Google’s latest mobile-friendly algorithm

Google recently announced that, come 21st April, “we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal“. That’s a major change to its mobile search algorithm.

But what does that mean to you, me and more importantly to the ranking of your website?

Starting 21st April, when people use Google search tool on their mobile devices, there will be preferential ranking treatment given to sites that are “optimized” for mobile. It also means that having a mobile-friendly website will no longer be a nice option to give your customers – it will be absolutely essential.

The algorithm will start favouring mobile-friendly websites (ones with large text, easy-to-click links and that resize to fit whatever screen they’re viewed on) and ranking them higher in search results. Websites that aren’t mobile-friendly will get demoted in the search engine results.

So, how do you tell if your website passes Google’s mobile-friendliness test?

Well, it is pretty easy to find out.  Just click this link to reach the Google mobile-friendly test, enter your site’s URL, and after a quick analysis, you’ll see where you stand and whether you need to make changes.

Google will also show you a screenshot of what their system interprets your site to look like on a smartphone. It is probably a good idea to test not just your home page but some of your other main pages too, eg. your Services, About and Contact pages, just to be on the safe side.

If Google considers your site isn’t compatible for mobile, they’ll give you a list of ways to fix the issues and improve its standing.

So, start first by checking whether your site is “Google Approved“.