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Smartphone use is ubiquitous in today’s world. Almost everyone, regardless of age, owns a mobile device and uses it every day. Browsing the news, shopping online, or using social networking accounts are just examples of the activities we do on our phones. Adapting websites for mobile devices, therefore, seems to be a necessity. How do we do it?”
Mobile First Index
In March 2018, Google’s introduction of an algorithm to analyze the mobile version of a website was completed. This is tantamount to the fact that a site’s position in the search engine depends largely on Googlebot’s evaluation of the mobile version.
Mobile First Index was introduced mainly because of the growing number of smartphones and problems related to the speed of mobile page loading.
The guidelines for updating the Mobile First Index are freely available to developers, so we have the necessary knowledge and tools to customize the site according to Google’s requirements.
Which solution should you choose, a mobile website or a responsive website?
When preparing a website for mobile devices, we have a choice of mobile or responsive websites. What are the differences between these versions?
Responsive websites or RWD (Responsive Web Design) are desktop websites that automatically adapt to the device and its resolution.
Their primary advantage is that a website’s content on mobile devices is identical to that viewed on a desktop.
Additionally, if you opt for a responsive version of the site, you can operate it from the CMS and it does not require an additional content management system, as in the case of the mobile version.
However, if you want a site dedicated only to mobile devices, it is worth considering an alternative option. A mobile site has a different URL, usually enriched with an 'm’ or 'light’ prefix, and its content is different from that of a site that functions on desktop devices. It requires separate moderation, usually from an additional CMS, and separate statistics related to site traffic, which requires more work and costs.
However, the undoubted advantage of such a solution is the site loading speed and better readability of all content on mobile devices.
Each solution has advantages and disadvantages, and choosing the right variant depends on many factors. It is worth considering your preferences, budget, and goal, as well as analyzing your site’s target audience.
Each solution has advantages and advantages, and choosing the right one depends on many factors.
How to adapt a website to mobile devices?
Page loading speed
The time it takes for a website to be fully readable and interactive for users is an extremely important aspect. The speed at which a site loads is one of the ranking factors and affects the site’s user experience.
To verify at what level are the basic CWV indicators and what elements block the page from loading, it is worth using the PageSpeed Insights tool. It allows us to generate reports on the aspects of our site that need to be optimized and to monitor the site’s status continuously.
When working on a page to improve loading speed, we need to focus on optimizing graphics, removing unnecessary elements in the code, and eliminating elements that block rendering.
Optimize Title and Description
Considering the size of screens on mobile devices, we can guess that not all information can be conveyed in the same form as on desktops.
When optimizing meta titles and descriptions, we should pay attention to the length of meta descriptions and focus on putting key information at the beginning of the content. Using a call-to-action message to encourage users to visit the site is also a good idea.
Structured data
Schema tags, which we put in the code, tell search engine robots what is on a given page. They make the search results look better and contain more key user information.
Rich Snippets, or extended search results, can additionally present elements directly in the search engine that tell about the price of products, availability on the site, or average ratings. The implementation of structured data draws users’ attention and encourages them to visit the site.
User Experience
Considering how many users are using mobile devices to find information or shop online, we need to tailor sites’ performance to be as responsive as possible to audience expectations.
It is worth focusing on making the content on the mobile version easy to read, keeping the clickable elements not too close to each other, and allowing for convenient use. The site’s design and colour scheme should also be pleasing to the eye to encourage users to stay on the site.
Easy site navigation should also not be forgotten. Make sure that users can easily get to each subpage. For this purpose, you can use breadcrumbs and expand internal linking
SEO Local
Some smartphone users use local phrases to find a particular service or store in a specific location. Adapting your SEO strategy for local results is a good way to attract stationary point-of-sale customers.
To optimize the mobile version for local searches, focus on relevant keyword phrases that include your location, be sure to update your contact information on your website, and set up your business card in Google My Business
If you want to learn more about local SEO, take a look at our article on Local SEO
Analysis and monitoring of
Whether you’ve chosen a responsive or mobile version, monitoring user behaviour through the right tools is worth monitoring. Verifying the data in Google Search Console and Google Analytics will allow you to determine which devices your audience uses and monitor for errors.
Mobile Page Optimization vs SEO
The number of users using mobile devices is growing every day. Checking world news, online shopping, and Social Media activity are examples of everyone’s daily behaviour. Adapting websites for mobile is, therefore, extremely important and impacts brand positioning and recognition online.
If you need SEO support or have additional questions – contact us.
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