For several years, experts have warned of the need to abandon desktop-based web design to adapt to the mobile first concept. Starting in September, the need will be real, as Google will monitor all websites with a robot that will simulate a mobile device.
SEO trends have been pointing this direction for some time now, and last March, Google announced that, starting in September 2020, all websites will be monitored and indexed through the mobile first index . The use of mobile devices in navigation has, in fact, acquired such importance that the technological giant has made this decision "to simplify" the user experience. Therefore, all content that appears in the search results will be adapted.
We have been working on this Google index for UX mobile since 2016, ferrying websites to mobile first. In fact, this change is mandatory for optimal SEO positioning . Also, if the mobile content is not the same as the desktop content, we may have problems. Given this, and after years of operation, "70% of the sites that appear in search results have already changed and are traceable with mobile first index," explains Google.
However, there is still a 30% who must know that after the Google Update 2020 in September, there will be no other alternative. The optimization of these websites, aimed at satisfying the mobile strategy, will be necessary to appear among the results and, of course, to obtain a good positioning.
Why Mobile First Index
As mentioned above, Google has been testing with its spider since 2016 and, after a year and a half, in March 2018, it announced the launch of its new indexing system, which enhances the high quality in the mobile version of all websites . In this way, we welcomed the mobile first index.
"Our tracking, indexing and rating systems generally use the desktop version of a page's content, which can cause problems for mobile search engines when that version is very different from the mobile version. Mobile first index it means that we will use the mobile version of the page to index and classify it, to better help our users, mainly on mobile, to find what they are looking for, "said the official press release.
This change responds to user habits. 80% of users worldwide access the Internet via a mobile device, and more than 50% carry out quick searches in the search engine via their smartphone . Google has continued to have only one index to display search results, and although desktop versions have been indexed in recent years, mobile versions have gained ground. This process, which was carried out gradually, will culminate in September, turning one of the SEO 2020 trends into reality . All search results websites will then be monitored by mobile first.
SEO Mobile First: what we need to consider
The Google update involves the obligation for companies to adapt their website if they want to appear in the search results. One way to find out if your website is already in the mobile first index is through the use of Google Search Console , a tool that helps you monitor and maintain the presence of your website in search results.
However, this marks a before and after in the SEO positioning strategies of companies. From now on, and as a necessity, these factors must be taken into account:
Mobile version optimization
The mobile version is the one that must be increasingly optimized , being the one visited first by Google. Therefore, your website must be developed or adapted to be perfectly displayed on these devices. Therefore, when creating a web page, it is advisable to create it for smartphones and then adapt it to larger devices.
Content development
The content must be the same in both the mobile and desktop versions , because if some information is missing in mobile, it will not be taken into consideration by Google. This also includes structured data and metadata, which must be the same in both versions. In fact, some developers tended not to enter them to lighten the site and make it load faster.
In this sense, you can "hide" the contents thanks to the creation of accordions. An accordion section is one in which the content is hidden and only the titles are visible. By clicking on them the content appears. This formula can be used to organize information, as Google will take it into account.
Loading speed
Google also assesses the loading speed as an important factor in the ranking , which in the case of a mobile phone is not comparable to that of a computer. In this line, the website design should be simpler, more user friendly and lighter.
User experience
In addition to the more technical part, as we have just seen, we must take into account the User Experience. If we've never done this before, this is a good time to redesign our content strategy . To be 100% focused on mobile content, we need to enter the user's mind, know what he is looking for, what he wants to find and in what format, with a structured and attractive website design.
In short, the suggestions that Google has provided for years in the field of design and optimization for mobile devices will be a must starting from September for any company that has a part of its strategy on its website.
To achieve this and facilitate the adaptation process, for those who have not yet done so, the technology giant will send a notice with information regarding the optimization of the website for mobile devices. In this way, speaking of 360º Marketing strategies, mobile SEO positioning assumes an indisputable importance.
Finally, a reflection: we live in an omnichannel world, where users and customers complain about brands that do not treat us equally in the store or online. Google is simply applying this user experience to the way we navigate with our mobile phones.