Come Out Ahead before Google Launches Mobile First Index

It’s 2017 and the small screen dominates: is your content optimised for mobile?

Everybody has a smartphone – at least it seems that way and it’s probably almost true. The second any question, idea, impulse or inclination comes to mind, a smartphone is whipped out to satisfy our curiosity, answer any and all of our pettiest or our most profound questions, and of course, our shopping needs.

According to a MENA study by ThinkwithGoogle, 66% of respondents use their phone to look for all kinds of information or what is called “an I-want-to-know” moment, while 65% of people use their mobiles for purchasing in an “I-want-to-buy moment.”

In Saudi Arabia, smartphone penetration has reached 86% of the entire population.

In the UAE alone, 82% of consumers look for items and goods on a smartphone without even knowing the exact brand that they want. Does your present mobile content put you on the hallowed first page of a Google search?

Google has recognized that now, not only do all searches start online, but they are done on mobile devices as opposed to desktop.

What does this mean? Well, Google will soon be test launching the Mobile First Index – which basically means that it will now look at the mobile version of your website in its ranking as opposed to your desktop one; and if you don’t have a mobile one, it reverts to ranking your desktop version.

This in turn means that you need to take a good hard look at your mobile site and ensure it makes Google’s cut. Even if you have a responsive site and a great design, it’s not enough. You need to adjust your content to boost your search ranking; essentially, your content needs to be optimised for a mobile search.

Optimising content for mobile does not necessarily mean reducing the volume of content but also publishing more concisely written content, optimising headlines, placement of content, both editorial and visual, among other considerations and parameters. Your entire content inventory needs to be audited and optimised.

A study conducted by Briggsby (https://www.briggsby.com/services/) showed that users of mobile devices give 68% of their attention to the centre and top half of the screen, while 86% look at the upper two-thirds of the screen. Anything below this point on the screen becomes mostly lost to the user.

Image Source – Briggsby https://www.briggsby.com/how-do-users-interact-with-serps-on-mobile-devices/

In this fast-paced mobile revolution, where even Facebook now is cracking a newer, mobile-first form of video viewing, content needs to be redefined and optimised for mobile devices.

So I ask you again, is your content optimised for mobile? To find out more on how to make the cut, contact us! We’re here to help.