-friendly sites because more and more people are using their phones to search the internet.

According to Google, 61 percent of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site that they had trouble accessing and 40 percent visit a competitor’s site instead.

Google also found that 67 percent of mobile users say that when they visit a mobile-friendly site, they’re more likely to buy a product or service from the company.

So if you’re one of the 61 percent of small businesses that doesn’t have a mobile-friendly site, it’s time to take Google’s advice and fix your site. Google says it will help you reach more customers and make more sales.

What Is Mobile-First Indexing?

Google has now acknowledged that they don’t have a mobile-first index or a mobile-only search index, distinct from other indexes. Mobile-first indexing is the process by which search engines such as Google prioritise and rank your site and its content using the mobile version of your website as the primary source.

Despite the fact that mobile-first indexing was launched in January, there are still websites with no mobile-friendly version. According to Marketing Insider Group, over 96% of Google’s search engine queries come from a mobile device, as well as more than half of ALL web traffic – this is significant!

Google’s “Test My Site” Mobile Review Testing Tool

Test My Site is a feature of Google that can be used to determine how mobile-friendly your website is. You may use Test My Site to see how quickly your site loads and measures the effect on potential income based on its speed.

Google’s Test My Site is a free service that improves the user experience of your website. It obtains data from Google’s open-source Lighthouse tool to provide completely customised recommendations on how to improve your site, best practices, and even resources that would be most beneficial to you and your website.

MySiteTest is a fantastic tool for developers, marketers, and company owners who want to enhance their website’s online presence. Marketers and business owners should distribute the report with the tech team to have these changes implemented. Developers should use the document as a guide to make the suggested technical modifications in order to improve mobile performance and, ultimately, user experience.

How Test My Site Works

To begin, you type your site into the search bar. Then you can press “Enter” or click on the arrow to the right. While Google analyzes your site, a status bar will crawl across the bottom of the screen. When it’s done, you’ll see the test results.

As you scroll down the results page, you’ll see suggestions for what may be done to improve your speed. Conversion and bounce rates are both sensitive to site speed because customers are impatient. The findings show that reducing even a little bit of your load time can have a significant influence on your overall conversion rates.

Aside from the recommendations, you have the option to look at more tools that may help you boost your speed, compare your speed to others’, and analyse the ROI of a faster site. Google also provides advice on personalising the user experience and seamless conversions.

You might see ads or referrals in your search results after you click on a website. You click, and then wait for it to load — yet it takes forever, even if it’s only a few seconds. Chances are that you’d return to choose another result that loaded quicker.

Since consumers’ habits have changed, so has their speed. People are increasingly using mobile or voice-powered gadgets to look for information. They desire rapid responses, especially when people are always on the go these days. Site optimization is essential; and, as a result, it must be quick. Because milliseconds count, and they may make a difference.

Site Speed Versus Page Speed

It’s vital to note that page speed and site speed are two different things, although both have an influence. Page speed assesses the performance of each page, whereas site speed considers the whole website. Because they usually give varying results, you may see two distinct values when testing a single webpage versus your entire site.

The data Google has on your site over the previous month is used to determine site speed, whereas page speed is determined on demand. Don’t forget to check out Google’s Page Speed Insights for even more information about your site and how you may improve it.

Beyond Speed and Mobile-First Indexing — Other Ranking Trends You Need To Know

As a web developer or designer, you’re undoubtedly familiar with Google’s ever-changing algorithms. They’re well-known for constantly updating their technique in order to deliver high-quality results for their users. To get the most out of your mobile-friendly website, keep the following points in mind.

Understanding Valuable Content

Better content also has an impact on your ranking. Google’s AI algorithm, RankBrain, assesses both quality and relevance while analysing the performance of your site to determine both. Although they’re still significant since they indicate relevance to search results, RankBrain’s ability to distinguish genuine significance from keyword stuffing or embedding keywords in material in a contrived manner

Keyword stuffing is widely frowned upon, and the RankBrain algorithm ranks content based on its quality, usefulness, and relevance to a specific search query. Instead of ranking content, however,ranking relies on what RankBrain understands as valuable to your target audience and provides information that they will value highly.

When it comes to mobile-friendly content, the most important aspect is that it be easily available. If the font isn’t scaling correctly but the rest of your site is, you’ll want to look into it.

The Importance of Backlinks

Backlinks, which are links that take users back to your site from other websites, are still important for rankings. They’re at the heart of your site’s credibility. Backlinks provide authority to your website and help it climb in the ranks. Simply said, having backlinks aids in the discovery of your site.

Remember, however, that excellence is required. You can’t receive backlinks from any random website. Backlinks from high-quality and high-authority sites are desired. High-authority sites are authoritative, established, and reputable sources of information.

When potential customers search for your business or industry on Google, it appears higher in their results, the more likely they are to trust your site. That’s even better if these sites that have backlinks also have a mobile-friendly design. It’s worth taking a look at their My Site Test score to see whether they’ve implemented a mobile-first index.

The User Experience 

The ease with which visitors can find their way around your site is also critical to a positive user experience and site ranking. If Google crawlers are having difficulty crawling your website, content and backlinks won’t matter because difficulties understanding your site would reflect how people may locate it difficult.

Because mobile-friendly websites are simple to access via their mobile devices, they typically provide a better user experience. The greater your site’s rating is, the better the user experience it will give.

The Bottom Line

When you consider how all of the tools and algorithms function together, Google’s message is rather clear. They want you to double-check that your mobile site is optimised so that users may find your site useful. Google also wants people to be able to access accurate information in their searches. It’s a draw for both sides.

Given the significance of mobile-first indexing and its function in providing search results, you should take the time to run your site through Test My Site. This ensures that your site is performing properly for the search engine and gives you access to tools to correct any problems. You’re way ahead of the game if you create high-quality content.