As marketers, we aspire to understand our audience, know
where and how they want information, and to deliver that information at the
right time, on the right device. So if
your audience is using mobile phones and tablets to access the internet, you’ll
want to be aware of the need to optimize for mobile devices.
Web users in the U.S. now spend the majority of their
digital consumption time in mobile applications – more than on desktop
computers or mobile web surfing. Mobile
usage on the whole, including web browsing and app usage accounts for 60% of
time spent using digital media, with desktop activity making up the remaining
40%.
Mobile-friendly websites in search results
Beginning April 21, 2015, Google will be using
mobile-friendly factors in its mobile search results. This means that a web page that has been
optimized to work well on mobile devices will rank higher in search
results. Google said this algorithmic
change will have a “significant impact” in the mobile search results, impacting
all languages worldwide. A Google blog
post also said “users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search
results that are optimized for their devices.”
So what’s a ‘mobile-friendly’ web page?
According to Google, a page is eligible for the
“mobile-friendly” label if it meets the following criteria as detected by
Googlebot:
·
Avoids software that is not common
on mobile devices, like Flash
·
Uses text that is readable without
zooming
·
Sizes content to the screen so users
don't have to scroll horizontally or zoom
·
Places links far enough apart so
that the correct one can be easily tapped
Content from Indexed Apps to Appear in Search Results
Apps indexed by Google will also benefit from recent changes.
Google said that apps that are indexed by Google through App Indexing will
begin to rank better in mobile search. Google said this only will work for
signed-in users who have the app installed on their mobile devices, which means
only Android apps today, but likely to expand to other platforms in the future.
Google explained this “may now surface content from indexed apps more
prominently in search.”
Why should you care?
Facts about law firms and company
legal departments, from the 2014 ILTA Tech Survey show that attorneys in 98% of
responding organizations use mobile devices for email or internet access. So your customers are likely more active on
mobile devices than you might have guessed.
Your very brand and
reputation are influenced by the web experience you provide to users,
especially if, like many Edge Legal Marketing client companies, you are in the
technology space. If a prospect seeking,
for example, case management software, should find your website in Google search
results, click through and have a frustrating experience on your
site, it will reflect poorly on your company and products. Technology companies are held to a higher standard of quality on the web.
What to do Next
A simple test, if you have not done this, is to visit your
website using your mobile device. Navigate many if not all pages, and check the
quality of the experience. Note any
problems you see in links, page viewing, or readability.
To get help with making a mobile-friendly site, ask your
webmaster to check out Google’s guide to mobile-friendly sites. A person with webmaster level skill
can get ready in time for the April change by using the following tools to see
how Googlebot views your pages:
· To test a few pages, you can use the Mobile-Friendly Test.
· Get a list of mobile usability issues across your site usiing the Mobile Usability Report.
· You can also see
Google’s mobile guidelines
· If you offer apps, check
Google detail on app indexing. Get your app indexed for the best user experience.
Posted by Megan Miller, Edge Legal Marketing
Posted by Megan Miller, Edge Legal Marketing
