2016 – The Year Google Finally Goes Mobile

Stephen McCance November 27, 2015

Earlier this year, on the 21st April 2015, we announced a major update from Google dubbed ‘mobilegeddon’. The update was aimed at ranking mobile pages differently from those on a desktop. Here are a few of the key facts

Earlier this year, on the 21st April 2015, we announced a major update from Google dubbed ‘mobilegeddon’. The update was aimed at ranking mobile pages differently from those on a desktop. Here are a few of the key facts:

• Tablets are not counted as mobile devices in this update, only smartphones
• The update is now being referred to as AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
• Everything from page size and load speed to server location and usability will be taken in to consideration
• Each page will be individually ranked and given a score, rather than being a site-wide score
• Unfriendly mobile pages aren’t penalised, those that are mobile friendly are given a boost in the rankings

Following some successful testing and data gathering mid-way through 2015, Google have now come to the conclusion that the update is ready to be rolled out properly at the start of 2016. We aren’t sure exactly when this will be, but it is likely to be January or February.

Accelerated Mobile Pages will be a hot topic in the SEO and Digital world next year, there is no doubt about that. Some large websites will lose out; other smaller sites will make big gains. With the amount of mobile traffic increasing every month still, it is becoming more important than ever before to ensure your site is as optimised as possible. It was announced in May 2015 that for the first time, mobile search queries had overtaken desktop searches on Google – a big moment in the grand scheme of things for the internet.

The websites that look set to be the biggest losers when it comes to this update are news/magazine/information sites. Because of the amount of pages they have and the amount of people that view them on mobile devices, they will need to make sure they are up to scratch. In fact, the likes of CBS, Business Times/Newsweek, Al Jazeera America, AOL (TechCrunch) and Double Click have all announced their plans to work with a new framework to ensure they are prepared for it.

If you’d like a mobile audit of your website with recommendations and suggestions for improvements, please get in touch via 0161 711 0888 or send us a message.