Most internet users surf the web using their smartphones and who can blame them? It’s quick, easy and you can have the answer to your question with just the touch of a button.
Since April 2015, Google has paid close attention to mobile friendliness and have used it as a strong ranking factor in their search algorithm. Now that we’re almost two years on, it’s become an absolute necessity to achieve higher rankings on mobile search results.
So, what exactly makes a site mobile friendly? Unfortunately, it isn’t enough to simply “work” on mobile. You must peel back the layers and look at specific aspects of your site such as page speed, site design and site structure.
Here are some of our best tips to optimise your site using SEO Services for mobile:
Make sure it FITS with mobile SEO
Your site must fit on a smaller screen without the need to “pinch and zoom” to read the content. Mobile users expect a seamless experience and everything on your site needs to be easy to read on the small screen. This means optimising content and ensuring that it’s presented clearly. A site that has content sliding off the edge of the screen will NOT get into Google’s good books. Make sure that your site is easy to navigate with a finger and take your site’s design into consideration.
Faster page speeds with mobile SEO
Mobile users are impatient. They may have limited connectivity and need to acquire important information in a very short space of time. SEO for mobile is vital when it comes to page speed. You can help quicken the pace by minimising code, reducing redirects and optimising images on your site.
Forget Flash and Pop-Ups
If there’s one thing that all mobile users hate, it’s pop-ups. They are incredibly frustrating and it can often be difficult to close them, which leads to an increased bounce rate and a lot of unhappy visitors. Avoid implementing pop-ups and don’t use flash either. Many users do not have this plugin on their phones. Instead, use HTML5 to create your special effects.
Let Google Find You
Many site owners make the critical mistake of blocking the Googlebot from accessing important resources such as images, JavaScript and CSS. This makes it difficult for search engines to see and categorise your content, which also sends the message that your site is not mobile-friendly.
Optimise Meta Descriptions
When people are using their smartphones to access the internet, they will glance over your Meta details on search result pages to help determine whether they want to click on your site. Since mobile screens are much smaller than desktops, you must keep your meta titles and descriptions as short and effective as possible. Grab their attention but don’t sacrifice the quality of your content to do so.
These are some of the most important factors when it comes to SEO for mobile. However, there are plenty more where that came from! Keep an eye on our SEO agency Dublin blog for more SEO Dublin expert updates!