"Mobilegeddon": Google’s Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Changes Come Into Effect

Today’s the day Google introduces a major update that focuses on penalising sites that aren’t mobile friendly. “Mobilegeddon”, “Mobile D-Day”, whatever you want to call it, this is a pretty big deal.

This change to the mobile search algorithm is set to cause some pretty hefty ripples across the web, with websites that are not deemed mobile-friendly likely to witness a dramatic reduction in the number of visits they get.

As always, Artemis are fully aware of all the latest Google updates and algorithm changes and we’re monitoring the situation closely.

Who’s Going To Be Penalised?

It’s being dubbed “Mobilegeddon”, with major organisations including Microsoft, Wikipedia and the European Union likely to be negatively affected by Google’s changes to their search formula. It’s also the first time ever that Sky have reported a Google algorithm change, which further highlights the significance of this particular update.

In truth, anyone with a website will be anxious to find out if they are classed as mobile-friendly and you can do so by entering your web address here. Google’s mobile-friendly test analyses your URL and reports back with the results of whether your site has a mobile-friendly design or not.

The Outcome For Smaller Businesses

While Google provided site owners and webmasters with a two-month warning about the impending change, it’s highly likely that many small businesses were either unaware of today’s update or unable to finance a mobile-friendly site.

 

We will certainly see many sites fall away from their original positions in Google’s search rankings, so what does it mean for smaller businesses?

Google have said that “Mobilegeddon” won’t have an impact on “local pack” results.

However, local listings aren’t the only traffic drivers for businesses who also rely on neighbourhood blog posts and web pages, all of which must now be mobile-friendly.

Both business and non-business websites, who may well have worked extremely hard to brush up on quality content in the past, are likely to suffer.

This begs the question “Is mobile-friendly content more important than highly-trusted content?” It’s certainly up for debate over the coming weeks.

Mobile-Friendliness “One Of Many” Ranking Factors

A Google representative was quoted on the BBC website this morning citing mobile friendliness as “one of many” ranking factors.

“As people increasingly search on their mobile devices, we want to make sure they can find content that’s not only relevant and timely, but also easy to read and interact with on smaller mobile screens” the representative said.

Get In Touch

If you are at all concerned about your site feeling the effects of “Mobilegeddon”, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team of experts here at Artemis Marketing. We have already helped many of our clients prepare their sites for today’s update and we will do the same for you.