Is your website ready for Google’s mobile search updates on April 21?

Everywhere you look these days, you’ll always catch a glimpse of somebody on their mobile or tablet. But have you ever stopped to consider how this behaviour is impacting mobile commerce and more importantly, your business?

M-commerce is rapidly growing, with visits to retail websites via mobile devices overtaking desktop traffic.

According to the IMRG Capgemini Quarterly Benchmarking Report, 52% of visits are made via a mobile, while 36% of UK online sales are now completed on a smartphone or tablet device, rising to 40% for clothing selling.

And of sales completed on a mobile device, smartphones account for around 18% and tablets 82%.

What does this mean for businesses?

The gap between mobile and traditional e-retail is growing. And in order to keep up with and capitalise on the latest technological developments, many forward-thinking businesses are now recognising they need to develop their m-commerce platforms to stay ahead of the curve.

One of the main questions you need to ask yourself right now is, is my website mobile friendly?

And it’s a question that’s particular important given the fact that Google has just announced it’s making not one, but two big changes to its search algorithm for ranking mobile search results.

According to Google, these changes will enable ‘users to find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimised for their devices.’

Making sure your website is mobile friendly will ensure it performs better in mobile search.

What do Google’s mobile search algorithm changes involve?

From April 21, 2015, the search engine giant will be using mobile-friendly factors in its search results. Mobile apps that take part in App Indexing will also rank better than before.

As specialists in mobile web design, we’ve always got our fingers on the pulse of the latest industry developments and that’s why we’re not surprised by Google’s latest announcement.

Essentially, it’s following up on the mobile ranking demotion algorithm it launched two years ago.

What do businesses need to know about Google’s mobile search updates?

From April 21, Google will not only label your site as mobile friendly, but will also use that to assess if your site should be given a higher search ranking

You can test your pages beforehand to ensure they’re mobile friendly by using Google’s Mobile Friendly Test

App Indexing enables Google to surface content from indexed apps more prominently in search.

For more details, read Google’s step-by-step guide

Got any questions about Google’s latest algorithm changes? Want to carry out a SEO audit of your site?

Need help with analysing your web search visibility? We can help simply call us on 0203 567 0860 or email hi@makeagency.co.uk