Google Mobile Friendly Algorithm Update 21st April Deadline

March 28, 2015

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Anyone who has been involved in the SEO industry for any length of time knows that Google algorithm updates can literally destroy a website’s position in the search results overnight. Previously these algorithm updates occurred pretty much without warning. During the last month however, Google has taken the unusual step of publicly announcing a ‘mobile-friendly’ algorithm update on April 21.

Here’s the latest Google Q&A session answering questions about the mobile-friendly algorithm update:

Those in the know consider this warning from Google to be a strong indication of obviously how much importance Google is now placing on mobile search results.

It makes sense. SEO-Xpress.com has been making mobile friendly sites now since 2011. Since then we’ve seen the statistics for people viewing websites on a mobile device go from 10% to around 50% now. Obviously a website owner who is serious about their business wants to provide site visitors with the best viewing experience so presenting a mobile version of your website is a no-brainer. Stats overs the last few years show that if your site visitor is on a mobile and is presented with a desktop only version of your website, 60-70% of your audience leaves, and 40% even go to a competitor that has a good mobile website.

Now Google wants all websites to be ‘mobile-friendly’ or they warn that your website may drop in the search results or even disappear from the results altogether. Google has always stated that their goal is to provide the user with the best search results possible, so with at least 50% of people now viewing Google on a tablet or mobile phone, the time has come for non-mobile friendly sites to not be displayed at all!

Here’s a simple example of what should happen when a visitor views your website on a desktop, tablet or mobile phone and the right way that your website should display to the viewer.

If your site carries the “mobile-friendly” label in Google’s search results (it’s been displaying this label since last year), you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

You can check if your site is ‘mobile-friendly’ two easy ways.

1. Do a Google search for your business on a mobile phone. In the results check your website description has the ‘mobile friendly’ tag as per the following example.