Does your Google ranking fluctuate when you look at it the wrong way?

Are you convinced it changes with the wind (or when you sneeze)? Perhaps you’re just now getting into SEO and wondering what else you can do to increase your ranking. Well folks, here’s some good news/bad news for those seeking a glimpse into the mysterious Google algorithm.

Google’s most recent algorithm update for search ranking includes making their results more mobile-friendly. In other words, websites that are mobile optimized will be ranked higher than their non-mobile ready counterparts.

In an excerpt from Google’s blog: “As we noted earlier this year, today’s the day we begin globally rolling out our mobile-friendly update. We’re boosting the ranking of mobile-friendly pages on mobile search results. Now searchers can more easily find high-quality and relevant results where text is readable without tapping or zooming, tap targets are spaced appropriately, and the page avoids unplayable content or horizontal scrolling.”

Know the facts!

Of course, we personally love that Google is recognizing websites that are mobile-friendly. However, we want to ensure our readers have all the facts regarding the algorithm update:

  • It is important to note that this ONLY affects the ranking of searches performed on a mobile-device
  • There are still several other factors that affect Google’s ranking process for SEO
  • This new update, does not apply to an entire website, just specific pages

Getting Optimized

And now you’re thinking, okay great, how do I make my site mobile optimized? As much as we’d like you to give us a call or send us an email to have us do it for you, here’s some tips for our DIY friends. (of course, we strongly encourage hiring a professional):

  • Use a web building site that includes mobile optimization from the get-go
  • Check to see if your web building site has optional extras or plugins that can be installed
  • Consider using Facebook or another social media platform to advertise your business (these often are already optimized or have apps that can accessed via smartphones)

[IMPORTANT!] It’s very important to note that the mobile-optimization process is not always as easy as installing a plugin. Sites that are built prior to the WYSIWYG* era do often require a professional due to the process of bringing the entire site (and all of its content) to current web optimization standards prior to bringing it to current mobile optimization standards. For more information on optimizing your site for mobile, email Designing Cousins web guru Brandon for more details.

*WYSIWYG = What You See Is What You Get programming – the process of image over text live editing for websites