It’s been over a week since Google released its major algorithm update to favor business with optimized mobile websites, an event widely referred to as “Mobilegeddon,” based on its anticipated impact on Google’s search engine rankings.
As we discussed in a recent article, Google’s new algorithm, released on April 21, was designed to reward websites that promote user-friendly mobile experiences for users. So websites that are highly responsive, steer clear of clunky multimedia formats like Adobe Flash and do not require excessive zooming or horizontal scrolling should not be affected by the change. Mobile websites that are not mobile-friendly will fall lower in Google’s search engine rankings on mobile devices.
So what, if anything, has happened since April 21? You may not have noticed any changes yet, but the process has already begun and will continue to pick up steam.
“It’s definitely rolling out,” said Mueller during a recent Google+ hangout. “I know in some of the data centers it’s already rolled out completely. So that is something where I think you will probably see that change over the course of a week, maybe a week and a half – something like that.”
Research from Searchmetrics.com lends credence to the fact that the algorithm is already in operation. Following the update, for instance, Tested.com experienced an 89 percent actual loss in mobile visibility. NBCsports.com dropped about 28 percent.
At the same time, however, some websites received a tremendous boost for their mobile efforts. Foreignaffairs.com received a 771 percent actual gain in mobile visibility. Tvtropes.com increased by 420 percent.
The message is clear: if it is not already mobile-friendly it’s time to overhaul your business’s website to make sure you do not get punished by Google with lower search engine rankings. While SEO is continuously evolving, and your brand could bounce back if it is negatively impacted by this recent change, you can avoid any difficulties by consulting with your developers and making sure your website is easily usable on a mobile device.
Don’t be like the 44 percent of Fortune 500 companies that have failed Google’s “mobile-friendly” test. For a quick and easy way to take the test and see how your website performs on a mobile search, click here.
Interested in learning more about how Google’s search engine operates? Take a look at some additional reading material:
