Introduction to mobile-first indexing!

Do you know - Mobile use has increased and is still increasing! 

And, not only this, do you know how big it really is?

Over half of the website visits were from mobile phones rather than desktop or computer. So, Google is going to roll out Mobile-First Indexing in March 2021! What does that mean? And, how will it affect the ranking?  

For first, it means that from now on, Google will establish what it places in the index on the mobile version of a site rather than using the index of the desktop version of your site. This will affect the ranking, as Google will use the mobile version of your site’s content to rank pages. Whether the snippets from the pages, or any other content, the ranking will be done on the basis of mobile version. 

Why does it matter?

As already explained above, when we type a query on Google and all the results appear, the results are through desktop indexing. But, the mobile and desktop have different indexing, and seeing the trend that everyone now prefers mobile phones rather than browsing on desktop. 

So, when Google implements the mobile first indexing, they will be considering mobile indexing first than desktop website indexing. But, this is not something to panic about as no matter what Google wants its user to have the best user experience in searching and finding relevant results. 

Here are some of the points that you have to keep in mind. 

01. Test your mobile website:

For mobile first indexing, it is crucial that your website is mobile-friendly! You can just copy the URL and check on Google’s mobile friendly test here. If it shows that your website is mobile friendly then you are good to go. 

Plus, the Google mobile friendly test will also guide you with pointers that shows where the problem is, like whether the text is not readable, content wider than screen, etc. 

Also, here are some things that you have to check -

• Dynamic elements: Check whether the content is in the same format and if the font size is perfect for both mobile as well as desktop version. 

• Page load time and page speed: Find whether the website is opening in just a limit of 3 seconds or not. 

• Find whether your website and mobile website version are the same or not. 

Also, make sure you check your website on multiple devices to be sure that your website is mobile-friendly. 

02. Content that is mobile-friendly:

Content is what the entire website is all about. And, for the mobile first indexing, you need not to do anything special other than writing mobile-friendly. To attract the audience, you’ll have to pay more attention to the copies you write, also there are a good amount of whitespaces for easy reading. 

For this, prioritize! Look what elements are super-important and have to be included. Review the entire website in terms of graphics, videos, and text. Ask yourself, what is more important to show to the audience. 

Here are some of the questions that you can use to check the content. 

• Do you have a default zoom-into feature?
• Are you using the right web fonts?
• Have you activated browsing cache? 
• Are your navigation elements visible?
• Are the fonts used flexible and seem the same on mobile?
• Are the images used in websites compressed to the mobile version?

Ask every question that makes your website more mobile friendly! Make sure the content you use is engaging and attracting, as people on mobile phones have less patience than those on desktop!

03. UX for mobile:

A mobile website is different from the desktop one. And, it is important that your version appeals to your audience! The mobile screens are small and would require a lot of things to be removed, but that isn’t the solution. You can instead improve the mobile user experience. 

For instance, you can use the menu for easy user navigation within your mobile-friendly site. 

Also, there are ‘n’ number of ways to improve UX of the mobile. 

• Use task-based design. 
• Clear menu and provide search options for easy operations. 
• Optimize for speed. 
• Use less number of ads. 
• Don’t go gaga over font sizes. Instead, stick to one size that is easily readable in the mobile version. 
• Get rid of flash images, these cannot be viewed on mobile phones. You can either use Java or HTML 5 to add the elements to spruce up your website. 

04. Check out for the mobile snippets:

If your audience is mainly from mobile phones, then it is important that you optimize the snippets! You can check this on Google Analytics. 

05. Invest in responsive design:

Responsive design means that the user can view and interact smoothly and easily with your website irrespective of the device, irrespective of the screen size. The website should adjust itself depending on the device it is opened on. This will be best for the mobile-first indexing as well as for the user, as they will find your website reliable and engaging plus fuss-less. 

So, if you already own a responsive website, just check the mobile version as you are already good to go. 

06. Register with Google Search Console:

As I already asked you whether you have a separate website or web pages for devices with smaller screens, it is important that you get it verified and registered on Google Search Console. 

In the end, you need to improve your website speed. And, here are some of the tips that you can follow -

• Optimize the images on your website. Big images do not load and take time. Smaller size images load faster and also fit perfectly for the smaller screens. 
• Reduce the redirects! Unnecessary redirects in the website will result in low speed. 
• Browser caching! It is important to activate it, as it not only helps the site to load faster but also gives users a great experience. Browsing caching stores resource files on local devices every time a visitor visits the website. 

Note that - Understand that the mobile usability doesn’t mean the same as mobile-first indexing. 

This means that the website can be enabled for mobile first indexing even if it is not optimized for a mobile device. Is your website ready for this roll-out? 

Mobile first indexing is set up by Google that makes the mobile version of the website more important, as let’s face it, even we browse more on phones rather than desktop. Use the following tips and tricks to avoid any last-time hustle before it eventually comes out. 

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