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SEO for Mobile websites

by vnr406
18 replies
Hi guys,

How is everyone SEO'ing mobile sites?

Are you treating them like a normal site or just putting in simple meta tags/descriptions and submitting to mobile directories?

Is there something you can do to help mobile optimization?

Any suggestions are gratefully received.

Regards

Vince
#mobile #seo #websites
  • Profile picture of the author Adrian John
    Usually you have to make sure that your On Site Seo is taking care of.
    Starting with titles(different to every page), meta tags and make sure you have your keyword at least once in the content.

    SEO your images, buttons and everything you can put an name/alt on.

    Then submit them to the mobile search engines.Each important ones have a mobile version.

    Then try to find as many directories you can.
    You can also create your own directories, on different niches that you could use later for your other clients which will help the rankings going high.

    Start an link exchange maybe with some business on the first pages, which are already crawled by the search engine and have some king of authority in their niches.

    Also do not forget to check your website at
    Code:
    http://validator.w3.org/mobile/
    which will also tell you some things you went wrong about the seo.
    I won't worry too much about the other errors you might get by checking your site with the mobile compliance cause i haven't seen any changing in the site rankings overtime.

    Just make the mobile website clean, for the finger, fast loading and easy accessible.

    Also if you have the possibility create an Custom Mobile Website for your clients. Usually they don't like to see the same thing on other sites of their competitors. Only making it Custom will add value and they will appreciate your services more .
    Also this will help to the UNIQUENESS of the site/content which is very important in SEO.

    If i get any other idea about SEO, i'll let you know.Hope it helps.
    Adrian
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    • Profile picture of the author vnr406
      Hi Adrian,

      Thanks for taking the time out to answer. Much appreciated.

      Regards

      Vince


      Originally Posted by banditu View Post

      Usually you have to make sure that your On Site Seo is taking care of.
      Starting with titles(different to every page), meta tags and make sure you have your keyword at least once in the content.

      SEO your images, buttons and everything you can put an name/alt on.

      Then submit them to the mobile search engines.Each important ones have a mobile version.

      Then try to find as many directories you can.
      You can also create your own directories, on different niches that you could use later for your other clients which will help the rankings going high.

      Start an link exchange maybe with some business on the first pages, which are already crawled by the search engine and have some king of authority in their niches.

      Also do not forget to check your website at
      Code:
      http://validator.w3.org/mobile/
      which will also tell you some things you went wrong about the seo.
      I won't worry too much about the other errors you might get by checking your site with the mobile compliance cause i haven't seen any changing in the site rankings overtime.

      Just make the mobile website clean, for the finger, fast loading and easy accessible.

      Also if you have the possibility create an Custom Mobile Website for your clients. Usually they don't like to see the same thing on other sites of their competitors. Only making it Custom will add value and they will appreciate your services more .
      Also this will help to the UNIQUENESS of the site/content which is very important in SEO.

      If i get any other idea about SEO, i'll let you know.Hope it helps.
      Adrian
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  • Profile picture of the author benbro
    Hi Banditu, that was a really helpful explanation that you gave. I was curious about that too. Let me also ask...what is the best type of link building campaign for mobile sites? Thanks again!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Moreno
    many people have a misconception about what mobile seo is....

    if a mobile website is designed and validates only for feature phones ie iphones and androids, etc - the site will go in the same serp pool with all the other regular websites and be competing for the same spots in the search engines as all the rest do...

    Google does not distinguish mobile sites that do not validate properly or inform them that they are suitable for non smartphone mobile devices.

    In most cases people do not take the extra step of creating a specific mobile sitemap even if they do Google will ignore it unless the site validates properly - and for most people that is beyond their technical ability.

    To even get on the mobile seo ladder you should at least try and make your site to conform to XHTML-MP

    Google will however rank and highlight a mobile website url on mobile search for non smartphones - you may or may not have seen the green little handset next to certain mobile sites in the serps... this is because the site does validate and also has a google mobile site map...

    for more information and a discussion on mobile seo please view these links

    another myth is using sub domains - google has zero preference when it comes to use subdomains or subfolders... its more concerned about how the content is displayed... in many instances people putting a mobile site with duplicate content that is simply presented differently to a mobile device may in actual factor be opening themselves up to duplicate content if not addressed properly..

