The mobile era is here! Google searches and mobile friendly SEO

You’ve probably heard a statement regarding the death of the desktop computer for internet use at some point recently, simply shrugging it off as extravagant science fiction. After all, desktop doomsday prophecies have been around for quite some time now, all of which have signalled the incredibly fast increase in smartphone and tablet technology.

Now, however, it seems that the four horsemen of the desktop apocalypse may be on to something. Google announced recently via their off page AdSense blog, that their search algorithms will start to filter out sites that haven’t been optimised to be mobile friendly from mobile searches. This development will commence on the 21st of April this year, and simply put – it is huge!

Mobile users using the Google search function will now see their first search results page differently from desktop versions, with sites that have been made multi-screen now rocketing up the rankings. In turn, mobile search users will also be notified on the compatibility of all sites with their smartphone or tablet, allowing the user to filter out sites that do not show kindness to their device.

Google also now dives into their extensive index of mobile and tablet apps for consideration in ranking the mobile search results page. This means that indexed app content can now appear on the SERP’s for those logged into their universal Google+ account. By creating a direct line for apps and relevant information to be widely visible outside of the various app stores available, apps now hold more power in providing content than ever before.

This change has been sparked by the consistent rise of mobile internet use, by approximately 68% each year for the last few years. Mobile internet use also now holds court for content marketers looking to target their key audience. Once the sole domain of the desktop computer, mobile searches now have a higher conversion rate of views-to-consumer-action, with 70% of all mobile searches leading to purchases or enquiries.

Given all of this, how exactly do you optimise your website to be easily found by the new search algorithms? Having a mobile friendly interface is a good start, however there are also many behind the scenes alterations that you may need to make, to ensure that your website can be targeted by mobile searches. Some simple tips and tricks of the trade are:

• Dynamic Serving – Flag your mobile site to Google’s crawlers by using mobile specific Vary HTTP headers
• Responsive CSS – In most cases, a pretty mobile interface isn’t enough. Ensure that your CSS reflects the qualities of responsive web design
• Meta Viewport Tag – Often overlooked by the inexperienced, a viewport tag allows mobile devices to adjust font and image size according to the device’s dimensions
• URL Structure – Your mobile friendly pages should reflect their intention, therefore, replace the conventional “www” extension with an “m”
• Remove Crawler Blocking – Mobile crawlers benefit from having access to the full gamut of your JavaScript and CSS assets

At IT Consulting Company, our SEO experts specialise in the professional execution of responsive web design and mobile specific optimisation, and can enhance the mobile presence of your brand or business. To organise a free, no obligation appointment with one of our knowledgeable digital media strategists, contact us today on 1300 770 119

Got any other tips for efficient mobile SEO? Lets us know all about it below.