People are quick to adopt the latest technology. When the desktop was introduced, internet usage was confined to computers. However, as mobile phones became more accessible, the majority of the population started using their phones for accessing the internet. Mobile devices like phones and tablets have become the most common source for interacting with the web. It’s much easier to search for things or information on your mobile phone than open a desktop or laptop. As people switched from desktops to mobile devices for accessing the internet, the way search engines work also changed.
The majority of people are using mobile devices for search which makes it necessary to prioritize the mobile experience. Search engines like Google were quick to identify this change and added mobile optimization as a key ranking factor. Whether you own a restaurant or sell home décor items, your potential customers are most probably using their mobile devices to search for related products/services. So, to reach people on all devices- desktop, and mobile, you need to optimize your website for desktop and mobile.
Mobile SEO
Reportedly, more than 60% of searches come from mobile devices. As mobile searches continue to rise, optimizing your site for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets has become crucial. Google has prioritized mobile-first indexing. Mobile Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves optimizing the site to enable it to rank for mobile searches. The process of search engine crawling, indexing, and ranking differ between devices. Mobile optimization follows many practices similar to desktop SEO. However, mobile search results are influenced by an additional set of factors. Mobile SEO is impacted by factors like user location, screen size, page organization, operating system, and more.
How Mobile SEO Works?
Mobile SEO optimizes the website for search engine queries originating from mobile devices. Typically, the process of mobile SEO focuses on on-page optimization techniques to enable a site to rank in mobile device-based search engine results. It also involves creating a responsive web design. Both mobile and desktop versions have the same URLs and HTML, but the image size needs to be checked to fit the screen size of the device. To improve user experience, mobile SEO practices include improving website loading speed, content visibility, and easy navigation.
Developing a mobile SEO strategy begins with Mobile Usability Test. Google Search Console tool can help you audit a site and find out issues impacting mobile usability. Here are some of the best practices that help in improving mobile SEO and ensure that your site appears for mobile search results:
- Improve Page Speed
Page speed is an important ranking factor that Google uses for indexing. Sites that take longer loading time (more than 3 seconds) have a high bounce rate. To improve page speed, you need image optimization. Large images are often responsible for slowing down pages. Tools like GTmetrix can be used to check loading speed and Google’s AMP plugin helps in speeding up your website.
- On-Page Optimization
Screen size is an important factor for Mobile SEO. On-page factors include optimizing titles, URLs, meta descriptions, and more. You need to make sure headings aren’t too big for mobile devices. Yoast is a great SEO tool that can be used for on-page optimization.
- Responsive Web Design
You don’t need to set up different versions for desktop and mobile devices. Using responsive WordPress themes can help make your website mobile-ready.