Google to unleash mobile algorithm April 21, Non-mobile friendly website companies set to lose prime rankings
If you are a business who has yet to take Google’s “Mobile-Friendly Test” then now may very well be the time to do it. The expansion of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal announced by Google Back in February 2015 is only 3 days away and it could mean judgement day (or “Mobilegeddon” as some have called it) for those who are not up to date. Google’s last update of May 2014 (“Panda 4.0”) saw eBay lose 80% of its prime rankings with Baird Equity analyst Colin Sebastian announcing in a July 2014 note to investors that the move may have cost eBay around 5% points of growth off its gross merchandise volume.
Mobile marketing company Somo, evaluated the brands highlighted by the Internet Advertising Bureau UK’s “Top 250 Mobile Audit of 2015” report and found that websites to be affected included; Nintendo, MI5, Windows Phone, Dyson, Versace, Clairol UK and The Daily Mail. Maria Mitsostergiou, head of search at Somo, told ITPRO: “Google’s upcoming ‘mobile friendly’ algorithm update – the so-called Mobilegeddon – is another indication of how important Mobile Search is and will be this year. We regularly see Organic Search becoming an increasingly important factor for Paid Search success.”
To ward off “Mobilegeddon”, businesses can move their content to any of three configurations recognised by Google as “mobile friendly”: responsive design (Google’s #1 recommendation), dynamic serving or mobile website. Additionally, the internet is afflux with articles on everything from what will be affected by the algorithm update to how to make the most of the time left before it goes in effect.
In the meantime, it might be worth remembering that Google’s latest switch comes at a risk. If most businesses aren’t ready to comply, the consequence will be that Google’s results will now be less relevant or valuable to its users. Furthermore, mobile searching is about finding a quick answer and moving on rather than core research. It is unlikely that Google will see desktop returns on mobile regardless of the measures it takes, an outcome with the potential to affect advertising. And since Google is funded by advertising, this latest switch may see some blowback.
