According to Google, more than 100 billion people a month search for products and services using Mobile devices.  Gone are the days of bulky desktop computers being the only way to look up information online or surf the web.  Now, mobile phones, tablets, wearables, and wireless devices make it easy for us to get information anytime, anywhere, without being tethered to a desk.  Users have already adopted mobile as their “first screen of choice”, so it’s more important than ever that your website is mobile-friendly and can deliver a great user experience across multiple screens.

Ask Yourself a Question

Ask yourself this question: “When users search on a mobile phone, what does my site look like if they find it?”

Let’s start with the “if they find it” part.

In order to be found in Google’s search results on a mobile phone, your website must pass Google’s “mobile friendliness” test.  If your site does not pass, then it does not get included in the search results – at all.  So a mobile-friendly website is the first step to getting your business included in mobile search results.

Looks Aren’t Everything

It’s awesome if your website looks great on a PC screen, but what happens to it when it’s displayed on a tiny mobile device?  If your site is not built to today’s mobile standards, at best you might see a tiny little version of your website.  However, that tiny version of your website will probably display with text too small to read, buttons too small for touch screens, and will be missing the mobile conveniences and features that users expect today.  A mobile-friendly site will look good on all screen sizes and devices, but more importantly, it will function properly across all devices, especially mobile, where most searches happen today.

Why Mobile Search Matters Now

According to Google’s Anit Singhal, Google processes more than 100 billion [mobile] searches per month, and that doesn’t include searches performed on tablet devices.  Mobile search matters now because that’s what users are doing – they are searching on mobile devices.  Your website needs to be mobile friendly just to be considered for Google’s search results.  Once your site passes Google’s mobile-friendly test, then other SEO efforts can come into play (keywords, optimization, etc.) – but only if your website works on mobile first.

Traffic Has Moved to Mobile

Google reported that in the summer of 2015, mobile searches out-numbered searches performed via desktop and laptop, and this number continues to grow.  Consumers typically have their mobile devices with (or near) them at all times, and they are using them to access the web. Now more than ever, your business website must work on mobile devices and show up in mobile searches, and it all starts with a mobile-friendly website.

The post Knock Knock…It’s Mobile Search. You Should Answer the Door. appeared first on Five Sparrows, LLC.