Google’s Mobile Friendly Update.

Google’s Mobile-Friendly Update is a heads-up and call to action for those who don’t have a mobile optimised website. It announces a major algorithm update, which will significantly disadvantage non-mobile optimised websites.

“Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.  This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results.”

It also promises more relevant app content in search results. You can read Google’s full update here.

Google is sending a clear signal that mobile users create significant search engine traffic, and that this must be recognised and reflected in their services.  Research clearly backs their decisions.  The January article on SearchEngineWatch.com , ‘Why Mobile Web Still Matters in 2015’ analyses SimilarWeb data from June to November 2014, and notes the moment the pendulum swung to the other side.

“For Google, mobile comprised almost half of all traffic from June to November, with 52 percent coming from desktops and 48 percent from mobile.  However, in November, mobile traffic surpassed the quantity of visits from desktop, marking the turning point on the way to mobile dominance for Google.”

A report from WeAreSocial.net titled ‘Digital, Social and Mobile in 2015’ confirms 2014 was a year of amazing growth, when the digital world passed some impressive milestones, including:

• Worldwide social media users exceeded 2 billion back in August;
• Worldwide penetration of mobile phones passed 50% in September;
• The number of global internet users passed 3 billion in early November;
• The number of active mobile connections surpassed the total world population just last month;

The percentage growth from We Are Social’s report indicates this growth is steady and unlikely to plateau.

WeAreSocial.com also reports that Mobile’s share of global web traffic leapt a whopping 39 percent since the same time last year, with one-third of all web pages now served to mobile phones.

You already know mobile usage is on the incline, but now is the time to realise the magnitude of the increase, and the implications of this for your business. If your website doesn’t translate into a mobile version, you have until April 21^st to ensure you’re up with the play.

Don’t be late to the party.  Always be friendly, and always always be mobile-friendly! 

Contact our web experts at Zyber for any help with your websites mobile optimisation.