When you’re involved in updating your web design, it is a big project with a lot of considerations. You have to think about the right look that fits your brand, user-friendliness and a lot of factors around search engine optimization (SEO). But how important is it to prioritize mobile optimization?
In the past, people used their phones for calling and texting, but their desktops or laptops for online activity. It all changed when the smartphone was introduced, and users found out just how easy it was to search and explore online sites while waiting at the doctor’s office or sitting at a kid’s sports practice. Before long, mobile searches were exceeding desktop activity.
As a result, some companies found it advantageous to update their web design to accommodate mobile activity. They made it more convenient, removing aggravations like the need to shift the screen around to see the entire page. Text boxes were appropriately sized for mobile, and menus made it easy to navigate.
But what about search engine optimization (SEO)? You may have heard that Google prioritizes mobile-optimized sites, but is this a sort of urban legend with a marketing industry spin? Could Google really force companies to update their web design?
Google Dangles a Carrot: In some cases, Google will announce that their algorithms will no longer support certain design factors, but when it came to mobile optimization, they went another route. They decided instead to reward web design that embraced mobile. Since 2016, they have prioritized search results with mobile optimization as one of Google’s preferred, but not required, elements.
That doesn’t mean your site is sunk if you aren’t embracing mobile trends. If you’re still the best match for what someone is looking for, you’ll still rank well. But if you have a few competitors on a particular search, and their sites are all mobile optimized, it won’t be good for your ranking.
But there’s another problem, too: if your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you will appear to be out of touch to visitors. They may even click away before they even try resizing the screen; they know other companies are optimized for mobile, so why bother?
In other words, it’s worth the investment in your web design to upgrade your mobile features. Contact us at SJC Marketing to find out how mobile optimization is just one small part of getting your website to work hard for you.