A recent research report by BrightEdge reveals that 57% of all search traffic is from mobile devices.

Seen in this light, Google’s announcement in 2017 that it was moving towards mobile-first search indexing makes sense and can be seen as an acknowledgment of the importance of mobile visitors.

In Mobile-first Indexing, Google will evaluate a site’s mobile experience for indexing and ranking purposes rather than the desktop version as it has been doing so far.

The search giant has reportedly started rolling out the new approach early 2018. So website owners need to make sure they don’t lose out under Mobile-First Indexing.

How To Check If Your Site Is Mobile-First Indexing

A site that is mobile friendly but not mobile responsive might not fare well under this new algorithm. Let’s see why-

A mobile-friendly site is one that simply rearranges the content writing on the pages or shrinks the pages for mobile browsers. In some cases, a separate mobile site with some essential stuff is maintained. Mobile visitors in these cases may get a functional experience, but one that’s definitely inferior to desktop users.

A mobile responsive site, on the other hand, is designed to dynamically adjust. Site elements like navigation, menu, image display etc are changed to make it easier for the mobile user. All content viewed by a desktop visitor can be viewed by a mobile visitor.

Google has said that a mobile responsive site has no cause for worry but others will need to make changes to avoid penalties.

Top 3 Things To Check If Your Site Is Suitable For Mobile-First Indexing

Mobile optimised site design
Consider revamping your site into a mobile-responsive one if it doesn’t handle mobile traffic well. In a mobile optimised site, all website content including text, images, videos or gifs is designed for easy access and smooth experience regardless of the device used.

Mobile friendly content
Make sure to have clean a website layout that works well both on desktops and mobiles. Your content writing must be such that it’s easily readable on mobile e.g use small short paragraphs and sentences.

Site speed
Google says that 53% of mobile users will leave a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Ensure your site loading speed is snappy and responsive.

Mobile can no longer be an afterthought. So make sure to get a content marketing company that’ll get your site ready for mobile-first indexing.