Since Google released their mobile friendly algorithm at the end of April, many businesses have been uneasy about the implications that this new release has to their websites. Now that the dust has settled, here’s a quick overview:

Google released a change to its algorithm that gives favor in search results to websites that are easier to read and navigate on mobile devices. Following the release of this update, websites that are not mobile-friendly will start to see a drop in their search performance in relation to their more mobile-compatible counterparts when the search is from a mobile device.

The Mobile Age

For the first time ever, searches from mobile devices are outnumbering those from desktop computers. With mobile searches continuing to trend upwards, it is no surprise that Google made the decision to improve the mobile search experience, by making it easier for searchers to find websites that are easily navigable and readable on a mobile device. It makes sense to favor a mobile website if you’re visiting a website from your mobile device.

Business Implications

For businesses, this new release simply reinforces what they already know, it’s time to adapt to meet the needs of an increasingly mobile market. For those that do not yet have a mobile friendly website, the immediate implications of Google’s new algorithm will be a decline in search performance in comparison to more mobile friendly competitors. This may seem like a setback, but there is plenty of time for businesses to adapt their online presence to meet this challenge and be found on a mobile device.

What Can You Do?

Getting up to standard on mobile compatibility doesn’t have to be daunting. This is something that you can easily work with your web provider to accomplish. Better still, by making mobile improvements to your website, not only will your search results benefit, but you will also offer an improved mobile experience to your customers, prospects and staff alike.

Not sure if your website is mobile-friendly? Google offers an easy to use tool to check for mobile compatibility. Here is a link to more information on the new algorithm.