Don’t lose Google Rankings due to poor mobile SEO effectiveness

Using Google's 'Fetch as Google Render" feature to assess mobile SEO suitability

63% of today's mobile phone users use their cell phone to go online and 34% of mobile phone Internet users only go online with their cell phone rather than any other device, according to the latest Pew Internet Mobile Technology Fact Sheet. Numbers like these demonstrate the power and importance of the mobile experience, and some big names have taken notice - including Google.

Google research has shown that 61% of users would not be likely to return to a mobile site if they had problems accessing the site on their mobile phone the first time. Because Google is committed to ensuring the best possible experience for its users across the web, these lackluster mobile experiences may have an effect on SEO and where a website ranks in search engine results pages. Google has also stated that the Googlebot crawler is able to see the Internet in the same way that human users see it, as it can fetch websites in desktop view as well as the Google view

This means that the Googlebot can 'see' beyond just the code of a web page - it can experience rendered web pages the same way a human visitor would experience them. Is the text too small? Do images and text display fine on desktop but become distorted on smaller mobile devices? Googlebot can tell, and a recent statement from Google has implied that the search giant would be taking this into account in the rankings algorithm.

Currently Google does not penalize websites that don't have mobile versions or don't have effective responsive designs. Those that don't update and optimize for mobile, however, risk dropping in the rankings in the future and may even lose search traffic as a result.

With past updates that included elements that would affect the algorithm Google hinted in advance that changes were coming. This gave website owners time to make the necessary adjustments to avoid being penalized when the updates were made. If these recent statements about mobile experience follow the same pattern, site owners and SEO teams would be smart to begin working on mobile optimization.

How to plan for Google's mobile site assessment

The first step is to use the Fetch as Google render feature found in the Crawl section of Google Webmaster Tools. This feature allows users to see how a website appears to mobile visitors and Google, which allows site owners to learn where mobile improvements need to be made. They can then perform a thorough audit and test of all page elements like scrolling, images, text, links, and navigation.

Making these changes and perfecting a user’s mobile experience will lead to better engagement and conversions, which can translate into improved rankings. It is also important to take speed into account during these audits. How fast does the mobile site load? Does the loading speed effect visitor engagement?

Having a responsive design or dedicated mobile site will be critical in ensuring users have a positive experience on a site. With smartphone traffic increasing by 125%, a strong mobile SEO strategy will be vital to success.

Mobile users are less likely to convert than desktop users, but in most cases this is due to a poor mobile experience on a site. Site owners need to work to meet the needs of their visitors and deliver a superior mobile experience. If they do this, they will likely see mobile conversions increase.

A mobile SEO strategy should be led by the user. What do they want and need from a mobile experience, and how can it best be delivered to them? It is a mistake to treat mobile users in the same way that desktop users are treated. Both groups have different needs and the strategies that aim to reach them should be unique.

The change in Google’s search ranking algorithm won't be immediate, but it will have far-reaching effects on site rankings, especially as mobile traffic continues to increase. Websites that hope to still be relevant in the future should start working on mobile optimization now.

Thanks to Nick Rojas for sharing his advice and opinions in this post. Nick Rojas is a business consultant and writer who lives in Los Angeles and Chicago. He has consulted small and medium-sized enterprises for over twenty years. You can follow him on Twitter: @NickARojas