Google is experimenting with one of its biggest changes to date: a mobile first search index.
This means that the engine will prioritize mobile content in its results. Reporter Karissa Bell expands on Google’s mobile first initiative in her Mashable article, “Google is Changing Search in a Big Way.”
Google’s current search engine scans over 60 trillion web pages and hyperlinks. The data is categorized into a massive index based on hundreds of different factors and complex algorithms, leaving you with only the most relevant results.
With the new update, Google will rank pages based on their mobile content. According to Product Manager Doatam Phan, “Although our search index will continue to be a single index of websites and apps, our algorithms will eventually primarily use the mobile version of a site’s content to rank pages from that site.” The biggest implication of this change is that sites without mobile versions will have a weaker search presence. Google’s message is clear: now is the time to adapt to mobile.
Google is still testing the change, and it will take some time to be fully implemented. In the meantime, head over to their blog for helpful tips to make sure your website is mobile ready.
