0418 118 998Google Mobile Friendly Update
The use of the internet has taken over so many aspects of our lives – online marketing, online sales, online banking. The use of websites to create and offer products and services are but a few such amenities that have grown significantly in the past 5 – 10 years.
Life has become one of convenience; the store doesn’t close in an online environment. This process has also been significantly aided by the innovations and growth in the use of smartphones and mobile technology.
What Is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) And How Does It Work ?
As the use of websites and webpages, particularly for monetary gain (monetization) has increased, the need to optimize this traffic’ on the internet became a reality. Simply put, SEO is really the use of different criteria and parameters to rank a website or webpage and a SEO specialist would be the right person to talk to about achieving this goal
One practical example of this is the use of the search engine, Google. When you type in your search criteria in the search bar websites (URL’s) are listed for you to enquire and find the desired information. If you look at the bottom of the page you will see a set of numbers -1,2,3,4,5…
These numbers are the page’ where the websites are placed based on the ranking. The sites which come up first are on Page 1 and are the highest ranked in SEO.
Online marketers, online sales sites and services using the online environment will do many things to increase their ranking; the higher the ranking, the more visible the product or service will be and the higher the potential revenue. This is the philosophy behind SEO.
How Do Mobile Devices Fit In With The Mobile Update ?
The younger generations e.g. the millennials, and many older ones too, primarily use their mobile devices for most, and in many cases, all online activity. The mobile device is always with you….it is your map, your telephone directory, your bank etc.
With this in mind it was critical that web programming and SEO be taken to the next level and move to incorporate the mobile world of information, knowledge and commerce. Hence the development and introduction of the Google Mobile Friendly Update.
When Did The Google Mobile Friendly Update Roll Out ?
On February 26, 2015, Google announced to the Webmaster community that they would be introducing several enhancements to improve the experience of online users using mobile devices.
One such announcement was that, on April 21 of the same year, Google would be disseminating the Google Mobile Friendly Update. This update would enhance the search results of webpages (not websites) on mobile devices. These webpages should however be deemed mobile-friendly.
So, once the webpage could be accessed, used and read (usable & legible), the ranking could be enhanced/boosted with the use of the Google Mobile Friendly Update. The next step for the website’s Webmaster was to ensure that the webpage was mobile-friendly. To assist in this exercise Google provided the Mobile -Friendly Test.
It was important that the webpages which were not mobile-friendly be made so, to improve the probability of high ranking in the search engine.In addition to only affecting the ranking on mobile devices, this update was also written to include all languages, worldwide. And remember, it affects webpages, not websites. So, care had to be taken to review all pages on any site.
Was the Google Mobile Friendly Update Necessary?
Not only was this update absolutely necessary, it was critical. This was introduced in 2015. Today, in 2018, the proliferation of internet ready mobile devices has increased even more. Can you imagine the use of a mobile device today without SEO and the Google Mobile Friendly Update?
What would the status of the online mobile world be without it? I can’t imagine.