Google is the most widely used search engine all over the world. To provide best results and services, Google brings various kinds of changes and upgradations in the system. The latest implementation is starting to test mobile-first index. This is a completely new concept that is being commenced by Google. As per the new index, when a search will be done, the search engine will first look for the mobile version of the website for determining the ranking signals. If there is no mobile version available, only then the search engine will look for desktop version. It has been quite some time that Google is advancing towards mobile-first index. So, make haste and join the mobile revolution at the earliest as this will be dominating search engine results. Any standard SEO agency knows about these changes and tries to implement the same in their jobs.
Mentioned below are some effective tips to optimize your website for Google mobile-first index.
4 Tips To Optimize Your Website For Google Mobile-First Index
1. Great emphasis on mobile design
SEO is no more a scientific or technical skill; it has been transformed into an art form. SEO now includes designing as this plays a pivotal role in deciding search engine rankings. Mobile site designing is an important thing that needs careful consideration. Keep these things in mind:
- Get rid of pop-ups – Pop-ups on the mobile site are a strict no-no as these tend to frustrate the users and lead to lowered rankings and high bounce rates. Though lead generation is important, it is important to get rid of the pop-ups in the mobile version.
- Don’t use Flash – Flash for mobiles don’t work always. Flash elements cannot be viewed on all kinds of mobiles. Hence it is wise not to use them on the mobile site. If you want to add some nice, cool elements try working with Java or HTML 5.
- Finger-friendly design – Smartphones are operated with fingers and hence the design should be finger friendly. Scrolling should be minimum and the call to action buttons bold and prominent.
2. Speed of website uploading
In order to optimize a website for Google’s mobile-first index, it is important to ensure that the website loads quickly in the mobile version. For e-commerce websites, acceptability is 2 seconds; but at Google, this is being brought down to half a second. For quick loading of the website on the mobile, it is important that you keep certain things in mind. Some important things include leveraging browser caching, minifying codes so that all unnecessary elements are removed from source code without hampering functionality, reducing the amounts of redirects and optimizing images to the right size for quick uploading.
3. Don’t block JavaScript, CSS or images
Today smartphones have become stronger and powerful when compared to desktops. Initially, in mobile designing, CSS, images and JavaScript were blocked as they slowed down the site and caused other issues. With modern technologies implemented in smartphones, this problem is handled well. so there is no need to hide or block these programs anymore in mobile designing.
4. On page as well as local optimization
Companies offering SEO services know the importance of on page as well as local optimization. With suitable titles and descriptions, on page optimization gets easier providing improved rankings and high click through rate. Moreover, Google has updated local search algorithm and it provides businesses, good local customers. Mentioning local place in the title, H1 heading, content body, URL etc helps in better visibility on search engine results.
See also: 8 Important Facts About Google RankBrain (Infographic)
