Have you received a warning note from Google in the last few days? If your website is not ‘mobile friendly’, then the answer is likely to be a “yes”.
Millions of notifications have been pinging into Google Webmaster Tools in-boxes and email accounts. The content of the notification informs webmasters that their websites have been checked for mobile usability and the results are not good. Or, in other words, Google says your website is not mobile friendly in the slightest. The note is basically a warning that any websites deemed not to be mobile friendly could be negatively impacted in the mobile search rankings.
For those in the know, this latest missive from Google will not come as a huge shock. Google began penalising websites that didn’t perform well for mobile users back in June 2013 and in November last year, it announced it was experimenting with a special ‘badge’ for websites that gave users a fantastic mobile experience. Kind of like a Gold Star. So if your website was lucky enough to earn a coveted ‘mobile-friendly seal of approval’, it ranked better. Or at least that was the implication; although Google was quick to point out at the time that other websites wouldn’t be penalised unless they threw up errors for mobile queries.
If you’ve had a warning from Google, you need to act sooner rather than later. The fact that Google have sent out mass notifications is a clear indication that they are getting ready to roll out a brand new mobile ranking algorithm. It doesn’t appear that the notification is aimed at webmasters whose mobile friendly websites are having a few teething issues. No, it is definitely aimed at webmasters who haven’t bothered making their websites user friendly for mobile and tablet users. And if past Google behaviour is anything to go by, there is likely to be a big – and potentially very damaging – update on the horizon.
Whatever you do, do not ignore the notification from Google. Sticking your head in the proverbial sand could spell certain doom for your website. Do you want your hard-fought search engine ranking to vanish into the ether overnight? If you don’t, you need to make the necessary changes to ensure your website is mobile and tablet friendly. And if that sounds way too complicated, give us a call today!
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