Is Your Presence Online Mobile-Friendly?

Since 2015, numbers for mobile web searches have skyrocketed and now way outnumber the number of desktop searches conducted.

As a result, Google has included mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor in its algorithm. Thus, it is important to ensure that your online presence caters to both desktop and mobile users. It’s also vital that you understand the difference between the two markets and cater to both online.

Mobile-Friendly Facts

Most companies don’t realize that simply downsizing your desktop site for use on mobile without changing any design aspects is not quite what we mean by mobile-friendliness. Even SEO and other marketing tasks will differ for mobile sites.

Since the size, dimensions and functionality of a desktop and a smartphone differ, it’s vital that the two versions of your site are different too. What’s more is that the intention of mobile users versus desktop users is different as well, which mean you may need to also alter your messaging, calls-to-action and design to suit both audiences.

To be truly mobile-friendly, you need to have strategies in place for both desktop and mobile. Here are a few ways you can achieve this:

#1 Understand SERPs

Google’s Search engine results pages (SERPs) will differ based upon a person’s intent as well as upon links and keywords. The intent of someone searching on desktop will differ from the intent of someone using a mobile.

Mobile users are generally looking for something quickly, like a nearby place, someone to contact or where to find something. Whereas desktop users are generally looking for more information or are more likely looking to make a purchase.

#2 Research Mobile Keywords

Keywords for desktop and mobile will differ for the same thing in a lot of cases. This can be credited to voice-to-text functions that use people’s actual spoken words to search rather than their written words (which differ quite substantially). Thus, mobile keywords should resemble how people speak while desktop keywords are short and simple keywords.

#3 Use AMP’s from Google

Accelerated Mobile Pages is a code that Google includes on your mobile site, that makes it load quicker than a site without it, as well as be favored by Google in search results. When searching mobile users generally want information fast, and if a page loads too slowly, they are more likely to click out and find a faster page.

#4 Mobile-Friendly Content

If you have optimized your content for mobile, then it will be easier to read and navigate on the smaller screen. It’s important to create a responsive site and not just a desktop site that is downsized for mobile. Responsive web design is also highly-favored by Google.

#5 Track Metrics Separately

When tracking metrics for your website, be sure to track mobile and desktop separately to fully understand the numbers. This will help to see if your mobile strategy is effective or not compared to your desktop strategy.

#6 Long-Term Plans

It may take a bit of work in the beginning, but it will pay off in the future to have a solid strategy in place now for both mobile and desktop sites.