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Mobile-first Indexing and the Importance of Mobile Optimization 

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an integral part of the internet marketing strategy of most successful businesses. Optimizing for user intent and keywords has always been the central focus of SEO strategy. However, the device consumers use in navigating those websites needs to be taken into consideration. 

In this article, we will answer some questions about mobile SEO, highlighting the difference between Desktop and mobile SEO. Also, we cover the importance of optimizing your website for mobile and provide tips on how to optimize for mobile SEO.

What is Mobile SEO?

Mobile search engine optimization  (Mobile SEO) focuses on optimizing a website for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. The goal of mobile SEO is to ensure that users get the best experience when viewing websites from mobile devices. 

Unlike Desktop SEO which optimizes mainly to meet customers’ search intents, mobile SEO goes a bit deeper. Mobile SEO covers a wider scope as factors like the user’s device type, screen resolution, operating system,  and many more.

The Advent of Mobile-first indexing

In 2016, Google announced that website ranking on the Search engine result page will now be evaluated by the mobile version of the page. This update was termed Mobile-first indexing. In the MFI method, pages that showed up on the search engine result pages will be ranked in terms of how mobile-friendly they are. This means that pages that meet Google mobile Optimization requirements will have higher consideration to others.

Optimizing for Desktop Vs Optimizing for Mobile: What is the difference

Although viewing a website on a desktop is a great experience, however, most website solely build for desktop do not give an interesting user experience when viewed from a mobile device.  This is because the search result page on mobile is different from that of a desktop device. Thus, website results shown to users using a mobile device will differ significantly from what they will see when they use a desktop for the same search query.

Also, mobile has some exclusive features that are not available on desktop. One of such is the finds snippet that shows users pages relevant to their search. The layout of search results is also different when viewed from desktop compared to mobile.

Generally, the search experience on mobile is different from that of desktop devices because mobile devices have smaller screen resolutions. Therefore, search results are adjusted to provide the best experience on mobile.

Mobile-first – What is the importance of optimizing for mobile

According to a study, about 61% of users’ online search in the US for 2021 came from mobile devices, creating an opportunity for businesses that have optimized their website for mobile. 

Technically, what this means is that you are at the risk of losing potential customers, limited reach and poor internet marketing result if your website isn’t mobile-friendly. Therefore, optimizing your website for mobile search is no longer optional but mandatory, especially if you want to dominate your industry.

Why is it important to Optimize your website for mobile?

There are several advantages of optimizing your website for mobile searches. These include increased website conversion rate, higher ranking, and reaching a wider audience. Let’s explain them further: 

• Increased website conversion rate
  The number of mobile devices is increasing daily. Research shows that there are 6 billion mobile subscriptions globally, and that’s expected to increase by hundreds of thousands in the next few years. This translates to more internet users via mobile devices. Thus, if your website is not optimized for a smooth mobile experience, you will lose prospective customers and ultimately experience a loss in revenue.
  
  Therefore, optimizing your website for mobile provides a better user experience by taking account of your website loading speed, content type, and users’ screen type. This will boost your website loading time and increase time on the website. Subsequently, website visitors don’t leave abruptly, but also proceed to take profitable actions. 
  
  
• Mobile-friendly websites rank better on Google
  Google mobile-first indexing gives mobile-friendly websites precedence over non-mobile-friendly websites. Hence, it’s important to implement a mobile SEO strategy to ensure that your pages rank well on the Google search engine result page. 
  
  Furthermore, the bounce rate for websites that are not optimized for mobile is high especially when the traffic is from mobile devices. This hurts your overall website results as Google takes a high website bounce rate as a sign that your website isn’t providing the right experience or content. Optimizing your website for mobile will ensure that visitors have a great experience which will reduce bounce rate and increase page visibility.
  
  
• Reach a wider audience
  Having a website that is not optimized for mobile limits your reach. A mobile-friendly website is easy to access, provides a great customer experience, and shows up on searches done on both desktop and mobile devices. When a website visitor has a great experience on your website, they will likely share with others which will increase your reach and also serve as free promotion for your business. Thus, your website must meet the mobile-first requirements.

A step in the right direction (Optimizing for mobile)

Mobile SEO is here to stay and it has become a necessity too great to ignore. As a business focused on growth and improving SEO results, it is not profitable to sit on the sidelines without taking the necessary steps to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile. A mobile SEO strategy is vital for the success of your internet marketing efforts and should be implemented fully.

However, before you implement a mobile SEO strategy, it’s best to first check if your website is mobile-friendly

A responsive website design approach is a great way to optimize for mobile. The content of a responsive website adjusts to the user’s device and provides a seamless experience on both Desktop and mobile.

Lastly, optimizing website content such as images by compressing them also helps to improve your website speed. 

At Campaign Sherpa we offer a fully scalable solution that incorporates the latest SEO best practices suitable for your business regardless of the size. To learn more about how We can help you optimize your website for mobile and improve business results, reach out to a member of our team.