We’re taking a brief break from this week’s WealthCounsel Symposium to share an important change that is coming from Google. For as long as there has been a Google, its algorithms have crawled websites to create search engine results pages (SERPs). Today, when they crawl your websites, they are also checking for mobile-friendly pages and responsive design techniques. Websites that meet responsive design criteria are given preference in mobile search results over those sites that do not offer mobile friendly design.
Today, we live in a mobile world, and according to a number of Google analysts, in the very near future, mobile search results will no longer include sites that are not mobile friendly.
Not only that, but the mobile search index will become the primary index. While the desktop index will remain active for the time being, the rate of updating will decrease. This is likely the first step toward eliminating the desktop SERP and index. This is a big change.
If you do not have a mobile friendly site, you can forget about being included in the mobile search results. And if you are not mobile friendly or if your site does not incorporate responsive design, you are not going to show up on the mobile search results. Over time, you’ll simply fade away.
This has not been implemented yet, but it’s on the horizon. Are you ready?
If you have already updated your website to responsive design, that is, updated the site so that it looks and works on a mobile device as well as it does on a desktop, then you are ready.
IMS introduced responsive design as an option in the spring of 2014 when Google announced that its algorithms would be shifting to favor websites with mobile-friendly designs.
For those who have not made the upgrade, be aware that your SEO results may start to be impacted. Our recommendation? Click here for a support ticket so that we can get the jump on this before it takes a toll on your online visibility.
When is the change going to be made? One analyst reported “within months.” In other words, you want to contact your IMS Support Team sooner rather than later!
If you’re reading this from WealthCounsel Symposium, please do stop by the IMS booth #37 to say hello to Michael and James. Enjoy a refreshing beverage and pick up a copy of our new book, 52 of Our Best Ideas to Market Your Firm Now! Hope to see you soon!