Google is well-known for its search engine optimization. This means you search something and Google wants to do everything it can in order for you to find the correct information. SEO and SEA exploded and became leading factors within companies all across the world. But now things are going to change. So what is going to happen?
Google is going to change its search index (Ratcliff, 2016). First, Google always looked at desktop websites and on these websites are the basis of the Google search index. This is now going to change, because Google is going to split this index in two. Google will not only look at the desktop index anymore. Google will introduce the mobile index in a couple of months and the mobile index will become the leading index for Google.
Is there a big difference? Yes there is! Now it is the case that your search results are the same on desktop and on mobile (Wilson, 2016). This will change dramatically in the next couple of months, because search results won’t be the same anymore on desktop and mobile. This due to the split in the index, that Google is going to make in their next update. Mobile friendly websites are getting more and more important, because people are using their smartphones more instead of a laptop or desktop computer.
In 2015 mobile search surpassed desktop search (RLF, 2016) and this was the first sign for everyone that index could be changed. Google noticed this change and therefore decided to make this big change in index results. This is also the reason for Google to make mobile search index its leading search index.
But is this so dramatic as it seems? Actually not, if look at yourself for example. Everyone is using their smartphone, because it is easy and fast. Google anticipated on this movement very quickly by creating voice based searches and of course the Google app store. With Google’s latest invention the “Pixel” smartphone Google is trying to take a big part of the smartphone market (CNET, 2016). Mobile search is becoming more and more important and Google understands this and therefore they have made this big change.
Companies who want to be at the top of the Google search results will have to undertake some important steps in order to become the top search result. There are three important steps in order to do that (Thierrij, 2016):
- Make sure that your website is responsive and that the content on your mobile website is equivalent to your desktop website
- AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)(Loorbach, 2016). AMP stands for a fast load time of your website on a mobile device. This will become important for Google, because they want that a smartphone user is able to read a webpage very quickly. AMP is thus important for your business.
- Structured Data. This is important for your website in order for the “Mobile Bots” so they can notice your mobile website. Things like URL and Site properties are examples of things that belong to Structured Data.
Google is always one step in front of us and it is our task to keep up with them.
Bibliography:
CNET. (2016, October 6). Google Pixel Phone. Retrieved from CNET: https://www.cnet.com/products/google-pixel-phone/preview/
Loorbach, T. (2016, February 23). Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) van Google! Retrieved from Internet Marketing Universiteit: https://imu.nl/seo/accelerated-mobile-pages-amp-van-google/
Ratcliff, C. (2016, October 18). Google Search Index set to go ‘mobile-first’ within months. Retrieved from Search Engine Watch : https://searchenginewatch.com/2016/10/18/google-index-set-to-go-mobile-first-within-months/
RLF. (2016). Importance of Mobile Search Optimization In 2016. Retrieved from RLF: https://www.rankfirstlocal.com/blog/importance-of-mobile-search-optimization-2016/
Thierrij, M. (2016, October 20). Google gaat voor mobile-first: het is meedoen of afhaken! Retrieved from Marketingfacts: http://www.marketingfacts.nl/berichten/google-gaat-voor-mobile-first-het-is-meedoen-of-afhaken
Wilson, M. (2016, October 17). Google will show different search results to mobile and desktop users in the coming months. Retrieved from Betanews: http://betanews.com/2016/10/16/google-mobile-search-index/
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