When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, the way that consumers searched for information changed dramatically. Mobile search has made many in the digital marketing and search engine optimization world rethink how they do things from incorporating search terms, listing information on websites, and even considering mobile when designing a website.
Are you looking for tips on how to make a website mobile friendly? Here are 4 things to implement on your website to ensure it is optimized for mobile. mobile optimization.
#1: Mobile Responsive Website
Is your website mobile friendly? Please know that viewing your website as it appears on desktop on your phone does not mean your website is mobile friendly. In fact, it usually means the exact opposite.
As of November 2016, Google has moved forward with their mobile first inde. This means that ranking positions on this search engine are based on whether your website is mobile friendly, and potentially punishes websites that don’t have a mobile friendly website.
If you haven’t considered your mobile traffic as important to your business, I recommend adjusting your strategy. Mobile isn’t going anywhere, so it makes more sense to attract customers where they’re finding searching for your business.
#2: NAP Data
If you have a physical store, NAP (name, address, phone number) data is critical to include on your website. Why? Google, as one example, has begun to introduce information boxes right on their results pages. In the cases of physical businesses, these boxes will scrape valuable information for local searchers that includes address, phone number, map location, etc.
You may be wondering where they get the information from, and you’re not alone. Most of this information will come from their Google My Business listing site. Ensuring you have all this information accurately filled out is critical for local searchers who are looking for information about your business. You know your customers are searching for the data, so be sure to make it easy for them to find.
#3: Mobile-Minded Keywords (Long-Tail, Location-Based, etc)
With voice technology, the kinds of searches users are performing has changed dramatically. Now, those who are entering queries are speaking them, making these searches much more conversational compared to the choppy searches of the past. This means if you want to rank on a search engine you need to start considering how users search in addition to what they search for.
Also, think about ways a user will search and the differences across devices. For example, mobile search allows users to focus on location information or locations that are close to them. Considering content that emphasizes this terminology can help you stay ahead of your competitors and grab customers who are searching in this way.
Doing some keyword research directly in the Google search bar with the auto-complete feature can help you understand what exactly users may be searching for. Implement this strategy for every page of your website. Ultimately, the best way to rank online is to ensure you’re being helpful to your customers.
#4: Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
Mobile is important. Still unconvinced? Beginning in 2016 Google released AMP, an initiative that improves mobile searching and load times for websites on mobile. Further, Google has indicated that they’ll begin using page speed as a ranking factor.
What are AMP pages? AMP helps reduce the amount of work mobile networks need to do to load mobile pages on cellphones, very similar to what Facebook did with their instant article features.
So why is it so important to have AMP on your website? For starters, your users will thank you because it makes browsing your website that much easier and convenient for them. It is also something in line with Google’s latest updates releases and announcements that put mobile first for websites.
Because of the importance AMP plays, many of the big content management sites will have plugins or tips for installing AMP on your website.
What other questions do you have about making your website mobile friendly? Do you have tips to make website mobile friendly you want to share? Leave them below in the comments!