Mobile-First Indexing

« Back to Glossary Index

Search giant Google has announced that mobile-first indexing is now rolling out, almost a year and a half after the original plans were unveiled. During this time, the search giant has been testing and trialing the implementation of a mobile-first experience and is now ready to roll out the new system. The reason is that more people are now accessing Google via their mobile device than desktop.

There's also been a lot of talk about mobile-first indexing over the past year, and it comes with a certain amount of confusion and conflicting reports. So, now that Google is officially rolling out mobile first indexing, we're going to explain exactly what it means for SEO and what you need to do about it.

What is Mobile-First Indexing?

Before we give our explanation of mobile first indexing, let's look at the description Google offered when announcing the rollout:

"In summary, our crawling, indexing, and ranking systems have typically used the desktop version of a page's content, which can cause problems for mobile searchers if that version is very different from the mobile version. Mobile-first indexing means that we use the mobile version of the page for indexing and the Ranking to better help our users - especially mobile users - find what they are looking for." - Webmaster Central Blog

That's about the best shorthand description of mobile-first indexing we've seen in the last year, including previous Google explanations. Essentially, it comes down to the fact that the majority of Google searches are done on mobile, but the results are still formulated by a system that ranks desktop pages first. The problem is that mobile pages are often different from their desktop alternatives, and it makes little sense to send people to pages optimized for desktop when they are using mobile devices.

Mobile-first indexing shifts priority to the mobile version of pages to deliver better results and experiences for Google's predominantly mobile users.

This doesn't mean that Google will focus only on mobile or create a separate Index created for mobile and desktop results. It simply means that mobile pages are crawled first and Google falls back to desktop if no mobile version is found.

Of course, this raises a few questions and we will address as many of them as possible in the rest of this article.

How does mobile-first indexing affect your SEO?

Although mobile indexing sounds like a huge deal that will change the way Google Search works, the impact on most SEOs and site owners will be minimal. We are certainly not dealing with another mobilegeddon and there is no need to panic if the mobile-first indexing is introduced.

However, it is important to know whether you are affected or not, how much and what to do about it. These are the questions we will answer now.

Why is mobile-first indexing important?

Mobile First Indexing is important because it helps Google provide a better user experience by using the mobile version of a web page for indexing. With more and more people now accessing the Internet via mobile devices, it is important for search engines to consider the mobile version of a web page when indexing web pages.

What factors influence mobile-first indexing?

There are many factors that influence mobile-first indexing, including mobile website speed, mobile user experience, mobile Relevance and mobile design functionality. A fast mobile website that is user-friendly and offers relevant content will be preferred by Google when it comes to indexing websites.

How can you prepare for mobile-first indexing?

To ensure a successful implementation of mobile-first indexing, you should make sure that your mobile website is fast, user-friendly, and relevant. You should also make sure that your mobile website has all the important features that your desktop website has.

What impact does mobile-first indexing have on ranking?

Since search engines now favor mobile content over desktop content, mobile-first indexing has an impact on the Ranking of a website. If the mobile version of a website is not fast, user-friendly, and relevant, it could rank poorly, resulting in fewer visitors and revenue for the website.

« Back to Glossary Index

FAQ

What is mobile first indexing?

Mobile first indexing is a new search engine optimization technique that encourages search engines to index the version of a website that is optimized for mobile devices first. This means that search engines look at the mobile version of a website first when trying to get an understanding of how a website is built and what content it contains.

Why is mobile first indexing important?

Mobile first indexing is important because it allows Google and other search engines to index the mobile version of a website first. This is important because more and more users are browsing the web on mobile devices. So if search engines capture the mobile version of a website, they can have a better understanding of what the content of the website is and how it behaves on mobile devices.

Can my rankings be affected by mobile first indexing?

Yes, mobile first indexing can have an impact on your rankings. When search engines index the mobile version of your website first, the results they receive in the index are taken into account when searching for results. So, if your mobile website is not optimized correctly, you may get a lower ranking.

Can I implement mobile first indexing myself?

Yes, you can implement mobile first indexing yourself by optimizing your website for mobile devices. This can include several things, such as using Responsive Design, optimizing for speed, optimizing images, and more.

Do I need to optimize my desktop version of the website if I want to use mobile first indexing?

No, you don't need to optimize your desktop version of the website if you want to use mobile first indexing. However, if you have a desktop version of the website, it is important that it matches the mobile version. This means that both the content and the structure of the website must match on both platforms.

How do I know if my website supports mobile first indexing?

There are a few ways to find out if your website supports mobile first indexing. First, you need to make sure that your website is configured to be accessible from mobile devices. You can then run some tests to make sure that your website works properly on mobile devices.

What content needs to be optimized for mobile first indexing?

To optimize your website for mobile first indexing, you need to make sure that all your content is optimized for mobile devices. This includes images, videos, text, and other content. It is important that all content is optimized to display correctly on mobile devices, otherwise your rankings may be affected.

Can mobile first indexing affect my search engine optimization?

No, mobile first indexing cannot affect your search engine optimization. However, if you don't properly optimize your website for mobile devices, your rankings can be affected. Therefore, it is very important that you optimize your website properly to ensure that it is optimized for mobile devices.

Are there any tools that can help me optimize my website for mobile first indexing?

Yes, there are many tools that can help you optimize your website for mobile first indexing. These include tools for optimizing your website for speed, optimizing images, optimizing content, and more. These tools can help you ensure that your website is optimized for mobile devices.

Is there anything else I should consider when implementing mobile first indexing?

Yes, when implementing mobile first indexing it is important to make sure that your website is compatible with the latest technologies. It's also important to test mobile devices to ensure that the website is working properly. You should also make sure that you update any outdated technologies on your site, such as Flash Player, to ensure that your site works correctly for all devices.