April 21, 2015.

To most, it’s just your average Tuesday. To those in the SEO world, it’s “Mobilegeddon.”

If you haven’t heard, Google announced its newest algorithm change is coming, and this time it will use mobile friendliness as a ranking factor. According to the announcement, it will have “a significant impact” and is expected to cause more waves than even the most major algorithm updates to date (Panda affected about 12% of queries back in 2011).

In short: if Google doesn’t see your site as mobile-friendly, you will likely see a dip in mobile search results.

Now, note that I said mobile search results; this will not affect desktop searches.

But just because your rankings may hold up on desktop does not mean you should cross your fingers and ride this one out. It’s reported that 53% of the time spent on the web comes from a tablet or smartphone. With that kind of percentage, your website’s traffic is bound to feel the burn.

Don’t fret; there’s still some time. Here’s what you need to know before the big day.

How can I tell if my site is already mobile-friendly?

There is a variety of quick and easy ways to see if your site is mobile-friendly. First, you can simply do a search on your smart phone and check for a gray “Mobile-friendly” line before your site’s URL, as shown below:

Second, you can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. Just add in a URL and you’ll see exactly how Googlebot reads your site. You’ll get a very straightforward answer (for a change); either your page is mobile-friendly or it is not. If it turns out your page doesn’t make the cut, you’ll get some specifics on what exactly is holding it back.

Lastly, you can use Webmaster Tools’ Mobile Usability report (found under “Search Traffic”). This will come in handy because it’s important to note that just because you have a mobile-friendly homepage does not mean your entire site is dubbed mobile-friendly; it’s a page-by-page deal. This feature will allow you to quickly identify any random pages that aren’t mobile-friendly and tell you why.   

What does Google see as mobile-UNfriendly?

As I said, both the Mobile-Friendly Test and Webmaster Tools will let you know what exactly is hindering a page’s mobile-friendly game. Here are some factors:

  • Links or buttons too close together
  • Font size too small
  • Viewport not configured
  • Unplayable content (such as Flash)
  • Blocked JavaScript, CSS and image files

Basically, if there’s a chance a human will find your site annoying, then Google probably will too.

The best advice, as always, is to focus on the user experience. While Google is certainly making the mobile-friendly factor a bigger deal, keep in mind that it’s just one of many—over 200— ranking signals. Top-notch, helpful, relevant, and unique content will always reign supreme.

About the Author

Laura is the Content Director at PCG. She likes to sew, read fiction, go on day trips, and doodle on her iPad. She is also a "Diamond Girl" (aka more than your average Neil Diamond fan).