Google mobile friendly. The new Google mobile-friendly algorithm: what has changed in a month. How to Bypass Google Test with MobileCheat

On February 26, 2015, a post appeared on the Webmaster Blog: "Mobile search ranking results will be updated on April 21." It was about a new algorithm - mobile-friendly. We wrote more about this earlier.

Let me briefly remind you what kind of algorithm this is - mobile-friendly.

The site is either friendly to mobile devices, or not, the third is not given.

Google's new algorithm allows mobile-friendly sites to rank higher in mobile searches.

Its idea is simple: smartphone users should see mobile-friendly sites in search results. It is logical, convenient and correct.

You can check if your site is mobile friendly.

3 Important Facts You Should Know About the New Algorithm

1. The algorithm affects search results in all languages ​​around the world.

2. Mobile-friendly evaluates individual pages, not the entire site. If only some of the pages on your site are adapted for mobile devices, they are the ones that have every chance to take best places in issue.

3. Google checks pages for mobile friendliness in real time. That is, on average, it takes from 3 to 72 hours from the moment the site is corrected until changes are made to the friendliness information of this site in the Google webmaster. For large sites and deeply nested pages, of course, more time will be required.

Almost a month has passed since April 21, since Google announced the launch of the algorithm. Let's see what has changed since then.

Desktop issuance was not affected

Some change related to the algorithm mobile friendly in the desktop issue, we did not notice. This means that from computers, tablets, etc. the output remained unchanged, and the algorithm, as expected, had no effect on it. The changes are related only to the issuance on mobile smartphones.

There are no global changes in mobile issuance yet

At a conference in Munich Zineb Ait Bahaji(Zineb Ait Bahajji), Google's Search Quality Specialist, said that the impact of the mobile-friendly algorithm would be stronger than Penguin and Panda.

In fact, we haven't noticed anything like that yet in mobile Russian-language search results. There is some movement in mobile search results after the launch of the algorithm, estimated at around 5-8%, but not the global "mobilgeddon" as many expected. We will not undertake to announce the exact numbers yet, we are still studying and analyzing =)

The farther from the first place, the more the mobile and desktop versions differ

So far, it is clearly noticeable that there are many more sites marked “Mobile-friendly” (most likely, webmasters, on the eve of the launch of the new algorithm, simply undertook to adapt their sites), they occupy better places. The sites that are most relevant to the query are still in the first places, even if they do not have mobile optimization.

If today we compare desktop and mobile results for the query "buy a spring for a car":

The first 3 positions are identical, and vlad-springs.com is ranked 4th in mobile search results. And the farther from the first page, the greater the difference in SERPs.

A similar picture can be observed for the vast majority of requests.

In the TOP-10 mobile issuance, if there is a subsidence for some sites, then it is insignificant. But the farther into the forest from 1st place, the greater the difference.

The Google Webmaster Blog says that mobile search results will change gradually and that a variety of ranking signals are still being used.

Perhaps that is why we have not noticed any big shuffles in the search results, and everything is still ahead. One thing is for sure: if the site is adapted for mobile, then it has every chance to take a slightly better position.

And what's with the bump?

A similar picture is observed by our colleagues in the English-language mobile search, although judging by the study, the changes affected the English-language mobile search results more strongly.

1. Site dict.cc

2.boxofficemojo.com

According to Google, all of these pages are not optimized for mobile.

Whereas for sites adapted for mobile, the picture is just the opposite:

3 encyclopedia.com

As you can see from the screenshots, sites that are not optimized for mobile have seen mobile traffic drop, while friendly sites have increased.

Want to get traffic from Google? Make your website mobile-friendly!

If now it’s not so scary that your site is not optimized for mobile (if the traffic from mobile was not high). In the near future, your site will most likely be replaced by competitors in mobile search, and you will only dream of mobile traffic.

You don't have to be a bigot to understand that optimizing your site for mobile devices is becoming more and more relevant.

How to make your website mobile-friendly?

Learn how to make your website mobile-friendly by visiting our free webinar Key Trend of 2015: Communicating with Mobile Consumers . At the webinar, we will analyze what is better: a mobile site or a mobile application, how to improve mobility and at the same time not make mistakes in SEO.

