The search giant recently announced that from 21 April, it will be adding mobile friendly signals as a ranking factor in mobile search result listings. So, what are mobile friendly signals? Well, it’s not a cheeky grin from an iPhone 6, or a thumbs-up from a Samsung Nexus.
When Google crawls a website, their robots look for signs that a website is not using Flash software. GoogleBots favour websites that offer a readable text experience without the need to zoom, it’s about ensuring site content adjusts to fit the size of the mobile screen. The UX aspects of a website are immensely important, as the ability easily tap on the correct links is a key indicator of a mobile friendly site.
Google’s push towards mobile friendly signals as a ranking factor is right off the bat of ComScore data suggesting mobile accounting for 60 per cent of total time spent on digital in the US. This figure becomes more interesting, as we uncover mobile app usage drives 52 per cent of digital engagement.
Google already facilitates mobile app indexing in search results. Through deep- linking capabilities brands can now display mobile app content to users searching on Google. App indexing lends itself nicely to Google’s vision of ‘universal search’, where videos, images, local pages and now apps can all be optimised to appear in the search results pages.
3 ways to optimise your mobile apps:
• Naming: Make sure the target keyword is in the name of the app in a non- spammy way
• App page: The page of the app can be optimised like a page of the website. Again, don’t get too overzealous with your optimisation, but make sure your copy is written well with important keywords on the page.
• Reviews: Reviews are key to having your app rank better and encouraging people to download it. Make sure you have a review generation strategy with tactics that make users want to review the app.
These are the basics that should set you on the right path to increasing App store and SERP rankings for your app and it’s page.
As we focus on developing our online mobile presence we must not forget our off- line opportunities. ComScore (2013) claim 78 per cent of local mobile searches result in off- line purchases. This means it’s now even more important for brands, particularly those with a physical location, to re-think their mobile search strategies.
It is highly beneficial for brands to optimise their websites and directories to rank in local search engine results. Here are the key points to focus on:
• Consistent NAPL: Name, address, phone number and landing page should be consistent on your site and in directories.
• Landing pages: It is essential to have a landing page with unique address and phone number for each business location. If you have two locations you should have two separate landing pages.
• Claim Yelp and Google Business: Claim and optimise your Yelp and Google Business pages. These are two powerful local signals that show the search engines that you run a business is in a particular location.
• Optimise each directory: Make sure you write a keyword-rich description of your business, add the right categories, upload pictures, add business hours and fill out the profile as comprehensive as possible.
The key take outs for brands is to revisit their mobile search strategies and ensure prepare for 21 April. The consequences of not doing so can be severely detrimental. If websites are not mobile friendly, then there is a really strong likelihood they will lose traffic, leads, and new business.
Dayo Hazzan is the UK business director at Lowe Profero