    For a better understanding and more information please read these articles...

    Google Recommends Single URL For Smart Phone Mobile SEO

    https://plus.google.com/113006028898...ts/38v3DayB75g

    Hope that helps

    jay
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    • Profile picture of the author GerryLee
      Originally Posted by Jay Moreno View Post

      many people have a misconception about what mobile seo is....

      if a mobile website is designed and validates only for feature phones ie iphones and androids, etc - the site will go in the same serp pool with all the other regular websites and be competing for the same spots in the search engines as all the rest do...

      Google does not distinguish mobile sites that do not validate properly or inform them that they are suitable for non smartphone mobile devices.

      In most cases people do not take the extra step of creating a specific mobile sitemap even if they do Google will ignore it unless the site validates properly - and for most people that is beyond their technical ability.

      To even get on the mobile seo ladder you should at least try and make your site to conform to XHTML-MP

      Google will however rank and highlight a mobile website url on mobile search for non smartphones - you may or may not have seen the green little handset next to certain mobile sites in the serps... this is because the site does validate and also has a google mobile site map...

      for more information and a discussion on mobile seo please view these links

      another myth is using sub domains - google has zero preference when it comes to use subdomains or subfolders... its more concerned about how the content is displayed... in many instances people putting a mobile site with duplicate content that is simply presented differently to a mobile device may in actual factor be opening themselves up to duplicate content if not addressed properly..

      For a better understanding and more information please read these articles...

      Google Recommends Single URL For Smart Phone Mobile SEO

      https://plus.google.com/113006028898...ts/38v3DayB75g

      Hope that helps

      jay
      Hi Jay,

      If Google has no preference for using the sub-domain for mobile sites, then why did matt Kutts (Cutts?) recommend using that method in one of his videos this spring. Has their position changed on this?

      Sure would like to know what the definitive answer to this question is.

      Thanks,
      GerryLee
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      • Profile picture of the author Jay Moreno
        Originally Posted by GerryLee View Post

        Hi Jay,

        If Google has no preference for using the sub-domain for mobile sites, then why did matt Kutts (Cutts?) recommend using that method in one of his videos this spring. Has their position changed on this?

        Sure would like to know what the definitive answer to this question is.

        Thanks,
        GerryLee
        Gerry take a look at those resources that i posted above John Mueller works for Google search also...

        The specifics of just setting up a mobile domain and why it wont necessarily rank is a too in depth subject to cover in a post like this but take a look at those resources and the one listed below.... its not so much about where it is located (ie m. subdomains) but more so about the content and how it validates for mobile devices and can it be found

        Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Webmaster Tools Help and then download the current Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.

        Pay particular attention to page 23 through 27

        Originally Posted by Google

        Googlebot may not be able to find your site - Googlebot must crawl your site before it can be included in our search index. If you just created the site, we may not yet be aware of it. If that's the case, create a Mobile Sitemap and submit it to Google to inform us of the site’s existence. A Mobile Sitemap can be submitted using Google Webmaster Tools, just like a standard Sitemap.
        Note that a mobile site map IS different from a regular xml site map....

        Note many people use javascript to redirect people to their mobile subdomain based on screen size... problem with this is the google search bot doesnt have a screen size, its also questionable whether it would also follow the redirect anyway... so there is a good chance google isn't going to find the site and list the mobile site as you want it too... with no other links to it its going to have a hard time getting picked up by the search engines...


        Originally Posted by google

        Pages we determine aren't viewable on a mobile phone won't be included in our mobile site index (although they may be included in the regular web index). This determination is based on a variety of factors, one of which is the "DTD (Doc Type Definition)" declaration.

        Check that your mobile-friendly URLs' DTD declaration is in an appropriate mobile format such as XHTML Mobile or Compact HTML.

        If it's in a compatible format, the page is eligible for the mobile search index.
        This raises the question how do you want the site to rank, to perform and what your target audience is ie smartphone users or feature phone users.... remember there is still a large percentage of the mobile market the currently doesnt have a typical smartphone... ie iphone/droid although the balance is changing....

        I guess i have my own views and opinions on the subject - and as always i like to explore all avenues before concluding on what path i take. I have done extensive testing of my own and from the results i have seen i will be making sure all my mobile sites from now on validate to XHTML MP lets just say that!