P.S. According to Ericsson research, the number of smartphone users will increase 2.2 times by 2019, while mobile traffic will grow 6 times.

P.P.S. Bing has also begun labeling mobile-friendly websites for mobile devices.

P.P.P.S. Zineb Ait Bahaji estimates that about 50% of all Google searches are on mobile devices.

For your projects, you probably noticed a long time ago that the number of mobile users is constantly growing. For some, the trend is less noticeable, and for some projects this figure increases by 2 times or more every year. According to LiveInternet, more than 50% of traffic on the Russian Internet now comes from mobile devices. By the way, many readers of this blog have been complaining for a long time that there is no mobile version 🙂 which will, of course, be fixed in the near future.

This fact of mobilization cannot be ignored by search platforms either. Gradually, they give advantages in mobile search to those sites that are adapted to user devices.

At first, Google gave sites a mark in snippets that they would be displayed correctly on mobile phones.

Google also created a tool to help webmasters to check the correct display of the site on mobile devices:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

On April 21, Google launched a new algorithm, in the West it was called Mobilegeddon. Now the successful completion of the Mobile Friendly test is one of the seo factors taken into account by Google. So far, there have been no major changes in the issuance, but you can prepare now.

How to make a website responsive according to Google? The secret is simple - you need to set a task for your programmers / layout designers. Well, if there is no time to wait, then ... you can use MobileCheat 🙂

In fact, this is an untested technology, it is not known what it will lead to in the future, so use it only at your own peril and risk. At least a series of tests can be done here.

How to Bypass Google Test with MobileCheat

You only need to do two things:

1. Add the viewport meta tag to the code.

2. Close the robot access to CSS files or the folder where they are located via robots.txt

For example, this is how my blog passes the default test:

When closing the CSS, the picture changes:

It seems that nothing has changed on the site, but the test results are completely different. By the way, I like to turn off CSS on some sites to make them more convenient to view and use 🙂 therefore, it’s a completely justified scheme. But it is presented for informational purposes only.

What do you think about this? Will Google count this as a reciprocal knight's move, or will it think it through in advance and immediately checkmate the site? 🙂

The Google search engine has prepared another surprise for site owners - Google Mobile Friendly an algorithm according to which sites with adaptive design will have a higher ranking priority (placed in the search results higher), and will also be marked - "For mobile devices" or "Mobile-friendly". It is assumed that this decision will allow the Google search engine to give users suitable sites for their mobile devices.

According to research from Google - more than 55% of users search engine make purchases using mobile devices. Therefore, the owners of Russian online stores should pay attention to the segment of mobile devices, besides, in 2014 Google increased its share in search traffic from 26.9% to 32.1% and, due to the fact that it is the supplier of Android OC (the most popular mobile operating system in Russia), will certainly continue to increase its advantage, especially given Yandex's not entirely successful experiments aimed at commercializing the issuance.

New algorithm Google Mobile Friendly will start working from April 21 immediately in all languages. That is, from now on, sites without a good mobile version (not passing the Google Mobile Friendly Test) may not be shown in Google mobile search! So, for example, an online store that is now shown in the TOP 10 of Google may immediately be in the top 20-30, and site owners may lose up to half of the audience from Google search.

An example of a Google Mobile-Friendly site: http://demo.simpla-cms.ru

Therefore, we invite website and online store owners to free consultation. We will check your site for compliance Google Mobile Friendly Test and give recommendations for correcting errors.

Mobile search is one of the key trends of the future, but, surprisingly, this innovation came as a surprise to many site owners, despite the fact that Google has repeatedly announced search on mobile devices as a priority for development.

And now the moment of truth has arrived: Google has announced changes that will significantly affect all mobile search from April 21, 2015. So Google Search will begin to rank higher those sites that are adapted for mobile devices.

It's safe to say that the new ranking factor is great news for a mobile search audience that is getting bigger every day.

Consequently, Google's algorithms have adapted to the new interaction model, and mobile device users will soon get the most relevant and timely results in search results.

Who will be affected by changes in mobile search?

