In 2015, the world became familiar with the term Mobilegeddon, a play on the movie Armageddon. It was a comparison of the transition from desktop search to mobile search due to the increasing shift in internet usage behavior worldwide. Since then, the world of Search Engines has never been the same. Google has updated its algorithm to give greater importance to website usability on mobile phones. For example, in 2018, Google updated Mobile Speed to become an important ranking factor for websites. This trend continues to the present day with updates like Core Web Vitals, which emphasize mobile-friendliness. Therefore, this article will provide information that marketers need to know about Mobile First Indexing – what it is? – and invite you to see a checklist to prepare your website.
What is Mobile-First Indexing?
As mentioned, Google has been updating factors related to website usability on mobile phones for some time now. However, in March 2021, Google officially announced the launch of Mobile First Indexing to record and collect website data used through mobile devices.
The main problem often occurs with websites developed through coding that is not designed to support mobile use. However, if the website is developed through WordPress or a ready-made website design program that is already designed to support mobile use, it may not be greatly affected. So, any website that does not yet support mobile use or loads slowly on mobile devices can expect to see their rankings decline.
5 Preparation Checklists
Google has provided Best Practices for marketers to prepare for Mobile First Indexing (Read here). Here is a summary of 5 things to prepare for marketers:
1. Ensure Googlebot Can Access All Content on Your Website
For this step, start by:
2. Check Content for Missing Information on Both Platforms
Of course, content creation is essential for SEO. Even though Google expects website usage on mobile devices to be smooth, it doesn’t mean that website developers should reduce some content to make the website work faster on mobile devices. Because that could have a serious negative impact on the website later.
3. Check Structured Data
Don’t forget to check the website structure to ensure it works well and has no errors on both platforms. Remember that in terms of SEO, Structured Data is about organizing information so that Search Engine algorithms can understand what the website’s content is about. The more Search Engines understand the content on a website, the greater the chance of it being displayed on the SERPs.
4. Follow Additional Recommendations from Google
The recommendations Google provides for improving websites to support Mobile First Indexing are as follows:
- Ensure all information is consistent across both platforms
- Make sure image usage on the website follows SEO guidelines
- Make sure video usage on the website follows SEO guidelines
- If your website has separate URLs for desktop and mobile versions, be sure to verify them on Google Search Console
5. Be Aware of Mobile Errors
Of course, all website developers don’t need to know every way to improve website performance. A simple starting method is to use Google Search Console to look for problems occurring on the mobile platform. Then, start fixing those problems one by one, starting with checking website performance on mobile devices through the “Coverage” and “Mobile Usability” menus.
Of course, the internet world today is not driven by just one platform anymore. Internet usage through mobile devices has become commonplace. Any website that hasn’t prioritized Mobile First will continue to be affected.
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