You may not be aware of this but there was a time when a mobile version of a website was an afterthought. Web designers did not prioritize creating a responsive website or not even a mobile version of the website at all back then. The way we view websites have changed over the years, check out the experience I created showing the evolution of web design, and SEO changes with every major step, including for mobile.

Browsing the internet on your phone just wasn’t an option. Now Creating a website without a mobile version of it, just isn’t an option. 

Now everyone has a phone that is more than capable of web browsing, people now prefer to use their devices to search the web. Because of that Google, not sure if other search engines are doing the same, is constantly changing how they award sites that are mobile-friendly and one of the biggest ways is mobile-first indexing. 

To determine what pages will show up on the first page of Google, bots are used to crawl every web page to see who has the most relevant content for that search query. Mobile-first indexing is when Google uses the information and results from the crawl from the mobile site version of your site first. In this case, if you do not have a mobile version of your site updated and working properly your site won't rank as high. 

Yes, Google crawls your mobile site first, but it also takes the content on your desktop version of your site into consideration too. It shows websites that work on all devices, that is why making your website responsive is very important.

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Understanding Mobile-First Indexing

Mobile-first indexing is Google's way of letting the world know that they think mobile web browsing is the future. It is the new way Google decides which websites should rank where. Back in the day, Google mainly checked out the desktop version of a site to see if it was a website that was worth showing to the world. But now, with everyone on their phones all day, Google thought, "Hey, we should put mobile sites first!" So, they made mobile-first indexing a thing.

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With mobile-first indexing, Google predominantly uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. In essence, the mobile version of your site becomes the baseline for evaluating its quality and relevance. This move aims to provide users with the best possible experience, considering that the majority of search queries now originate from mobile devices.

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The Impact on SEO

Mobile-first indexing has a substantial impact on SEO, some of which I had no idea of until researching for this blog. Understanding these effects is crucial for ensuring your website maintains or improves its search engine rankings.

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Mobile Responsiveness is Key: First and foremost, mobile responsiveness is no longer optional; it's imperative. If your website isn't mobile-friendly, it's likely to see a dip in its search engine rankings. A responsive design ensures that your site adapts to various screen sizes, offering a seamless experience to mobile users.

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Content Parity: It's vital to ensure that both your desktop and mobile versions have the same, or at least equivalent, content. If your mobile version lacks crucial content present on the desktop version, it may negatively impact your SEO. 

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Page Speed Matters: Mobile users expect speed and efficiency. Google takes page speed into account when ranking websites, so optimizing your site for fast loading on mobile devices is essential.

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Structured Data and Metadata: Ensure that structured data and metadata are present on the mobile version of your site. This helps search engines understand the content and context of your pages, ultimately boosting your chances of higher rankings.

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User Experience: The user experience on your mobile site, including navigation, readability, and interactivity, plays a significant role in SEO. A positive mobile user experience can lead to higher search rankings.

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Mobile SEO Best Practices: Embrace mobile SEO best practices, such as optimizing images for mobile, using concise and descriptive meta tags, and creating mobile-friendly URL structures.

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Google's Mobile-Friendly Test: Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure your site meets Google's mobile standards. This tool provides insights and recommendations for mobile optimization.

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Conclusion

Mobile-first indexing has shifted the SEO landscape, making mobile optimization a priority for websites. To maintain or improve your search engine rankings, it's crucial to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and offers a positive user experience on mobile devices. By following mobile SEO best practices and staying updated with the latest developments, you can adapt to this mobile-centric SEO environment and continue to drive organic traffic to your website. Remember, the key to SEO success in a mobile-first world is to put the user experience first.

For those of you who don't need your site indexed. Yes, there are some instances where you do not need to have your site index and can skip the SEO portion all together. You do not have to worry about SEO for your mobile design, if you don't want anyone to find your site organically, or you are designing an app that will be downloaded. Apps and mobile sites are similar, check out our comparison of Responsive Web Design and Mobile Apps.