What? Your website's not mobile friendly? WATCH OUT

Google have just introduced a new mobile algorithm, favouring those of us who have mobile friendly websites. Boxharry explains how it could affect you.

What comes in black or beige, weighs a tonne, looks awful, and makes your Britney Spears sore? No, not an impossibly chunky cable-knit bobble hat with built-in mufflers. We mean a 1980s handheld mobile phone! The 'lucky' few who could afford them did their best to look cool back in the day, didn't they? But somehow they never quite pulled it off.

So, who'd have thought back then that one day literally BILLIONS of people worldwide would own a mobile phone? Who even in the furthest reaches of their imagination would have dreamt that folks everywhere would use them to type, browse, find, buy, book, research, flirt, bookmark, watch, check, comment, respond, follow, and perform myriad other miraculous mobile manoeuvres (seemingly as a natural human reflex) practically every day of their lives? 

The power of mobile — Ignore it at your peril

Even those Nostradamus-like trend predictors at Google would have struggled to forecast such an astounding shift in global lifestyle behaviour (if they'd been around back then), but they certainly recognise 'the power of mobile' now. It would be utterly remiss of them not to. Why? Because a staggering 60 per cent of all internet searches these days come from a mobile device. That's right, 60 PER CENT. It's little wonder, then, that Google is now eager to reward websites that offer consumers a positive, completely hassle-free mobile experience. 

So, how does Google plan to scrutinize and then reward all this touchy-feely mobile friendliness?

They're already doing it (as of 21st April 2015). Here's how...

"It's all about the algorithms, dude."

"Algo - what?"

Algorithms. Search algorithms, to be precise. Think of an algorithm as a set of rules, or a step-by-step sequence of operations Google utilises 'behind the scenes' when scanning and checking websites for best practice and for assessing things like its responsive elements, page clarity, accessibility of navigation, and how quickly it loads.

What Google's new mobile friendly search algorithm basically wants to know is if a website is a nightmare or a breeze when it comes to certain activities whenever users are on the go: 

•    reading text
•    pressing buttons and links
•    scrolling and zooming pages (or, ideally, not needing to) 

So, is your company's website suitably mobile optimised to pass this (business-critical) test? 

If not, you might want to get your skates on! Why? Because from now on your site's mobile device compatibility will have a significant bearing upon where it appears in Google's page listings (aka search engine results pages, or SERPs). Even if your current site ranks well, if it ain't mobile friendly, well... let's just say you'll soon be embroiled in a relegation battle — an online survival scrap — faster than you can shout, "We was robbed!" rather than challenging for the Title.

It's true — your position in mobile search results will change, resulting in fewer mobile search queries from prospective buyers. If users are somehow put off from browsing your site when they're on the hoof, chances are they'll feel averse to accessing it on a desktop or laptop when back home or at the office. The overall reduction in traffic will affect your SERP placement across both mobile and desktop platforms, you see. And you don't want that.

Don't panic. Do this instead…

If your website is properly mobile optimised, Google will reward it. That's what their new algorithm update is all about, what it's there for. The good news is that your entire site needn't be wholly mobile friendly at first; initially improving mobile SEO on your home page and the other most frequently accessed pages will at least get things on the right track. To keep control of costs, you can then, one-by-one, give all your other pages a vital mobile SEO boost.

There's no getting away from it, then. Mobile search is all the rage, and it is certainly the future. 

Don't get left behind.

To find out more about Boxharry call 01273 207320 or email hello@boxharry.com.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk