Back on April 21, 2015, Google released a major change to its search algorithm. This change created a major boost to mobile-friendly websites on smartphone searches.That means that in its mobile search results, Google now plays favorites with websites that it has identified as adjusting effectively for smaller screens.
While this may have seemed like something pretty obvious for web designers to consider, there were an overwhelming number of websites back in April (over 70%) that were not mobile optimized.
That's a LOT!
And, of course, as with all past updates to the Google algorithm, some will wine and some will lose. So even if you think your website is officially “responsive” to mobile device screen size, you may want to keep reading, so you can better understand the details of this change:
1. This change only impacts smartphones.
Google's search results for both desktop and tablets will be unaffected, but this is still going to be a big deal. Consider how many people use their phones as an extension of themselves!
2. Website owners were given plenty of notice.
Typically, Google doesn't give us a head's up about these things. But considering what a dramatic impact this was going to have on mobile search results, they decided to give businesses time to get ready. In February of 2015 they released a “mobile-friendly” test tool to help website owners see if their sites were ready for the algorithm tweak. Sites with unplayable videos, slow mobile pages and, text that's too small, links too close together, or blocked image files get penalized (even if the website is “officially” responsive.)
3. These algorithm changes can matter… a lot!
Lots of businesses rely heavily on Google to send traffic to their websites. Google controls around 68% of the U.S. search market… so when they change their code, everyone has to scramble in response. The stakes are high, and these changes present lots of opportunities for search results to change. And, because the top spots on a search result page typically get the bulk of the traffic, this stuff REALLY MATTERS.
4. This is an easier fix than you might think.
Unlike previous algorithm tweaks, websites can pretty much upgrade their “mobile-friendliness” at just about any time in order to show up higher in Google's search results. A simple tweak, like the one my friend Brett created for WordPress sites, can easily solve the problem in a matter of minutes.
5. This update isn't just about mobile-friendliness.
Because Google's algorithm categorizes site quality and relevance based on numerous criteria, of which mobile-friendlness is just one, there will be some mobile-unfriendly sites still showing up in results. But don't count on being one of the few lucky ones.
Source: Mobilegeddon: How your site's mobile performance affects your SEO. – Kyosei Creative