        For most people it won't/doesn't matter... for purest though like myself it does.... i guess do you research and decide for yourself whats best for you.

        hope that helps - and good luck!

        Cheers

        Jay
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        • Profile picture of the author GerryLee
          Jay,
          Well, I guess you answered that question, alright...didn't you, ya old booger!
          Sounds like that "Good Luck" you tossed in at the end is kind of appropriate too, huh?

          Anyways, thanks for going to the trouble to post such an in depth reply... really cool! I'll definitely check out the resources that you provided.

          Thanks again,
          GerryLee
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          • Profile picture of the author Jay Moreno
            Originally Posted by GerryLee View Post

            Jay,
            Well, I guess you answered that question, alright...didn't you, ya old booger!
            Sounds like that "Good Luck" you tossed in at the end is kind of appropriate too, huh?

            Anyways, thanks for going to the trouble to post such an in depth reply... really cool! I'll definitely check out the resources that you provided.

            Thanks again,
            GerryLee
            I have been doing dynamic mobile development for web going back to days of WAP/WML before the iphone was even a twinkle in Steve Jobs eye! One of my sites is actually highlighted among 5 on the front of the ready.mobi validation service site which i did around 2006 it did at the time validate fully 5/5 passing all the then 25 tests required to get full marks...

            Right now mobile web development and web app development is moving at such a incredibly fast pace its untrue and keeping up with new technology can be tough

            What guidelines i setup for myself today could change tomorrow - but am always open to suggestion but never take anything for granted. I find it tough to do things on a whim because someone says so to do something without researching it for myself and making my own conclusions... what works for me doesnt necessarily work for others and vice versa. Do what you feel comfortable...

            but it certainly wont harm you to at least try and make sure your site validate to XHTML MP if you know how and at least spend a few minutes to put the a mobile site map together and submit it accordingly...

            both mobiReady - dotMobi compliance & mobileOK checker and The W3C Markup Validation Service are excellant resources - as a developer i would also recommend taking a look at Keynote MITE free edition which has much more stringent testing capabilities link: http://mite.keynote.com/

            Hope that helps,

            Jay
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            • Profile picture of the author GerryLee
              Jay,
              Your replys have been really helpful and informative. If nothing else, they've driven home to me just how much there is to learn about this stuff, to really do a proper job for your clients.
              I'm just getting started building websites, etc...have built a couple of WP sites, and a couple of mobile sites using WillR's script. Things have gone pretty well, considering how new I am to this...had some issues, got some help, figured other things out on my own, etc.

              I guess the point I'm rambling toward is this: I'd gotten to where I was feeling pretty good about the prospects of selling and building mobile ready sites, but now I'm beginning to question my ability to get them ranked for any future customers. ( I mean, Hell, when you read and hear one Google guy saying one thing, and then you're told another Google guy says another thing, us newbies gotta wonder which way is up, right?)

              Thanks again for pointing me (and others, I'm sure) toward some resources that may shed some light on this for us beginners.

              Gerrylee
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              • Profile picture of the author WillR
                Originally Posted by GerryLee View Post

                Jay,
                Your replys have been really helpful and informative. If nothing else, they've driven home to me just how much there is to learn about this stuff, to really do a proper job for your clients.
                I'm just getting started with this stuff...have built a couple of WP sites, and a couple of mobile sites using WillR's script. Things have gone pretty well, considering how new I am to this...had some issues, got some help, figured other things out on my own, etc.

                I guess the point I'm rambling toward is this: I'd gotten to where I was feeling pretty good about the prospects of selling and building mobile ready sites, but now I'm beginning to question my ability to get them ranked for any future customers. ( I mean, Hell, when you read and hear one Google guy saying one thing, and then you're told another Google guy says another thing, us newbies gotta wonder which way is up, right?)

                Thanks again for pointing me (and others, I'm sure) toward some resources that may shed some light on this for us beginners.

                Gerrylee
                Gerry,

                Bear in mind as it currently stands a customers ranking in the search engines is to do with their standard website NOT their mobile website. When I go to Google Mobile and search for a business the order in which websites display is based purely on their standard website, as it always has been. There are some people who will tell you having a mobile version of your site will get you listed up higher in the search engines but that is all just speculation - no one has any data or proof that this is indeed the case.

