Google’s Big Update: Your Response Required

“Mobilegeddon” has arrived. Is your site ready?

Been too busy to consider upgrading your site? That’s understandable, but a material change in the way Google operates this month ought to grab your attention.

The goliath of all things online just began rolling out a major update to its ranking algorithm focused on mobile devices. When smartphone users search for sites like yours, those that are mobile-friendly will now receive far greater priority over those that are not.

What does “mobile-friendly” mean?

In functional terms, Google says sites must meet these criteria on smartphones:

  • Text legible without tapping and zooming
  • Links spaced out appropriately
  • No unplayable content or horizontal scrolling
    (To see how your site stacks up, take Google’s simple test.)

In practical terms, there are several types of mobile-friendly sites:

  • Mobile-specific – Alternate site seen only on mobile devices
  • Adaptive – Optimizes the presentation for certain devices
  • Responsive – Dynamically adjusts the presentation for a broad range of screen sizes

The first two approaches have their problems, although adaptive websites are certainly an economical option for businesses that can get by with a relatively short-term solution.

Responsive design is the best way to future-proof your website as smartphones come in an ever-growing variety of shapes and sizes.

Check out some of SPINE’s responsive and adaptive web design work:

  • CaseStudy-820x500_Sono-CM2
  • NeoPLM_interactive
  • NeoPLM_ipad