Is your site ready for mobile-first indexing yet?

What exactly is mobile-first indexing?

The old days, when Google indexed and ranked websites purely by their desktop versions, are gone for good. Things have shifted somewhat and far more people browse the internet on mobile phones and tablets. Google is of course watching that development, which is precisely why it introduced mobile-first indexing — favouring the mobile version of a site as its primary search index over the desktop one.

For the same reason it also changed the algorithm to favour responsive websites over non-responsive ones. It keeps only one index to work with, which means only the view of the page changes. Responsive design, if you do not have it yet, ought to be one of the main things to focus on. A responsive site means your content adapts to different devices — phones, tablets, netbooks, even TVs.

Mobile-first indexing does not mean, though, that if you have no mobile version your site drops out of Google search entirely. Nothing need change for desktop searches. But if you have no responsive site, yours will slip down mobile search over time. A responsive website will therefore rank above non-responsive ones.

In short, if more than 50% of users are of no interest to you, you need not have a responsive site.

What if I use a separate mobile version, the so-called m-dot?

If in the past you opted for a separate site for mobile devices, or you have responsive design and your site complies with Google's rules, then your site is fine and you need change nothing.

Speeding up the mobile site with AMP

Should you want to boost your mobile site further still, there has for some time been the option of AMP – Accelerated Mobile Pages. With AMP you can serve your page on mobile devices faster still. Speed is also one of the factors in how fond Google is of you, and it will help lift your site higher still in search results.

Implementing AMP, unfortunately, is something you will have to take up with a developer or an agency. Whether your competition uses AMP is quite easy to check — try searching for something on your phone, and if there is a lightning-bolt icon next to the link through to the site, you know it is a page using AMP.