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The next Google slap could be a doozy -- Coming April 21, 2015

by digichik
3 replies
I received the following information, in an email from EndlessRise, today. Does anyone have any additional information about Google slapping non-mobile friendly websites, and not acknowledging many responsive websites as being mobile optimized, so they could be penalized too?




Well Google is at it again. Previously they said they "recommend" certain ways for a website to be coded for mobile friendly use. However, they never clearly stated this would be a ranking factor. Websites being "mobile friendly" have always been more of a usability discussion. That has all changed now with Google's Feb. 26th blog publication here.

What do you need to pay very close attention to? This, "Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impactin our search results."

In other words, if you see your website or your clients website in the search results on your mobile phone and it does not say "mobile friendly" beside it, then you have a HUGE issue. Chances are you will fall off the map for any search engine results performed by mobile users. What does this mean? This means that if a website currently has 50% of their traffic coming from mobile users and they do not have a "mobile friendly" website then come April 21st they might lose 50% of their traffic.

This is not an over reaction, this is real. When Google gives a date and describes the impact as "significant" ... one can naturally interpret that to mean they will give nearly any result that is "mobile friendly" a preference over those whom are not.

Mobile friendly is established by Google not the user. So you may look at a website and think it is mobile friendly but Google might not. You might have a mobile responsive website but Google does not interpret it as being "mobile friendly".
I guess I should look at this as an opportunity, but I wonder if I am going to be getting a lot of angry phone calls from people I built responsive websites for. Hmmm........
#2015 #april #coming #doozy #google #slap
  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
    Originally Posted by digichik View Post

    I received the following information, in an email from EndlessRise, today. Does anyone have any additional information about Google slapping non-mobile friendly websites, and not acknowledging many responsive websites as being mobile optimized, so they could be penalized too?





    I guess I should look at this as an opportunity, but I wonder if I am going to be getting a lot of angry phone calls from people I built responsive websites for. Hmmm........
    Google considers responsive websites as being the standard, and eventually the same thing as this update will happen again for just mobile compatible websites.

    If you're building responsive websites, this is not an issue. Not sure why they're trying to scare you, lol.

    It's also important to note that there is no evidence or even suggestion that this will effect local listings.
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  • Profile picture of the author MrErickson
    The thing is just because a website is built on an RWD architecture, it doesn't mean that it is mobile-friendly. If the texts are too small to read on a mobile device, if the buttons are too small or are too close to each other making it impossible to be tapped individually by a finger -- then that website is not mobile-friendly -- even if it is a responsive website.

    Not many people know this. Endlessrise, whatever that company is, is right.
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