Google Mobile Update: 101 for Bloggers

google's mobile update

Guess what folks? Google have changed their algorithm again, and their most recent change is all about how your website ranks for mobile usability. Think this is a really dry topic? It might not be as fun as finding out , or choosing hashtags for each day of the week, but mark my words – this is a change that could boost or blight your blog rankings. Here are some main points about the change (as jargon-free as possible!) for you to consider:

 

  1. Don’t Panic – you may have seen #Mobilegeddon trending on Twitter, but the reality is probably far less apocalyptic. Big brands with huge websites competing in a saturated field will panic because for them, traffic = sales, but for bloggers, you have no shareholders other than yourself to live up to.

 

  1. Mobile Ranking isn’t entirely new – Google has been taking in to account blog and websites’ mobile rankings for a while. Most blogs powered by WordPress are often automatically mobile optimised as part of their blog theme, so chances are you are probably doing fine. Remember, if you are on Tumblr, Blogger, or any other blog host, check in your dashboard that your blog is optimised.

 

  1. Check what your blog looks like – This is easily done via Chrome’s ‘Inspect Element’ option. Not only can you see what your blog looks like on mobile, but you can even check out what it looks like from one model of phone to the next! All you do, is right click on your blog , choose ‘inspect element’, and click the mobile symbol (next to the magnifying glass icon) to see what your blog looks like on mobile. It even gives you the option to select what model phone via a ‘Device’ menu in the top left!

inspect element for mobile

 

  1. Make sure your content is readable on all devices – using lots of JavaScript and Flash can look really fancy and cool, but it is not easily recognised by Google, and can slow down mobile load time. This will affect your mobile rankings. Ditch the fancy stuff!

 

  1. Consider mobile for your next blog post – you might want to take a look at your Google Analytics to see how much of your existing traffic is coming from mobile. Whether you have a mobile audience or not, creating your next blog post with mobile in mind is useful. Mobile is where your fans share. They probably have Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram on their phone too, so think of it as a way to boost your social sharing at the same time.

 

Remember: don’t be scared about this algorithm change. You are probably doing just fine as it is: just remember to bear in mind that mobile-friendly content is something you should consider each time you post now.

 

Do you have any tips to boost your blog for mobile readers? We always love a good blog tip!

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