Google now bases site rankings only on the mobile version—and it’s easy to see why. Over the last few years, Google has demonstrated deliberate efforts to make websites more mobile-friendly owing to behavior trends. According to Statista, mobile devices accounted for more than 60% of Google search engine visits in 2019—up from 34% in 2014. As more people rely on their smartphones to navigate the internet, Google believes that websites need to reflect the trend.
Website Conversion & Mobile-First Indexing
Mobile-first indexing is the latest development in Google’s push towards making the internet more mobile-friendly. But what does it mean for website conversions? And what should site owners do about it?
What is Mobile-First Indexing?
As the name implies, mobile-first indexing means that Google will use the mobile version of a site as the starting point to determine rankings. Although the move was widely implemented in March 2021, it’s nothing new. Any site created after July 1, 2019, has mobile-first indexing enabled by default. (Please Note: This does not necessarily mean that having a mobile version is a must—but it’s highly recommended for improved website conversion.) Google will still use the same index to show the most relevant URL (mobile or desktop) for a search query. The only change is in Googlebot’s prioritization when crawling and indexing pages.
What Next? – Best Practices to Improve Website Conversion
The switch to mobile-first indexing is automatic and doesn’t require any action on your part. However, site owners are advised to take any necessary measures to optimize their websites to leverage this update to Google’s algorithm. Here are some suggestions to consider for better website conversion in the future.
- Responsive web design is the way to go. The content of a website should adapt seamlessly to the different window sizes and screens.
- The content in mobile versions and desktop versions of a website should be identical, including links, videos, images, titles/descriptions, structured data, meta tags, and even the error page status.
- Check and optimize mobile performance—including page load time and quality of images/videos.
StickyLeads
Generally, site owners must ensure that their websites are mobile-friendly and they index well. An excellent place to start is to review the mobile friendliness of your site. (Click here for the test link.) But keep in mind that there are tons of other factors necessary for improved website conversion—and StickyLeads can help. Our team of digital marketing experts leverages the best practices and latest developments in the industry for your success. Contact us at 757-390-0748.
