Want to be Found on Google? You Better be Mobile-Friendly!

Don’t panic (well, maybe a little…). If you don’t know about the game-changing revision that Google is making to its search results algorithm as of Tuesday, April 21, 2015 (yes, THIS Tuesday), read on and be prepared to take action!

Don’t Let Google Un-Friend You!

Google is all about relevant search results and a big part of Google’s relevancy test is being able to access, read and interact with any website that shows up on its results page.  So, as of April 21, Google will return search results only for mobile-friendly websites on a search that is initiated from a mobile device. 

Bottom line:  if your website is not mobile-friendly, you simply won’t exist on a search conducted on a smartphone, etc.

What’s mobile-friendly?

You know it when you see it – website content is typically rearranged to  display vertically, rather than horizontally.  Navigation bars are compressed into a small square that opens vertically. Links and buttons are big enough to comfortably click on a small screen, etc.

What’s mobile-unfriendly?

Your website crammed into the small space of a smartphone – too tiny to read, with endless horizontal scrolling.  (And unfortunately, a quick check of your websites shows we’re talking about many of our readers!)

Keep Calm and Carry On

All that being said, converting your website into a mobile-friendly format doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.  Depending on how your website was built (e.g. using WordPress, etc) the fix could be almost instantaneous.

Your best bet is to follow the clear instructions on Google’s Mobile Guide. You’ll be able to test your site for mobile-friendliness and get instructions on how to correct any problems for a broad array of web-building software options.

Don’t Procrastinate!

This is a big deal – depending on your service or product, the vast majority of Google searches for what you’re selling could be conducted on smartphones.  You will disappear from the Google Search Results world overnight if you don’t take action now.

The good news, though, is your website will be more appealing to visitors, making it easier to accomplish whatever your online goals may be.  Thanks, Google!