Mobilepocalyse is coming whether your business is ready or not. Google has announced that today, Tueaday April 21st, they will be changing their guidelines for mobile search engines. Without a mobile friendly website, your business will be at risk of losing valuable search rankings. Although this news can be nerve-racking, there are simple steps any business owner can take to assure that their business is not negatively affected by the big Mobile SEO change.
The first and most simple step is to test your site for mobile optimization. Google has provided businesses with an easy to take Mobile Friendly Site Test that can help you to determine if your site requires additional changes to survive the coming Mobilepocalyse. Simply follow the link and plug in your site’s URL. In only a few seconds, the “Google Mobile Friendly” site will let you know if you are prepared or in need of some adjustments.
Next, you should visit the Pagespeed Insights website. Plug in your website URL and wait for the diagnostics. Use the report provided by Pagespeed Insights to determine what areas, if any, need to be adjusted to be more mobile site friendly. The report will include issues in need of fixing and tips on how to fix them. Even if your site doesn’t have any issues, the report will provide you with tips to improve the load speed of your mobile site! If you built your own site, you can also use the Google Mobile Usability Report. This will also provide you with a detailed report with update recommendations.
Now it is time to make your much needed adjustments. Follow the links provided by Pagespeed to find solutions for configuring your site for multiple devices, help search engines understand your site configuration and many other common mobile friendly site diagnostics problems. Solutions include options for businesses who self-built websites or sought professional creation help. Advice also includes step by step tips for specific website software, like WordPress, Tumblr or Joomla.
Be sure to monitor your mobile Google site rankings before and after all changes made to your website. This way you can ensure that any new algorithms are functioning properly. You should also monitor your Google rankings on non-mobile devices as well. Google has warmed that in some instances, both mobile and non-mobile rankings have been negatively affected by non-mobile friendly websites. When you do your monitoring, add Google searches as well. If you see the mobile friendly icon below your URL, this means your site is mobile optimized for the best functionality.
Even after you have made your changes and monitored the progress of your site rankings, make sure to continue testing your mobile site. Keeping periodic checkups can help you avoid any major sites bugs that can ruin any progress made in site’s search rankings.
Still not sure you are prepared for the coming Google mobile search changes? Take a look at this great infographic provided by Search Engine Land that gives businesses a very detailed guide to mobile SEO. A perfect tool for strategic plan for your mobile website!