                You also need to remember that Google Mobile is NOT a mobile search engine ie: it does not only display mobile websites in its results. It is just a mobile version of the standard Google search engine. Some people get confused by this.

                If your customers website is not showing up high enough in the search engines then they need to do some SEO and/or link building for their REGULAR site.

                Those websites who also have a mobile version and have submitted the relevant Google mobile sitemap will, after time, have a little green phone icon display next to their listing so visitors know they have a mobile optimized version of that website. By submitting the proper Google mobile sitemap you are simply alerting Google to the fact you have mobile optimized pages and letting them know where those pages are. Also, don't worry about duplicate content. It is fairly obvious that a mobile website is going to have a lot of the same information as your standard website. So long as you help Google distinguish the two then they will understand what is going on.

                Until we all start using Mobile ONLY search engines, something that will only happen when the majority of websites have a mobile version, the SEO of your mobile website is not going to have a whole lot to do with anything. You should still always do your simple on page SEO (this should be done for any website), using header tags, meta tags, and alt image tags, but at this stage I don't see them making a whole lot of difference to your overall rankings.

                If you are wanting to improve the rankings for your customer then, at this stage, it is their standard website you should be concentrating on.
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                • Profile picture of the author GerryLee
                  Well, hello Will,

                  Hope all has been well, and thanks for jumping in!

                  Outstanding stuff!...You pretty much backed up the conclusion that I had originally, tentatively come to about mobile SEO: about the mobile site "piggybacking" on its standard parent site's SEO, at least for the most part. I still wasn't certain enough, though, to not be swayed "hither and yon" by each new thing I read.

                  Thank goodness for people like you and Jay, and a few others who are kind enough to walk us newbs through the mine fields. Maybe I'll get get a grip on all of this one day...if I don't blow a fuse first

                  Thanks to you as well,
                  GerryR
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                  • Profile picture of the author Jay Moreno
                    Originally Posted by GerryLee View Post

                    Well, hello Will,

                    Hope all has been well, and thanks for jumping in!

                    Outstanding stuff!...You pretty much backed up the conclusion that I had originally, tentatively come to about mobile SEO: about the mobile site "piggybacking" on its standard parent site's SEO, at least for the most part. I still wasn't certain enough, though, to not be swayed "hither and yon" by each new thing I read.

                    Thank goodness for people like you and Jay, and a few others who are kind enough to walk us newbs through the mine fields. Maybe I'll get get a grip on all of this one day...if I don't blow a fuse first

                    Thanks to you as well,
                    GerryR
                    @Gerry - am only a few mouse clicks away if you ever want to discuss anything mobile related, i pretty much live, drink, sleep and breath mobile at the moment! lol
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                    • Profile picture of the author GerryLee
                      Originally Posted by Jay Moreno View Post

                      @Gerry - am only a few mouse clicks away if you ever want to discuss anything mobile related, i pretty much live, drink, sleep and breath mobile at the moment! lol
                      Thanks Jay,
                      Guess I need to start piling up the posts so that I can do the PM thingy, Huh?
                      (Well, I'll be darned, here's another one already!)

                      Thanks,
                      GerryR
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                • Profile picture of the author zenyatta
                  Originally Posted by WillR View Post

                  Gerry,

                  Bear in mind as it currently stands a customers ranking in the search engines is to do with their standard website NOT their mobile website. When I go to Google Mobile and search for a business the order in which websites display is based purely on their standard website, as it always has been. There are some people who will tell you having a mobile version of your site will get you listed up higher in the search engines but that is all just speculation - no one has any data or proof that this is indeed the case.

                  You also need to remember that Google Mobile is NOT a mobile search engine ie: it does not only display mobile websites in its results. It is just a mobile version of the standard Google search engine. Some people get confused by this.




                  If your customers website is not showing up high enough in the search engines then they need to do some SEO and/or link building for their REGULAR site.

                  Those websites who also have a mobile version and have submitted the relevant Google mobile sitemap will, after time, have a little green phone icon display next to their listing so visitors know they have a mobile optimized version of that website. By submitting the proper Google mobile sitemap you are simply alerting Google to the fact you have mobile optimized pages and letting them know where those pages are. Also, don't worry about duplicate content. It is fairly obvious that a mobile website is going to have a lot of the same information as your standard website. So long as you help Google distinguish the two then they will understand what is going on.

