Why You Should Optimize Your Website for Mobile SEO

There no doubt that you need to optimize your website for mobile SEO. As per research, the percentage of mobile traffic (63%) is more as compared to that of desktop computers. It is also observed that mobile users tend to spend more time on websites than they ever did, and average click-through rates from mobile devices are rising. As we know, website usage is rapidly shifting from desktop to mobile. It is a trend that will continue in the following years. Is your website prepared to receive mobile web traffic? Also, are you attracting all these mobile device users?

We’ll discuss these things in this blog.

You perhaps know that you must optimize your site for SEO. This is a way you get more traffic and convert leads into customers, isn’t it? However, are you aware that you must also optimize your website for mobile SEO?

Important differences between mobile and desktop:

There are specific crucial differences between regular SEO and mobile SEO. It is vital to understand such differences to gain the results you are after.

As per Google, mobile SEO is primarily about optimizing a website for smart-phones (mobile) and other portable devices. Its features include:

• Accelerated mobile pages (AMP):

Google has been pushing AMP over the last few years or so, to make swift mobile pages. It’s a stripped-down format of HTML, so it loads faster. At times it takes longer to load a website on the desktop; thus, it is always best to optimize the mobile browsing experience for every user by standardizing a mobile version of your website with AMP.

• Mobile first index:

Initially, Google used to index the desktop version of your site first, but now it indexes the mobile version priorly. The switch happened because more and more searches were coming from the mobile device. That's why Google decided that it was time to prioritize mobile results to give those users a better experience.

Google notify sites that are migrating to mobile-first indexing via Search Console.

Announced in July 2018, content that is slow-loading may perform less well for both desktop and mobile searchers.

Main reasons to optimize your website for mobile SEO:

Check out the points necessary as a part of Mobile optimization:

1. Mobile is the first approach:

The use of mobile media varies every day. A smart-phone is always the first approach to every individual. Also, it is easy to navigate; designs and features can be seen on smaller screens; content can be made easily accessible; usage of large graphics can be avoided.

2. Remove too many pop-ups:

Google with its Intrusive Interstitials Mobile Penalty, will demote mobile pages that have "intrusive" interstitials that get in the user's way. Keep in mind, this new factor is just one of the hundreds of factors that are utilized in ranking. The purpose of the search query is still a substantial factor, so if a page has excellent, relevant content, it may even rank highly.

3. Utilization of white space:

Proper usage of whitespace can be done, as it is crucial for good website designing. However, you need to consider three factors while implementing whitespace:

• Images
• Text
• CTAs

Moreover, be careful in choosing a font style and size for a better reading experience.

4. Optimized content:

Usually, a reader can see optimized content on smaller screens. Whatever content you add on a mobile website can be fitted in smaller screens by following ways:

• Short and simple website titles and headings
• Content split into small paragraphs
• Sub-headings increasing user engagement
• Displaying content with bullet points, italics, etc.
• Smart phones compatible videos
• Only relevant images with high quality
• Click-able email id & phone number
• Optimizing tap buttons

5. Page speed:

Page speed is currently a ranking element on mobile websites. You can take a page speed test and fix the site speed issues. For example, as Google mobile-friendly tool is utilized to check whether a website is user-friendly or not for mobile devices.

ValueHits is a Digital Marketing Manager. He plans and coordinates marketing activities of ValueHits, a full-service Digital Marketing Agency based in Mumbai, India.