Google's innovation may help small sites move up in the search results, but for the big online players, 6 weeks is too short a time to make all the necessary changes, and no one knows the scale of the consequences after April 21st. Such uncertainty does not add optimism, given the specific approach of the search giant to motivation.

Against the backdrop of mass hysteria and a flurry of letters from web agencies to their clients with a message that their sites now vitally need adaptive design or a mobile version, such news for participants, if only it could become a driver for accelerated adaptation of Internet resources for mobile devices, today, given the economic realities and the speed of most companies' reaction to changes, the answer should be expected approximately as follows: “Thank you! We heard something similar 5 years ago. We are still thinking.”

Thus, changes to one degree or another will affect everyone. But not everyone will respond to them. Let's now figure out what data you need to collect and analyze first of all in order to understand what exactly the news from Google is for you - an opportunity or a threat?

Assess the competition in mobile search

For some this is obvious, for some it is not: if your competitors do not have a mobile version of the site or a responsive design, then you will not lose positions in the search results. And vice versa: if your resource is the only one who ignored mobile platforms, then traffic from phones and tablets will go to competitors.

Take a look at the search terms that visitors use to find your site on mobile devices. Data is best collected from Google Webmaster Tools, it provides the most detailed information about keywords, their frequency and CTR: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

Select Search traffic - Search queries - Filter - Search: Mobile.

When you see requests from mobile devices, then check the top search phrases for competition, namely, search results for search query competitor sites and whether they have a mobile version. A simple table in Google Docs or Excel will help you make a comparative analysis, fix the main aspects and draw conclusions.

Test the site and make it mobile friendly

If instead of a possible increase in traffic, you find the risk of losing it, study the recommendations from Google. Not only beginners, but also experienced webmasters will find here useful information on creating web pages that will be conveniently viewed on mobile devices.

Checking the site for mobile-friendly


Check if your pages are user-friendly for smartphones and tablets. Improve the site if necessary.

CMS setup

It describes how to set up site configuration for different types of devices, ensure that the search engine has access to these settings, and avoid common mistakes.

Page loading speed

Be sure to make sure mobile pages display quickly. Users are annoyed if they have to wait a long time for content to load.

Finally

Now that you have determined how your site will be affected by the new Google search ranking factor, make the necessary changes. Especially if you are a representative of a small online resource, then make every effort and implement changes in the short term. Large online resources also need to include this item in their mid-term plan and finally become friendly towards mobile users.

Mobile is changing the world. Today, everyone has smartphones with them, constantly communicating and looking for information. In many countries, the number of smartphones has surpassed the number of personal computers; having a mobile-friendly website has become a critical part of having an online presence.

If you haven't made your website mobile-friendly, you should. The majority of users coming to your site are likely to be using a mobile device.

  1. If you don't know if your website is mobile-friendly, take the Mobile Friendly Test now.
  2. If you used content management software like Wordpress to build your website, check out our guide to customizing your website software .
  3. If you"re technical enough to do it yourself, check out our Mobile SEO Guide .

Why make a website mobile-friendly?

If not mobile-friendly, a site can be difficult to view and use on a mobile device. A non-mobile-friendly site requires users to pinch or zoom in order to read the content. Users find this a frustrating experience and are likely to abandon the site. Alternatively, the mobile-friendly version is readable and immediately usable.

How much does it cost to build a site for mobile devices?

It varies. For example, here are some of the possibilities:

  • Going mobile can be free if you can select a responsive template or theme for your website. A responsive template or theme adapts the display to the visitor no matter if they are using a desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.
  • Going mobile can be free if you have the technical skills to build your mobile site. Check out Web Fundamentals.
  • Going mobile will likely cost time and money if you need to hire a developer. Furthermore, if your website was created several years ago, a new developer might recommend starting from scratch (so you"ll be paying for a complete makeover). This is because there are new web development techniques and themes (or page templates) that may make it more efficient to re-do -- rather than modify -- your site.
    • Built with Flash
    • Using published e-commerce platforms

The good news is that if you start from scratch there may be an existing template or theme that you can utilize. You may be able to reuse your existing content which can hopefully save time and money.