Yes, you heard it right 21st April 2015. Google changes are on the go. Google declares to Penalise the sites which are not mobile responsive.
Since 2012, It’s a well-known fact throughout the web group that Google has always been inspiring webmasters to use responsive site design.
However, this revolution will come into power from 21st April 2015 in both Google.com and Google.co.uk. Till now almost all webmasters must have obtained an update inside Webmaster Tools to request that they present a mobile responsive webpage. In context to mobile search, websites that are not examined to be mobile responsive will be penalized.
The reason for this change is significant for websites that depend massively on mobile traffic. For static websites, the change will have an effect on the desktop rankings as the web keeps on getting to be more versatile.
What is a Responsive Site?
A website that acknowledges the browser in which it is seen. For eg, if the site is seen on a tablet then it will segment down to tablet search i.e, the content gets tablet viewable. Similarly, if the website is seen on a cell phone, then the webpage will segment into an individual section so that the client can undoubtedly see the site content.
Don’t get confused with Mobile Websites and Responsive Websites. A mobile website is a separate website created only for mobile users. Whereas mobile responsive websites are basically sites that are adaptable and flexible for all screen sizes and hence stack itself for device it is viewed on.
But with the revolution of using responsive websites, the desktop webpage is set by the website content management system to segments to a predefined look and feel on any device which is used to access the webpage.
This is in a far-reaching way not the same as having a mobile website, as the information which is shown on the desktop does not change on the mobile– it is essentially shown in a more organized form for the web users.
Why Mobile Responsive Websites Matter Anyway?
As a brand, you may be genuinely satisfied with your site at this moment. You’re acquiring the income you’d expect, your change rate is high and your activity levels either stay consistent or increment all the time – Then why the system is being changed?
Google’s most recent system trials confirm that your past work might not be sufficient to stay competitive in the race.
Convinced? No !!! If you are still not convinced then I would like you to follow the statistics related to mobile phone usage.
- Since 2010, the average time an individual spends surfing the web on mobile devices has doubled.
- More than 90% of people above 18 years in the U.S own a mobile phone and more than 60% of those devices are smartphones.
- In 2013, the amount spent on mobile advertising doubled to $8.5 million where it was just $4.4 billion in 2012. This count is expected to fall to around $31.1 billion by 2017.
- In U.S, 25% of people of 18+ age group think PC as a tool of past. Rather they focus more on mobile gadgets for internet access.
Previously people didn’t matter Organic search results. But, now 1/3 of all search clicks go to the organic search results like never before in the recent past, this implies that Google testing the mobile icons could play a bigger role than you’d think of.
What happens, if you don’t boost your site by the given time frame?
Sites that don’t conform to Google’s responsive rules by 21st April 2015 will be punished in mobile search rankings. Although there is yet to be any declaration on how mobile searches will influence desktop positioning performance, it is likely that there will be a long-term influence.
Mobile Friendly Test
Get Yourself Prepared for this change with the following tools and See how Google Crawler Blot sees your web pages.
- Mobile Friendly Test – Use this tool if you want to test just a few pages.
- Mobile Usability Report – If you want to get the entire list of Mobile Usability Issues across your website then you can use your Webmaster Tools account.
The straightforward solution is to upgrade your site to a responsive layout. Most Content Management Systems have a lot of recognized responsive site templates. But if you require something more bespoke, then hire a responsive web development company who has the skills to make a bespoke responsive site.
