Brand Matters: Why B2B Brands Should Care About April 21
The date of Google’s Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Rollout
We’ve been watching the shift toward mobile usage among our B2B clients for several years. In fact, according to last year’s IDG Global Mobile Survey, business executives engage in mobile search and business activity at all hours and days. A brand’s digital assets must serve audiences 24/7, and not just 9 to 5 anymore. According to the survey, mobile devices are preferred over the standard desktop for business professional conducting research after, and even during, “regular business hours:”
- Â 92 percent of executives own a smartphone used for business.
- 77 percent of executives use their smartphone to research a product or service for their business.
What Happens on April 21?Â
Google recently addressed the upcoming algorithm updates on its Blog:
Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.
Mobile Exceeded PC Internet Usage For the First Time Last Year
According to a recent comScore report, last year, the amount of time U.S. viewers spent on the Internet from a mobile device exceeded time spent using the Internet from a desktop. Google is essentially recognizing the trend toward mobile device usage in search, and is making adjustments to its algorithm to acknowledge this trend. The new algorithm update will use mobile-friendly factors to determine search results and ranking. If your website is already optimized for mobile devices, you can expect to experience some upward movement in your search rankings. And sites that are not optimized are likely to suffer.
Is Your Site Mobile-Friendly?
Google will use a variety of factors to determine whether a site is mobile-friendly. A site that is deemed mobile-friendly by Google will have compatible software for mobile devices, adequately spaced links, properly-sized content that eliminates the need for scrolling, and readable text that does not require the use of the zoom function.
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How to Optimize Your Website for Mobile Viewers
The best way to build or retool your website is by using “responsive design.” With a responsive design, your website will “respond” to any device, and will automatically adjust content to fit the screen size of a smart phone, tablet or desktop unit. This will enable viewers to have the same brand experience and functionality, regardless of what device they are using to inbound to your site. Responsive design also eliminates the need to create separate websites for say a mobile viewer, which was still a common method of development even two years ago. With responsive design, content can be managed from a singular database, making site updates both efficient and more cost-effective.
What You Can Do Right Now
Shifting to a responsive design does not necessarily mean a complete rebuild of your website and content assets. If you currently have a website that is not optimized for mobile, Delia Associates’ website development team can work with you to develop a website content transfer, taking existing site content and assets and reconfiguring them in a responsive website design. We have done this for a number of clients in the just the past few months in anticipation to the April 21 Google algorithm switch.
To take the next step, simply give us a call at 908-534-9044 or fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you promptly to discuss an approach that best works for you.
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