                  Until we all start using Mobile ONLY search engines, something that will only happen when the majority of websites have a mobile version, the SEO of your mobile website is not going to have a whole lot to do with anything. You should still always do your simple on page SEO (this should be done for any website), using header tags, meta tags, and alt image tags, but at this stage I don't see them making a whole lot of difference to your overall rankings.

                  If you are wanting to improve the rankings for your customer then, at this stage, it is their standard website you should be concentrating on.
                  Hi Will,

                  Love your template and have made several mobile sites with it. I am interested in the mobile sitemap and submitting to Google. Do you cover this aspect in any of your videos in your WSO? If so do you remember which video.

                  Thanks Again,
                  Zen
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                  • Profile picture of the author WillR
                    Originally Posted by zenyatta View Post

                    Hi Will,

                    Love your template and have made several mobile sites with it. I am interested in the mobile sitemap and submitting to Google. Do you cover this aspect in any of your videos in your WSO? If so do you remember which video.

                    Thanks Again,
                    Zen
                    Zen,

                    I don't currently but am thinking of adding a video regarding this in the next update. Will keep you posted.
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  • Profile picture of the author vnr406
    Hi Jay and Gerry

    Thanks also for your input!!

    Vince
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Moreno
    [will you posted before i could respond ]

    @Gerry

    Looks like you are certainly going down the right route though - especially using WillR's templates and thought curve...

    Remember though all though a site may validate it may not rank any higher on Google SERPS all it will do is highlight the fact its for mobile... in theory though is someone more likely to click on that link because it is mobile optimized?

    Again - this is only seen by those using none smart phone.... from my understanding Google delivers regular website results to regular smartphones and the green mobile handset is not rendered. with the dominance of smartphones constantly growing the question i want to know is will Google start recognizing the importance of "smartphone friendly" websites - i know i would rather pull up mobile friendly sites on my android as opposed to regular sites as what the trends is with google. Google does offer on demand conversion if your are searching with a smartphone but in my experience it has always been painfully bad... as much as most "automated" services are....

    To see an example of the green mobile handset i mentioned above view this link:

    san antonio dog groomers - Google Search

    it should pull up Google mobile search regardless of what device or desktop browser you are using...

    Scroll right down to the bottom and next to the yellow pages listing you will notice the green handset... as you can see the "mobile" site doesnt rank at the top... but the regular "desktop" sites do... so go figure!

    Do the same search on an android or iphone and Google does not deliver that green handset marker....

    So question is - is it worth the hassle? lol and how much do you or you client have to gain from it "being" optimized

    Just bare in mind if you have two sites one for regular browsers and one for mobile

    - is it important to optimize your mobile site if the desktop version "auto" detects the user is using a mobile device and redirects it? Is it therefore not better to concentrate on getting your main desktop site to rank instead?

    - if it doesn't validate do you want it competing in the serps with your main site?

    - are you duplicating your content? if so are you using canonical rel links to point to your main site? then if so is there any point optimizing your site?

    there maybe more people with non smartphones at the moment then smartphones, but what will the case be in a year or two - i think smartphones will totally outsell feature phones... one question i keep asking is what type of expectations are non smartphones users expecting... if they go on the net and surf and browse regularly what are they doing with a non smartphone... especially if you can pick up an iphone 3GS for $50...

    i wish i knew the answer if its important to cater for non smartphone users as it is smartphone - at least for me its not really an issues as i have all my basis covered! lol

    cheers

    Jay


    =================

    Will, your post came through as i was writing mine - but your absolutely right about positioning...

    that link i posted above shows you that just because your site is mobile optimized it doesn't mean it will rank any higher!

    If you are wanting to improve the rankings for your customer then, at this stage, it is their standard website you should be concentrating on.
    Spot on advice from Will couldn't agree more

    whats interesting to note is that google adwords dont seem to appear in the non smartphone mobile search, but they do in the smartphone mobile search... for me i will be testing out doing mobile only adsense... see how that works out...

    cheers

    jay
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  • Profile picture of the author wpsolution
    Never knew with this one also, glad i found this post and it helps me also.
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