Over the past year or two, Google has slowly been preparing us for its Mobile First index which has been in testing since the fall of 2016. You have likely seen it in action, as more SERPs are leading to mobile-optimized sites even on desktops. So how should SEO specialists prepare their own sites to maintain SEO? To stay on top of the SERPs, incorporate the critical optimization tips below into your SEO services for Mobile First design.
Responsive Mobile First Design
The most critical element in maintaining good SEO is having a responsive website design that is mobile-ready and offers an outstanding mobile user experience. Google will rank any site that is not mobile-friendly lower than a mobile-friendly on. Along with responsive design, improve the experience your site provides by avoiding the use of Flash or popups and pay attention to functional design that is finger-friendly and easily navigated.
Mobile-First and Local Optimization
With less space for SEO specialists to work with, basic page optimization that includes skillfully written page titles and meta descriptions are more important than ever. These critical bits of information help the Google Bot accurately interpret your website’s purpose so your link can be served most to the right audiences.
Location is more important with mobile search, so be sure to include locations in your meta tags and all other website optimization. With nearly half of all mobile users searching for local businesses, optimizing for local search should become a priority for all SEO services.
Fast Page Load Speed
Never was a fast-loading page more critical than it is for your mobile-first website. Users have never stuck around very long for slow-loading pages and wait even less when searching while mobile. Maintain your SEO and keep your user's interest by getting as close to the recommended two-second mobile threshold by using light code, optimizing all images and media, avoiding redirects whenever possible, and leveraging browser cache.
Do Not Block Scripts or Images
Previously, Google used to recommend that SEO specialists block complicated CSS, Java, and zoms images due to limitations within the mobile search bot. Today’s mobile search bot is more sophisticated and able to handle more than before. In an effort of provide a better user experience and make your site easier to categorize, Google recommends that SEO services avoid hiding these elements.
Google Search Console
Register your mobile site and all pages with Google’s search console, especially if you make a separate mobile site or incorporate specific Mobile First pages into your web design. This will ensure that the search bot recognizes your different pages, analyzes them, and serves them appropriately.
Although most SEO services are only in the beginning stages of working with Google’s Mobile First search index, there are a few important ideas that have already become clear. To retain great SEO and ensure websites are able to provide the best user experience, you must optimize them to perform well when mobile. You can easily do this by paying attention to the above tips regarding Mobile First optimization!
