Mobilegeddon: Atomicdust on Google’s Latest Update
It’s not every day that you hear news about search engine rankings outside of industry blogs. Google’s latest update is quite the exception – it’s already been featured heavily by the mainstream media, from local newspapers to The TODAY Show.
If you’re asking yourself “What does ‘Mobilegeddon’ mean for my business?” – it might mean that Build a New Website should be at the top of your marketing to-do list – whether it’s an update or a full redesign.
What is Google up to?
In the most recent update, Google focuses on prioritizing user experience on mobile. With numerous reports stating that around half of search traffic comes from mobile, it’s no surprise Google’s changing the way it ranks websites. When people search for something online, they’re looking for answers. Google uses countless factors to deliver the best possible results. Now, there’s a premium on how your website looks, loads and functions on phones and tablets.
We’ve all searched and ended on a page that’s frustrating to use on a phone or tablet. When content is too small to see, doesn’t fit on the screen or doesn’t load properly, most users end up leaving in a matter of seconds. Google doesn’t want users to have to pinch, zoom and flip their phones around only to never find what they’re looking for in the first place. That’s not mobile-friendly at all. So search results will now prioritize websites built to perform on smaller screens.
What can you do?
No matter what industry you’re in, it’s time to start getting serious about creating a new website that’s built for mobile. While our developer Drew dove into an important part of mobile friendliness, image optimization, that’s only the start. There are many factors that will impact how your website performs on a tablet or phone. To make it easy, Google released a new tool to help you determine if your site is in need of an update. Check your site here.
If you receive the “Not mobile-friendly” result, prepare for a sharp decline in search ranking and traffic. Whether you have developers in-house who can optimize your site for mobile, or need an agency with web design expertise, it’s time to rally the troops. This change is reported to have an even larger impact than any algorithm updates in the past few years, including Penguin and Panda.
While Google might be driven by ad revenue, this change is also about making the internet a better place to be. Finding what you’re looking for should be easy. Google is always refining search algorithms to better serve the most relevant results, but this change is different. Most of the time Google makes changes, it’s to crack down on spam or sites using deceptive SEO tactics. And it largely goes unnoticed to most businesses. Mobilegeddon will definitely have a wider reach, knocking down plenty of trusted, completely legitimate websites – ones that simply aren’t optimized for mobile.
You’re not alone.
According to a poll by TechCrunch, at least 44% of Fortune 500 companies don’t have a mobile-friendly website. 44%. For smaller businesses, the numbers are even higher. And without international brand awareness as a buffer, most companies should expect an even larger impact on search results.
If your company is in need of a new website that’s built for visitors on any screen, it’s definitely time to make a change. Creating a mobile-friendly site is a chance to either retain your top spot in search rankings, or make up some ground on your competitors.
