We’ve talked about mobile first indexing for SEO in Melbourne FL in the past and its importance in terms of your search engine rankings. Back in 2016, Google announced they would start work on their mobile-first indexing as a response to the ever increasing mobile usage reports. In the past, Google’s search algorithm has used the desktop versions of websites for indexing and displaying results to both mobile and desktop users. This has caused issues for many users because the desktop site might not be mobile friendly. Mobile-first indexing started to roll out in March of 2018, it is a new procedure in which a website’s search engine indexing is based on its mobile version. If your website isn’t mobile friendly it can really hurt your search engine rankings, which hurts your business.
Making sure your website is mobile friendly has become more important than ever since we posted our last blog on this topic. Starting July 1st, Google is now rolling out another update for mobile first indexing and this time is targeting new websites or in Google own words:
“Websites previously unknown to Google Search”
By default, all new sites indexed on July 1st will be indexed using the mobile first indexing algorithm. Even if the website is not really ready for mobile first indexing. So the common question is if Google would at least notify the webmaster via Search Console if the site has any problems that are hurting it because of mobile first indexing. Webmaster Trends Analyst, John Mueller said there are no plans to send notifications in those situations. This does seem confusing and slightly terrifying but it makes sense. Most new websites should be mobile friendly because of how web designers learn and adapt to current technology. Since mobile friendly websites have been a “thing” for a while, most web developers should be building websites that are responsive and ultimately mobile friendly.
John Mueller also added that after they roll out this update, the next step is working on enforcing this for the rest of the websites that have not moved over yet. The most surprising thing about this next step is about 50% of the websites indexed by Google are not ready for mobile first indexing! You read that correctly, half of the websites that Google knows about are not ready for mobile first indexing which means their search engine rankings are going to be heavily affected once the change fully rolls out. The good thing is that Google will be sending out messages to the site owners letting them know that they are not ready before the changes are fully implemented so the site owners can take appropriate actions.
Since mobile devices have become such a crucial factor in search rankings, creating separate strategies for desktop and mobile SEO in Melbourne FL is a must. Understanding there is a difference will help you grow your business. We specialize in this field and we have the tools and expertise necessary to help drive your business’s success by improving your search engine ranking. Learn more about what we have to offer your business and contact us to plan out and design a strategy for SEO in Melbourne FL.
