Google Search Algorithm to Favour Mobile-Friendly Sites

From 21st April, Google will make a major change to its search algorithm which will favour mobile-friendly websites in its search rankings when viewed from a smartphone or tablet. When a mobile user uses Google to search, the algorithm will push sites that feature large text, easy-to-click links, and resizable content further up in the ranking.

With the recent boom in smartphone and tablet sales, mobile devices account for approximately 60% of online traffic. Google announced the move back in February, giving website owners plenty of notice to make the appropriate changes so they don’t get penalised under the new system.

However, Itai Sadan, CEO of website building company Duda, is worried that smaller sites will still miss out. Sadan told Business Insider, “Come April 21, a lot of small businesses are going to be really surprised that the number of visitors to their websites has dropped significantly. This is going to affect millions of sites on the web.”

“Google has always been about relevancy, and content is king,” he added. “But that’s changing. Yes, they’re saying content is still extremely important, but user experience is just as important. It’s not sufficient to have all the right content — if people come to your site and the content is there but it’s not readable, that’s not good.”

It’s not just small businesses that will be affected, though. Marketing specialist Somo has revealed that major sites, such as American Apparel, The Daily Mail, and Ryanair will suffer ranking drops unless they implement the appropriate changes by tomorrow.

Thank you Business Insider for providing us with this information.