Some website owners don’t consider mobile traffic to be a huge concern. This is because even at a time when mobile has surpassed desktop usage, their visitors still primarily uses desktop devices. Typically, these are B2B websites and their visitors are predominantly arriving during business hours using their work computers. But, mobile optimization is crucial – even if you have zero mobile traffic.
Starting July 1, 2019 all new websites are indexed using Google’s mobile-first indexing. This means if you launch a new website and it has mobile usability problems, then it will certainly have ranking issues as well.
What does this mean for SEO?
Google will apply the same rules to rank your website as they apply to mobile sites. These rules are somewhat more strict in some areas but definitely different than before.
There are several different ways to serve your website to mobile devices (separate mobile URL, responsive, Â dynamic) but the overall best way in terms of ranking is a responsive site. Regardless of which method you use, here are the critical factors to consider.
Site Speed
Things like site speed (as measured on a mobile device) will greatly affect your ability to rank well. Of course, the faster – the better.
Using Flash or Large Images?
This will drag your rankings down. Because most mobile browsers don’t support flash, your website should use a different technology.
Images
Everyone knows that images can slow your site down, however, imagery is good for a visitor’s experience and perception. Images should definitely be used, but they need to be heavily optimized to cut load time.
Popups
Even modern websites with newer technologies will get penalized for this element. Interstitials (popups) can obstruct a site’s content and be harder to close on mobile browsers.
Text Size
As devices get smaller, text size increases to help visitors be able to read what is on the page. By the same token, the amount of text is reduced as well. And, don’t forget forms, checkboxes, links or any interactive element. If the areas that must be touched are too close together then the visitor will have a hard time (and so will your rankings).
Content
Serving different content to your mobile visitors? Not a good idea either. You want your mobile visitor experience to be just as rich as desktop – but, following a slightly different set of optimization guidelines.
Does your site have mobile errors?
Check your site with Google’s tool or read more about common mistakes.
Advanced Techniques for Mobile Optimization
If your business heavily depends on ranking in the SERPs, then going above average on your mobile optimization is a must. This means you should also consider things like structured data on your pages, AMP technology and better site architecture to improve usability. You can find many of these technology discussions online and find new tactics or ideas to improve your site’s performance.
Summary
If you want a free analysis of your website’s mobile optimization or you want to discuss using advanced techniques, contact the G3 Group.
Resources
Get more information on mobile marketing statistics here.
