Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Mobile-Friendly Web Pages Get Higher Ranking on Google Search

    By
    Jaikumar Vijayan
    -
    April 22, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      mobile search

      Web pages that have not been specifically optimized for viewing on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices began receiving a lower ranking on Google Search on April 21.

      The company has tweaked its search engine algorithms to include a Web page’s mobile friendliness as a measure when returning results in response to search queries. Google will continue to also look at multiple other factors when considering Web page ranking,

      The intent of the search query will still play a major role in the manner in which results are displayed. So even a Web page that is not ranked as being very mobile-friendly by Google could still end up being ranked highly simply by virtue of its content quality and relevancy. But mobile friendliness will be a big factor.

      The change specifically affects Google searches on mobile devices in all languages globally. It does not affect desktop or laptop searches. The impact of the change will take about a week to be fully felt by Website owners.

      The goal is to make it easier for mobile device users to find content that does not have to be tapped, zoomed or horizontally scrolled on their mobile device in order to read it, Google said in a blog post announcing the news.

      Importantly, the new rules apply only to Web pages, not entire Websites. “For instance, if ten of your site’s pages are mobile-friendly, but the rest of your pages aren’t, only the ten mobile-friendly pages can be positively impacted,” the company explained.

      Google’s decision to tweak its algorithm will likely have little impact on Website owners who have been proactive about making their site mobile-friendly, said Charles King, an analyst at Pund-IT. Mobile commerce and payment processing firms, for instance, have already embraced the fundamental changes on consumer behavior that Google is working to address with its latest change.

      “However, businesses that are approaching the Internet more passively or are using their company Websites as little more than online placeholders could find themselves increasingly marginalized,” King cautioned.

      “It isn’t unlike the dynamics of local shopping where some stores or locales become more popular, busy and profitable than established and complacent retailers,” he said.

      Google’s new ranking system for mobile searches was expected. Several weeks ago, the company announced that June 21 would be the day when it cut over to the new system, and it has been urging Website owners to be more proactive for several months.

      Over the past several weeks and months, the company has published several pointers and tips for Webmasters looking to mobile-enable their site but are unsure where to begin. The guides offer advice on a wide range of topics, such as how Website owners can customize a site that uses a content management system like Joomla, how they can customize home page and site navigation, and how to enable easier form entry on a mobile device.

      Several weeks ago, Google published a list of mistakes that Website owners tend to make when serving up content to mobile devices. Included in the list are such common problems as faulty redirects, mobile-only error messages and blocked images. The company also offers Website owners an opportunity to quickly test their site to see how it measures against Google’s definition of a mobile-friendly site.

      Jaikumar Vijayan
      Vijayan is an award-winning independent journalist and tech content creation specialist covering data security and privacy, business intelligence, big data and data analytics.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×