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Google’s Mobilegeddon: Will It Hurt My Businesses?

Businesses have less than 30 days until the bomb termed “Mobilegeddon” drops onto search results. That’s not just hyperbole —it will be the biggest algorithm update Google has released in years. According to Google, the April 21st mobile update will affect more websites than both Panda and Penguin updates.

What business owners need to know

The update is either going to be welcomed by those prepared or a major setback to those who have not taken the necessary steps to optimize their website.  Where will your business become in April 21st?

The Negative

This algorithm update will severely penalize websites that aren’t mobile optimized. This will only affect searches on mobile, but by Google’s estimates, these are around 50% of search queries on the search engine.

If you have a non-mobile-optimized website and get a significant percentage of your traffic from mobile organic searches, expect it to drop dramatically.

Depending how many customers you get from your website, this could significantly hurt your business. As time goes on, the drop in revenue and opportunity cost is only going to grow, and it’s going to be painful.

Mobile data traffic is expected to grow 300% by 2017. If you don’t have a mobile-optimized website now, you’d better get one soon or you’ll be missing out on the majority of internet users.

This algorithm update will go on a page-by-page basis for determining mobile friendliness. It’s not enough to have a mobile-friendly homepage—all pages need to be mobile friendly. If a page isn’t mobile friendly, then that page will suffer in search results.

The Positive

Companies with mobile-optimized websites in industries that are slow to adopt new technology will benefit. If you have a mobile-optimized website and your local competitors don’t, this is a huge bonanza for you. Companies in this position will see a boost in traffic and revenue from mobile devices.

While Google already takes mobile friendliness into account for search results it’s a tiny part of the algorithm. This update is going to make that a much larger portion to ensure Google users have a good user experience.

How do I know if my site is optimized for mobile?

First, it doesn’t matter if you think your website is optimized for mobile. It only matters in Google’s eyes. There are two tools for you to test your website’s mobile friendliness.

Put each page of your website into Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or check your Google Webmaster Tools. These two tools will show you how Google perceives your website’s format according to mobile users.

In conclusion

If your website is optimized for mobile, then good for you. Sit back and enjoy the panic your competitors should be feeling right now. Do what you can to make the most of this temporary competitive advantage.

If your website fails Google’s mobile-friendly tests, you need to get a new mobile-optimized website immediately. This is the turning point where it’s no longer acceptable to “get by” on a mediocre website for your users. It can take months to develop a new website. In order to mitigate the damage this algorithm update will do to your business, it’s recommended to start this process immediately.

In addition

If you’re thinking of getting a new website, contact us for a free customized consultation on best practices. We help all businesses grow revenue using the internet.

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