This July, Google’s algorithm is changing and it’s slow-loading mobile sites that will suffer. Loading speed will now be used as a metric for mobile search result ranking, so if you begin to notice a decline in your website’s ranking for terms you used to appear highly on, it’s probably due to its loading speed.
Whilst loading speed has always been a factor in determining rankings, it was only based on your desktop site, not the mobile version. Statistics from ‘Statista’ show that more than 52.2% of all web traffic worldwide is from a mobile device. With great web content, there’s still a chance to rank highly without having an optimised mobile version, Google is encouraging user experience and performance on mobile platforms.
Here are 4 ways to make sure your site is prepared for the Google algorithm change:
There is a difference between your website being mobile friendly and being mobile optimised. Mobile friendly means that your site can be viewed on a on a mobile device, but it doesn’t take into account the quality, performance or user experience of your site. Mobile optimisation, however, is about responsive mobile design, meaning the complete design of your site has to be changed to fit different screens, resolutions and orientations, whilst still providing excellent user experience.
Another way to make sure your site is mobile optimised is to adjust your content so that it’s reader friendly. Long form content works fine on desktop sites, but it can be daunting on a mobile site, as users typically want to process information quickly. In other words, adjusting your content for a mobile device is as simple as breaking it up into smaller sentences and paragraphs.
Most importantly, it’s important to check the loading speed of your site as according to Google, 53% of mobile users leave a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Thankfully, Google has made it easy for you to check the mobile loading speed of your site, as well as offering you suggestions for improvement. Click here to discover your site’s loading speed.
Finally, as Google have been cracking down on disruptive ads on webpages, it’s important to ensure that your mobile site is also void of them. On mobile, they take up significantly more screen space than on a desktop site, and therefore are likely to turn visitors away. Pop-up ads are also more likely to slow down your site and in turn, affect your SEO ranking.
As long as you have ensured your site is optimised for mobile, and your loading speed is up to scratch, the new Google algorithm should not be a cause for concern.
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