Google announced in November 2016 that it would begin indexing websites on a mobile-first basis. That means Google primarily uses the mobile version of your website (not the desktop version) when evaluating content and determining rankings.
The rollout is underway. Not all websites are affected yet, but the direction is clear: mobile is now the primary stage.
What does "mobile-first indexing" mean?
Until now, Google has largely used the desktop version of websites as the basis for indexing and ranking. The logic was that most searches came from desktop.
That is no longer true. The majority of Google searches now happen on mobile. Google's response is to reflect reality: the mobile experience is what counts.
In practice, if your mobile website is missing content, loads slowly or is difficult to use on a small screen, that will affect your ranking, even for desktop users.
Many SMB websites are not ready
A large proportion of small business websites built in the last five to ten years were designed with desktop as the primary surface. Some are technically responsive, but were never properly tested on mobile. Others have a separate mobile version that is missing content or performs poorly.
What many have in common is that no one has done a systematic review of the mobile experience: because the site "looks fine" on a phone at first glance.
How to check whether your site is ready
Google provides a free mobile-friendly test tool that gives you an immediate assessment of whether a page is technically mobile-friendly. But note that technically passing and actually delivering a good mobile experience are not the same thing.
The questions that matter:
- Does the page load quickly on a mobile connection?
- Is the text readable without zooming?
- Are buttons and links large enough to tap accurately?
- Is the most important content available without scrolling?
- Do contact forms and calls to action work on mobile?
Responsive design is not enough on its own
Many assume that having a responsive website is the same as having a good mobile experience. Responsive design is the foundation, but it does not solve slow load times, too much content squeezed onto a small screen, or images that are not optimised for mobile.
A good mobile website is designed with mobile as the starting point, not desktop scaled down.
What should you do now?
Prioritise these three things:
- Test your site with Google's mobile-friendly tool and PageSpeed Insights.
- Check load time on a mobile connection: over three seconds is too slow.
- Walk through your key pages on an actual mobile phone, not just a browser's developer tools.
If you find problems, now is a good time to address them. Google's transition is in progress, and sites that are not properly optimised for mobile will feel it in the rankings.
Need help assessing the mobile experience on your website? Get in touch: we will run a review and tell you what should be prioritised.