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TheMobileBuzz
To mobile optimize If your site isn't mobile friendly,
or not? mobile friendly sites, then you can expect
and you have lots of competitors with
steep drops in organic search performance
hen Google Inc. revealed in February 2015 on mobile devices.
plans to update its search algorithm based
on usage patterns, Internet-connected users –Adam Bunn, Greenlight Digital Ltd.
W took note. What attracted the most attention
from online commercial interests was the expanded use of business standing in the revised rankings. "The first 10
mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal on Google starting search results for keywords related to retail, for example,
April 21. had 17 percent more mobile-friendly webpages than
the first 10 results for keywords related to education,"
Prior to that, Google had begun to flag websites as Moovweb stated.
mobile-friendly, but in April site rankings began to reflect
mobile friendliness, with mobile-optimized sites placing Retail ranked highest among the verticals tracked for
higher in the rankings. At stake were page clicks, since mobile friendlieness, followed by healthcare, insurance,
top-ranked sites typically attract 20 to 30 percent of page travel/hospitality, other, education and transportation,
clicks, and any displacement in rankings can negatively according to Moovweb analysts.
impact revenue.
While Moovweb tracked data, the number of mobile-
To help webmasters mobile optimize existing websites, friendly results on the first page hovered around an average
Google posted an online guide for passing its "mobile- of 7.7 out of 10 results, illustrating relative consistency and
friendly test" and a Mobile Usability report. Among the stability in search results. It is projected that this trend
criteria cited were such things as sizing and spacing of toward mobile-friendly websites will continue.
links to make tapping screens much easier for mobile
users, sizing of web page content to fit mobile screens, Pushing the right buttons
using legible font sizes and avoiding incompatible
technologies like Adobe Flash for mobile-enabled users. But just as business websites become more mobile-friendly,
consumers have been slow on the uptake. According to
What it really means eMarketer Inc., last year more than 150 million people
used a mobile device to research, browse or compare
With no middle ground for Google's new ranking products. Yet fewer than seven in 10 of those mobile
algorithm, businesses ranked on the giant search engine shoppers actually made a purchase from a smartphone
were either forced to adopt mobile-friendly websites or or tablet device. The majority of online purchases were
remain in temporary standby mode. executed from desktop PCs and laptops.
"If your site isn't mobile friendly, and you have lots of Part of the problem has been the user shopping experience
competitors with mobile friendly sites, then you can expect in the small real estate represented on mobile screens.
steep drops in organic search performance on mobile Amazon.com was well ahead of the curve when it
devices," Adam Bunn, Search Engine Optimization and introduced one-click ordering. Google, too, acknowledged
Social Media Director at Greenlight Digital Ltd., stated in the problem in establishing the mobile-friendly criteria
a blog post. "If your site isn't mobile friendly, but neither for websites.
are your competitors, then you can expect the status quo
to be maintained. In that case, though, the update is likely And others like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest have
to trigger an 'arms race' to get mobile optimized." recently launched their own "buy" buttons to help
bridge the experiential gap between mobile browsing
During the six weeks that followed the algorithm change, and desktop purchasing as mobile consumers do more
Moovweb tracked more than 1,000 important e-commerce tapping than typing in the new paradigm.
keywords. "We found that 83 percent of the time, the top
result is tagged as mobile-friendly by Google; 81 percent While path-to-purchase solutions providers continue
of the time the top three results are mobile-friendly," to work on removing barriers to consumer adoption of
Moovweb stated. "And when you consider all 10 of the mobile payments, business owners are grappling with
spots on Google's first page, 77 percent of the search the added cost of upgrading their websites to improve
results are 'mobile-friendly.'" interoperability with mobile devices and enhance
customer convenience, whether or not they are jockeying
Of the mobile-friendly vertical markets tracked, Moovweb for position in the Google rankings.
found retail-based keywords had the most impact on
31
To mobile optimize If your site isn't mobile friendly,
or not? mobile friendly sites, then you can expect
and you have lots of competitors with
steep drops in organic search performance
hen Google Inc. revealed in February 2015 on mobile devices.
plans to update its search algorithm based
on usage patterns, Internet-connected users –Adam Bunn, Greenlight Digital Ltd.
W took note. What attracted the most attention
from online commercial interests was the expanded use of business standing in the revised rankings. "The first 10
mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal on Google starting search results for keywords related to retail, for example,
April 21. had 17 percent more mobile-friendly webpages than
the first 10 results for keywords related to education,"
Prior to that, Google had begun to flag websites as Moovweb stated.
mobile-friendly, but in April site rankings began to reflect
mobile friendliness, with mobile-optimized sites placing Retail ranked highest among the verticals tracked for
higher in the rankings. At stake were page clicks, since mobile friendlieness, followed by healthcare, insurance,
top-ranked sites typically attract 20 to 30 percent of page travel/hospitality, other, education and transportation,
clicks, and any displacement in rankings can negatively according to Moovweb analysts.
impact revenue.
While Moovweb tracked data, the number of mobile-
To help webmasters mobile optimize existing websites, friendly results on the first page hovered around an average
Google posted an online guide for passing its "mobile- of 7.7 out of 10 results, illustrating relative consistency and
friendly test" and a Mobile Usability report. Among the stability in search results. It is projected that this trend
criteria cited were such things as sizing and spacing of toward mobile-friendly websites will continue.
links to make tapping screens much easier for mobile
users, sizing of web page content to fit mobile screens, Pushing the right buttons
using legible font sizes and avoiding incompatible
technologies like Adobe Flash for mobile-enabled users. But just as business websites become more mobile-friendly,
consumers have been slow on the uptake. According to
What it really means eMarketer Inc., last year more than 150 million people
used a mobile device to research, browse or compare
With no middle ground for Google's new ranking products. Yet fewer than seven in 10 of those mobile
algorithm, businesses ranked on the giant search engine shoppers actually made a purchase from a smartphone
were either forced to adopt mobile-friendly websites or or tablet device. The majority of online purchases were
remain in temporary standby mode. executed from desktop PCs and laptops.
"If your site isn't mobile friendly, and you have lots of Part of the problem has been the user shopping experience
competitors with mobile friendly sites, then you can expect in the small real estate represented on mobile screens.
steep drops in organic search performance on mobile Amazon.com was well ahead of the curve when it
devices," Adam Bunn, Search Engine Optimization and introduced one-click ordering. Google, too, acknowledged
Social Media Director at Greenlight Digital Ltd., stated in the problem in establishing the mobile-friendly criteria
a blog post. "If your site isn't mobile friendly, but neither for websites.
are your competitors, then you can expect the status quo
to be maintained. In that case, though, the update is likely And others like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest have
to trigger an 'arms race' to get mobile optimized." recently launched their own "buy" buttons to help
bridge the experiential gap between mobile browsing
During the six weeks that followed the algorithm change, and desktop purchasing as mobile consumers do more
Moovweb tracked more than 1,000 important e-commerce tapping than typing in the new paradigm.
keywords. "We found that 83 percent of the time, the top
result is tagged as mobile-friendly by Google; 81 percent While path-to-purchase solutions providers continue
of the time the top three results are mobile-friendly," to work on removing barriers to consumer adoption of
Moovweb stated. "And when you consider all 10 of the mobile payments, business owners are grappling with
spots on Google's first page, 77 percent of the search the added cost of upgrading their websites to improve
results are 'mobile-friendly.'" interoperability with mobile devices and enhance
customer convenience, whether or not they are jockeying
Of the mobile-friendly vertical markets tracked, Moovweb for position in the Google rankings.
found retail-based keywords had the most impact on
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