Breaking: Google Announces New Mobile-Friendly Labels, Potential New Ranking Factor

Yesterday Google announced the roll out of new “Mobile-friendly” labels in search results on mobile devices to help users find websites that are easy to use on their device (and avoid sites that aren’t).

Image source: Google

This is yet another announcement by Google to provide a better user experience, and to encourage (perhaps even strong arm) webmasters to follow suit. The search giant also indicated that they are experimenting with mobile-friendliness as a search ranking criteria as well, giving website owners even more reason to invest in an effective mobile UI. Will your site earn the “Mobile-friendly” badge? Here are a few places to start:

• Test your site on the new Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
• Get more details from the mobile usability testing tool in Webmaster Tools.
• Review Google’s mobile friendly guidelines.

The Mobile-Friendly Test is very easy to use – all you need is a URL: If your site is not mobile friendly you will see some basic error information. The mobile usability testing tool in Webmaster Tools is located in Search Traffic > Mobile Usability. Error detail are more specific than the Mobile-Friendly Test, with the number of errors detected on the domain shown. Clicking on each error provides a list of specific URLs with that particular issue. If SEO is important to your brand (and if you want to keep modern, multi-device users happy), we strongly encourage using the above tools to identify any mobile usability issues your site may have. Deploying fixes for your mobile usability problems will depend on a variety of factors. If you have any specific questions or concerns about your website, feel free to reach out to Profound Strategy.

Nate Dame

CEO and Founder

Nate is the founder and CEO of Profound Strategy, a results-oriented SEO consultancy trusted by forward-thinking companies, including a few of the world's largest B2B and technology brands. Profound Strategy builds holistic SEO strategies, supports internal teams, and offers full-service execution to create an organic search presence that generates significant revenue.

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