Mobilegeddon Update: Are mobile friendly websites getting better rankings?

Today, a larger number of Internet users are turning to mobile devices to look for information and to conduct their typical tasks online. This means websites need to become mobile friendly websites that can easily be viewed on just about any device.

For this reason, Google has recently launched a mobile friendly update that is designed to give mobile friendly websites a ranking boost over those that don’t focus on the mobile platform. According to MozCast, which is a tool used to measure the amount of changes in Google search results, this update has made relatively little change in the short-term. The long-term results remain to be seen.

Does This Change Really Matter?

Because the forecast shows the mobile-friendly update by Google has made little difference in search engine rankings, it may seem like a waste of time to implement a mobile strategy for your website. Unfortunately, this will not create the results you’re looking for. This push toward ranking website content based on whether it’s mobile friendly is just the beginning. In the coming months and years, there will be more changes that will take place within the Google algorithms that will require a mobile-optimized website to ensure your rankings remain where you want them to be.

Mobile friendly websites are an absolute necessity if you want to reach your target audience today and in the years to come. While there is still a significant percentage of Internet users who still use desktop computers and laptops to view websites, the number of people who use smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices is rapidly increasing. This makes having mobile friendly websites a must. Even though it may not hurt your search rankings in the immediate future, over time, it will become more difficult to reach your target audience if your website isn’t optimized for mobile viewing. For this reason, mobile optimization should be a top priority.