You’ve heard it a million times before: mobile websites and applications are the wave of the future. If any doubt remained, Google’s news last week at Pubcon 2016 should put any uncertainty to bed. In this post we’ll dissect the announcement and examine its repercussions.
Splitting the Index
Until now, the same indexing algorithm for web pages has been applied to both mobile and desktop searches. This is set to change in the upcoming months. Google announced it will be creating a custom index for mobile, and that it will become the primary index. That’s right — for the first time ever, Google will be placing a higher emphasis on mobile search results than desktop. The desktop index will continue to be updated, though not as frequently as the mobile index.
What This Means for Desktop
Some experts have expressed shock at the extent to which Google will soon prioritize mobile searching over desktop searches. After all, aren’t there still more people accessing information from their computers? While this is true, it seems that Google is responding to data suggesting just how fickle mobile users are. As we mentioned in our last post about AMPs, 53% of mobile users will leave a site if the page they’re trying to view doesn’t load in three seconds or less. It’s also important to remember that even if Google says they won’t be updating the desktop index as quickly as the mobile index, that could simply be a difference of hours.
No More Excuses
This news may be the final nail in the coffin for websites that have not been optimized to be mobile-friendly. It is highly likely that websites that are completely unresponsive may not even show up in search results if the user is on a mobile device. Obviously, mobile-friendly, mobile-only, and AMP web pages will rank significantly higher than those that are not. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you risk becoming invisible to users.
Time to Get Moving!
If you are unsure whether your website is hitting the marks necessary to take advantage of Google’s ever-evolving algorithm, now is the time to take a closer look before the mobile-specific index is released. Our primary goal at LegalRev is to help legal practices manage their brands and rank higher than their competitors. Call us today at (800) 893-2590 to learn more about how your website can improve your bottom line and build trust with your clients.
