How Google’s Mobile-First Indexing Affects Your Site’s Ranking
Search engine algorithms are regularly being updated, while search trends continue to evolve. One update that has caused a lot of hype in recent months is Google's mobile-first indexing.
Before we continue, did you know that over sixty percent of online searches are carried out using a mobile device? Google, the leading search engine in the world, has adapted its crawling, indexing, and ranking processes, prioritising mobile-optimised websites.
Mobile-first indexing is processes that Google adopted to crawl the mobile version of a website for indexing and ranking. The aim is to help users find what they are looking for. This move was triggered by the growing trend of mobile device usage and the number of online searches being carried out using mobile.
Google actually introduced mobile first indexing back in 2016, though they still predominantly used the desktop version of a website to determine relevance and ranking. With more mobile devices being used, Google saw the need to adapt and focus on mobile content when it comes to indexing.
The search engine giant does still look and index desktop websites, but they must be mobile-friendly and offer a good user experience. If you don't have a mobile version of your site, your desktop version will be indexed, but may be seen as not used friendly, negatively impact your ranking in search results.
It's important to understand mobile-first indexing, especially if you are trying to establish why or how a mobile website performs, or is not performing in organic results:
When you take advantage of mobile-first indexing, you can enjoy a number of excellent benefits, including:
Mobile-first indexing isn't a new priority, but as SEO future continue to look more mobile-focused, it is essential to ensure your website aligns with mobile-first indexing. Adapting and aligning your SEO strategy for mobile-first indexing helps to improve your online visibility, driving organic traffic to your website. If you want to gain a competitive edge online, Genie Crawl is standing by to assist with your mobile-first indexing needs.
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