According to Cisco, mobile devices now account for 55% of all global internet traffic as of the end of 2014. In fact, mobile traffic grew by 69% in 2014 alone, and is expected to grow tenfold by 2019.
But here’s the real kicker. On April 21, Google is changing its algorithm to prioritize mobile-friendliness as a worldwide ranking signal. This major ranking shift is designed to provide mobile users with more relevant and timely results. It also means, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, its Google ranking will be suddenly downgraded as of April 21.
Getting ready for the Google algorithm shift.
If your site is still using outdated technologies, such as Flash and older versions of HTML, you’re already overdue for an update to ensure mobile friendliness and maximize search rankings. It’s time to revamp your site to use technologies that are accessible to all devices including HTML5, JS and CSS.
Testing your site for mobile-friendliness.
Fortunately, Google provides these easy-to-use online Webmaster Tools to analyze your site’s accessibility for mobile devices:
- Mobile-Friendly Test. Visit this page and simply enter the URL of any webpage you’d like to test. You’ll get instant feedback on whether that page is mobile-friendly or not — including with a screenshot of how the page would display on a mobile device.
- Mobile Usability Report. This tool will produce a full list of mobile usability issues across your entire website.
Google has been known to implement changes to its algorithm throughout the evolution of its search technology. As this latest change will have a significant impact on global search results, across all languages, you’ll want to ramp up your mobile-friendliness effort as soon as possible.