We’ve given you the heads up a couple of times recently, but now it’s official! Google has acknowledged that the search engine will favor mobile-friendly sites starting April 21st. What’s better, Google collected a list of suggestions to help your mobile-friendly site perform well with the new algorithm.
First and foremost… if you don’t have a responsive website, you need to convert ASAP!
Google noticed that some mobile-friendly websites make a few common mistakes. To make the conversion process easier (or to improve your current responsive website), here are some common issues to keep in mind:
- Blocked JavaScript, CSS, and image files – Google uses your website images to consider your website legitimate. Make sure that your images are completely visible.
- Unplayable content – Some mobile devices cannot play videos on your website (as they don’t run Flash). All of your videos should also be mobile-friendly.
- Faulty redirects – If you use separate URLs (one for desktop and one for mobile), double check that the URLs redirect to each other properly.
- Mobile-only 404s – Mobile users sometimes encounter error messages when accessing your website from a mobile device. Redirect those users to your mobile website.
- App download interstitials – Some native apps block your site with a prompt to download the app. Use a small banner at the top of the page instead.
- Irrelevant crosslinks – Some mobile pages do not connect to the equivalent desktop page. Double check your links.
- Slow mobile pages – Your mobile website needs to be fast enough to guarantee a positive user experience. Test your site speed with Google PageSpeed Insights.
As always, MyAdvice is here to help! We’ve been creating mobile responsive websites for over three years. Our Design & Development and Digital Marketing teams are constantly implementing the most current best practices. And we want your business to benefit from our continued efforts to ensure that your website performs at its highest capacity. Contact your Marketing Coach to start the conversion process.
