In 2011 when my mother suggested that I “do a big Google”, she didn’t actually add the word search but I knew what she meant, I remember I was sat on the sofa at home, with my new “companion screen”- an iPad 2 – and my search was drawing a blank. Sat opposite me my digitally curious, but not particularly digitally savvy, elderly mother was suggesting that I re-locate to my desktop PC upstairs to do a “big Google” where she thought I might have more success!
At that time her request prompted laughter from me but in 2015, and particularly from 21 April, her words seem more prophetic or even futuristic because Google will be changing its algorithms so that a search on a mobile device like an iPad, or even smaller smartphone screen, may indeed deliver a different search result.
From 21st April 2015 Google will be changing its algorithm on mobile-search.
Why 21 April?
This is a big date in 2015’s digital calendar, the launch date of a new algorithm change which will determine how websites are found when the search is conducted on a tablet or a smartphone, this is what’s now referred to as “mobile search”.
If you own a website should you be concerned? The simple answer is yes. However, the severity of your concern depends on the nature of your business and the current volume of traffic your website is attracting from mobile devices. If your analytics suggest that volumes are currently low you should still think of investing in a new mobile-friendly website; but the case is less urgent than for a business which can see mobile traffic is a significant and growing share of its website traffic.
Why is Google doing this?
Google advocates good “user experience” or, if you like jargon, UX in website design and build and, with large numbers of people using mobile devices for online searches (according to Nielson 87% of mobile users use their devices for shopping activities including searching for a product or service, price comparisons and addresses) Google is simply rewarding businesses for providing a good user experience via a mobile friendly website.
Therefore, regardless of your current volumes of website visitors via mobile search, the need to invest in a new website is not going to go away. This is the first step Google has taken to penalise websites which are not mobile-friendly and it is likely that it won’t be the last.
It seems that today my mother would not have been far wrong with her suggestion to “do a big Google darling”; however, the solution is not in which device you use but in how responsive the website is that you are searching! And going forward the responsive website owner will have more confidence and success in online search.
If you’d like to know more about mobile search or targeted online marketing please get in touch with us at [email protected] or call 01992 582 824.
