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Google provides update on mobile-first indexing

Mobile AMP

Google provides update on mobile-first indexing

After sending out messages to site owners informing them to correct issues relating to mobile-first indexing, Google has now provided a further update on the topic, stating that all websites will be indexed in this way by September this year.

Towards the end of February, website owners were receiving notifications from the tech giant informing site owners that they had issues with their sites from a mobile perspective, telling them how to rectify these issues.

Now, Google has said that 70% of websites displaying in its search results have made the switch to mobile-first and, by September 2020 all websites will be crawled by Google from a mobile-first perspective.

Google made the announcement in a blog post on Thursday, March 5 through a blog post on its Webmaster Central Blog, confirming that the update would take just 6 months, instead of the 6-12 month timeframe anticipated at the time of sending out the email notifications.

The mobile-first process first got underway with an initial announcement in November 2016, meaning that Google has been working for three and a half years to bring this to fruition. This means that site owners have been given plenty of warning about the switch and have no excuse not to be ready. However, as almost three quarters of sites have already made the move, it would seem that most are already on top of this. Google will have already notified site owners that made the switch.

For those that haven’t made the switch yet, in preparation for Google finalising the change to mobile-first indexing, website owners must ensure that their sites are mobile-friendly and work from a series of mobile devices, altering the size of the site to fit different mobile devices.

Those that do not do this will likely find their sites take a hit in the rankings, as Google will be prioritising sites that work perfectly on mobile. This could have a negative impact on a website’s traffic, enquiries and, ultimately, sales.

If you need help ensuring your website is mobile responsive and ready for the switch, get in touch with the team at Engage Web.

Alan Littler
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