Earlier this year, Google issued an update that caused issues for many who had yet to make the transition to mobile-friendly website design. In an effort to accommodate the increasing commerce and consumer exchange occurring on mobile devices, Google issued a new algorithm change back in April that rewarded sites that had implemented responsive, mobile-friendly sites by making mobile-friendliness a ranking factor for websites. Though websites had been encouraged to incorporate responsive design for better user experience in the past, this was the first time that Google had taken active measures to make responsive design a must, rather than a useful addition.

Rewarding mobile responsive design by maintaining optimal website visibility.

So how exactly did the new Google update “reward” sites that had implemented mobile-friendly design? By making mobile responsiveness an actual ranking factor in Google’s index, sites that hosted responsive mobile-friendly websites maintained optimal visibility on Google searches, specifically on mobile search results. Whereas those who had yet to implement a mobile responsive website were penalized and lost visibility and traffic on mobile search results.

The penalty was intended to affect only mobile search results. However, there was, and still is speculation that the update has had a broader effect on overall user searches. Google has, in the past, expressed its intentions to eventually create separate mobile and desktop indexes, but has yet to do so. Therefore, because there is currently still only one single index of which Google uses to search and rank websites, there is the possibility that the algorithm change to the index for mobile search results may have also affected website searches more broadly. There is the risk that companies penalized for not having mobile-friendly websites may have, and will continue to see not only reduced visibility and traffic on mobile searches but on desktop results as well.

How does this affect SEO? 

Since the update, mobile-friendly web design has become an absolute necessity from an SEO standpoint. If a company wants to maintain optimal visibility and a prominent SEO presence, it is fundamental that they comply with the Google update and incorporate mobile-friendly web page design. Companies that have yet to hear of or comply with the April Google update must understand how this can potentially weed out their website from the SEO and visibility front. Mobile responsive design is no longer a plus, but a 100% must.

In the end, the customers and clients benefit.

The change initially had more of an impact on smaller online publications and retailers who had yet the switch to a mobile-friendly website. Since the update, an increasing number of companies have made the transition with their website, incorporating mobile-responsive design. Though this change was mainly due to the pressure placed by the Google update, the move toward mobile-friendly web page design has also greatly benefited customers and users. With the increased usage of apps and mobile devices, there has been a significant paradigm shift in consumer mindset over the last few years with people depending more on their devices to shop and search. By implementing mobile responsive web design, companies have made navigating their site more intuitive and accessible to their growing mobile consumer base.

If you have yet to comply with Google’s update and transition your website to mobile-friendly design, do not wait any longer. Getting your website up-to-date with responsive, mobile-friendly design will ensure that you are no longer penalized during mobile searches and that your site maintains visibility and traffic.

Some things to keep in mind as you update your site are:

• *Avoid using software that is not supported on most mobile devices, like Flash
• *Use text that is legible without zooming
• *Size content so that users can navigate your site without scrolling horizontally or zooming on a mobile device
• *Place links far enough so that they can easily be tapped
• *Make sure every single page is mobile-friendly, as Google determines mobile friendliness on a page-by-page basis. It is important that the entire site pass.

We have designed hundreds of websites for clients over the years and specialize in designing and updating websites to be mobile-responsive. Talk to us about transitioning your website to be mobile-friendly.