Not optimised for mobile? You’re about to be penalised for it.
Or at least that’s the end result of a new push by Google, which is ostensibly for web users to get the best search results according to their device.
In a Google Webmaster blog, the search behemoth said that it shouldn’t matter whether information is contained on a mobile-friendly page or not – the web user should be able to access it in the best format for their device.
“As more people use mobile devices to access the internet, our algorithms have to adapt to these usage patterns. In the past, we’ve made updates to ensure a site is configured properly and viewable on modern devices. We’ve made it easier for users to find mobile-friendly web pages and we’ve introduced App Indexing to surface useful content from apps,” the blog read.
As a result, two important changes are coming into effect. Firstly from April 21, Google will be expanding its use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.
“This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimised for their devices,” the company said.
Secondly, and effective immediately, Google will begin to use information from indexed apps as a factor in ranking its results for signed-in users who have the app installed.
