Mobile SEO: Why it matters and how to improve yours
Did you know there are more iPhones sold per day (378,000) than babies born per day (371,000), according to MobileStatistics.com? This is full proof that mobile SEO is crucial for any business with a website. Unless you’re marketing to an audience that doesn’t use mobile phones to search the Internet, it’s crucial that your business caters to the needs of your audience, which includes mobile users.
Is mobile SEO necessary for your business?
You’ve probably heard this multiple times, but we can’t stress this enough …waiting to get home or back to the office to search online has become obsolete. Some experts predict that the laptop will become obsolete by 2018, and Desktops will become history. Don’t take our word for it …if you visit any nationally known electronics store, that sells computing devices, you will notice there are fewer Desktop computers on the shelves than previous years. As far as laptops are concerned, they’re being replaced by notebooks that have touchscreen capabilities.
What does this mean for your business?
It means more and more of your customers are searching the Web through their mobile device than their laptop or Desktop. Currently, search engines, like Google, are favoring mobile-friendly, well-optimized websites. Put this to the test. Type in “Mobilegeddon” as a keyword and you will find a host of articles written about the changes Google has made to their algorithm during the month of April. If a website is not optimized for mobile, competing sites, that are optimized, will get noticed and the sites that aren’t won’t get found.
If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you’ve more than likely experienced a drop in rankings. Don’t panic. You can still get your website up-to-speed.
Mobile SEO will help increase your visibility in mobile searches – it’s crucial to the success of every business – regardless of the industry. If your website is not search engine friendly to mobile users, here are a few ways to implement SEO for mobile starting now:
Make keywords shorter
When optimizing Meta titles and descriptions, include short tail keywords. Avoid using long tail keywords that you normally would use for Desktop queries. Mobile search users use shorter phrases and Google’s autocomplete feature often completes a person’s search.
Make it sociable as possible
Many mobile users are connected to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and other social applications around the clock. Make sure all of your pages have social media links embedded. When your website is social enabled, it makes it easier for people to share your content. As a result, you can experience an uptick in your engagement and traffic.
Have a responsive website
There is no point in discussing mobile SEO if a website doesn’t have a responsive design. Having a responsive design will allow your visitors to browse through your website regardless of what device they’re using. Here are a few ways to make your site more responsive:
• Make all buttons and links tappable.
• Include a strong call-to-action at the top of all pages.
• Optimize all photos and images for mobile.
Obviously, there is a lot more involved with making a website responsive. Talk to your web developer and see what needs to be done in order to make your website compatible with mobile devices (tablets, Smartphones, and other smart devices).
Don’t seglect your desktop site
One mistake that some business owners make is neglecting their desktop site. Even though Desktop use is becoming a thing of the past, people are still using them to search online. Make sure you cater to every visitor regardless of what device they’re using to access your website. The key to online success is providing your current customers and future customers with a seamless experience.
