Does my website need Mobile-First Indexing?

< Blog
Updated on: August 23rd, 2022Ken Braun7 min read
Does my website need mobile first indexing visual

What exactly is mobile-first indexing and does my website need mobile-first indexing? Those are two questions that have been popping up more often lately and as a top web development company we wanted to share our thoughts on the matter to provide some clarity about exactly what these terms mean for the average business owner.

First, let’s start by mentioning that this is nothing to panic about. Mobile-first indexing is not something that is currently in play on a large scale so currently there is minimal impact, if even that to concern yourself with.

However forewarned is forearmed so let’s dive right in and learn about Google’s newest addition to their idea of a more mobile-friendly web.

What exactly is it?

Before the mobile web became a thing, Google and other search engines indexed your site based on the standard desktop version and all the content that it contained. It was fairly straightforward. When mobile only websites came onto the scene (sites such as mobi/m./etc) nothing changed the indexing process.

When you added new content to your site, it was indexed based on the desktop version. Your overall rankings were based on the overall content and experience on the desktop level.

The change that Google will eventually make has to do with how they will index new sites and existing sites. The mobile version of your website will be where Google starts for what they include in their index and that combined with the mobile experience will be the starting point for your rankings.

It is important to understand that this is a “mobile-first” indexing method and not “mobile-only” indexing. If you don’t have a mobile only or mobile friendly website you aren’t suddenly going to be excluded. However you could suffer a drop in rankings if either your site does not provide a good mobile-friendly experience while competitors do and would then move ahead of you.

Also worth noting is that the mobile version of your website will be considered the primary version while the desktop version suddenly becomes the sidecar. For many people this will not be an issue; however the key take away from that concept is that Google is thinking about websites from a mobile view first with desktop versions being the alternate option which is a fundamental switch from just a few years ago.

Do I need to change anything on my website?

Depending on how your website is coded, you might not need to make any changes to the site before mobile-first indexing goes into full effect. According to Google’s blog on the topic, sites that are either responsive in design or uses identical desktop and mobile versions will not need to make any adjustments.

However, with that being said you should still make sure your website is following mobile best practices.

For example, if you have a responsive website, since it will be indexed based on how it looks to the Smartphone Googlebot.

For a responsive site you should prioritize both mobile page speed and load times and then make sure all of your elements are optimized properly. It is also important to understand that your site will be viewed from the mobile responsive view which means collapsed and hidden content will be viewed differently.

Businesses that utilize a separate mobile site should do a little more review as you want to ensure that all of your best content exists on your mobile version and can be crawled and indexed. On the technical side you should review structured data, metadata, and sitemaps are all accessible and equivalent on both versions. Lastly if your mobile site uses a separate host you want to verify that they can handle the increased crawl rate that will take place.

When will this become a factor?

Currently there is not a firm date for when Google will have an index that is truly mobile-first. They have been working on it since 2016 and have used a number of sites as guinea pigs.

In a post last month in their webmaster blog, Google stated that they are being very cautious with rolling this out which means it could be another year or two before it comes into play. The safest approach is to assume that it could be ready late this year.

If you don’t have a responsive site or a mobile version of your site there is still not a reason for mass panic. Most likely if you have not gotten on board with the mobile push it is because your website is either not a focal point of your business or customers do not connect often if at all via a mobile device.

In that case your overall rankings may be impacted as your site will reflect a worse user experience compared to other sites that are mobile ready.

The bottom line

The bottom line is that your site does not need mobile first indexing. That is something that Google is working on whether you like it or not. What you do need to be aware of is how this eventuality will impact you. For those businesses with a responsive site there is little to be concerned about. Those with both mobile and desktop sites will have more steps to take to ensure they will retain rankings, while those without either type of site are in a different boat and should strongly consider creating a responsive website not only for mobile-first indexing but also to cater to the growing mobile consumer base.

Be sure to check back every week for great new Lounge Lizard blog articles.

Published on: January 29th, 2018

Related articles

Do you know how to optimize google my business listing visual
7 min read

Do you know how to optimize Google My Business Listing?

January 9th, 2023

Google My Business is a free tool that every business should take advantage of if you want more traffic and better SEO results. Surprisingly there are [...]

Should you be using growth hacking techniques visual
7 min read

Should you be using Growth Hacking Techniques?

January 9th, 2023

Hacks and hacking are such interesting terms. The word hack is primarily defined as “to cut with rough or heavy blows.” When talking about computers the [...]

Our 5 ecommerce secrets for your best year end ever visual
7 min read

Our 5 Ecommerce Secrets for your Best Year End Ever

January 9th, 2023

The end of the year can be extremely stressful for many businesses, especially if you rely on a big Ecommerce push in the fourth quarter for [...]

Online marketing visual
6 min read

Can you use Freudian Concepts in Online Marketing?

January 18th, 2023

Sigmund Freud is a well-known name to many although you might be hard pressed to remember the specifics of his theories in psychology. He was a [...]

Holiday visual
7 min read

Is your website prepared for the holidays?

August 23rd, 2022

It’s that time of year again when people pack up the pumpkins and start thinking about the upcoming peak buying season; is your website prepared for [...]

Social media visual
7 min read

Optimal Posting Times for Social Media

August 23rd, 2022

Social media can be a challenge. There are some days when you think you have created the perfect piece of content that will not only be [...]

Does my website need Mobile-First Indexing?
Share On:
Newsletter Sign Up

"*" indicates required fields

0 of 60 max characters
0 of 60 max characters

Request a Proposal

Fill Out Our Form & We’ll be in Touch Shortly

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Type of Project**

New York City
112 West 34th Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10120
Long Island
991 Main St.
Suite 200
Holbrook, NY 11741
Washington D.C.
1101 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 450
Washington, DC 20036
Nashville
424 Church St
Suite 2000
Nashville, TN 37219
Los Angeles
1100 Glendon Avenue
17th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Miami
1221 Brickell Ave
Suite 900
Miami, FL 33131
Charleston
170 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29401
Richmond
919 E. Main Street
Suite 1000
Richmond, VA 23219