Smartphones have gradually conquered the world and have become an integral part of our everyday lives. They embody convenience, speed, pragmatism and even incredible accessibility. If we think back to the beginnings of the cell phone and return to the present, it has undergone an incredible development and has now achieved the status quo of an all-rounder. Whether it’s mobile games, communicating with loved ones via chats and calls or simply surfing the Internet. A cell phone is practical, fits in any pocket and usually doesn’t need much more than a battery and an optional Internet connection to make full use of its many functions.
It is the go-to device and it is precisely this keyword that companies should pay particular attention to. Because in a time of digitalization, the focus is clearly on the Internet and digital marketing. This is also where most customers will be found, eagerly searching for services and products of all kinds. So also after you. As you can probably already guess, an increasingly popular trend has emerged that is more important than ever – also from Google‘s point of view: Mobile SEO.
For companies, this means being accessible to customers on mobile devices and setting up a website that your customers can navigate easily. To achieve this, the website urgently needs to be optimized. Those who do not take advantage of this trend are likely to lose a lot of valuable customers who can only be reached via mobile SEO. Lost customers are bad for business in many ways.
Lost leads are lost sales and less relevance on the Internet also means less visibility for your website. A vicious circle that can easily be avoided. In this article, we will explain what mobile SEO is, what makes it so important and how you can successfully implement it on your website.
This is mobile SEO
In practice, the focus of mobile SEO is on optimizing all websites so that they are suitable for mobile devices. Mobile devices in this case are smartphones and tablets. Smartphones alone differ enormously in their shape and resolution. Some models are larger, others wider, and some can even change shape. Some like to hold it in landscape format, others prefer to surf in portrait format. As you can see, there is an enormous amount to consider.
This means that everything that contributes to making mobile use as pleasant and user-friendly as possible is the basis for optimization in the area of mobile SEO. Whether page speed, responsive design, etc. With mobile SEO, users have no problems navigating through your website and finding their way around. And satisfied users bring leads.
What makes mobile SEO so important?
Let’s start with a small statistic to give you an understanding of the importance of mobile SEO. Over the years, the cell phone has become increasingly important. There was no phase in which it lost relevance, but is still a constantly growing process – and the trend is rising. A survey from 2020 also shows clear results. According to this, around 90% of the entire world population use a cell phone to go online. No PC or laptop. The cell phone remains the dominant winner. This is precisely why mobile SEO is so important.
Most of you probably already have good to great success with the desktop version of your website. Everything looks coherent, works, the users come continuously – you make sales.
A valuable ranking factor for Google
However, resting on your laurels alone is not advisable! Google shows a definite preference for mobile websites. It’s not called “Mobile first” for nothing! The websites that also have a mobile version were already rated more relevant by Google and ranked higher accordingly. After all, Google also recognizes what is important to users and its weighting is clearly based on these needs.
It has now reached the point where those who do not have AMP and are only represented with their desktop version are no longer displayed in Google’s search results. So there is a lot to lose if you don’t act. It is not enough to quickly create a mobile version. Which does not work.
But don’t panic! There are plenty of search engine optimization experts out there to take care of this, and if you’d like to try it yourself, we’ll show you what it means to make a website mobile-friendly.
The optimized mobile SEO website
First of all, we would like to let you know that you don’t have to do everything on your own. An agency or expert is also recommended if you have specific concerns. In the meantime, you can continue to do what you can and want to learn how to do. We would therefore like to show you what is important. Of course, many things are absolutely identical to desktop optimization. That’s why we focus on the key aspects that are essential for user-friendly mobile websites.
Page Speed
One of the most important factors, especially for Google, is the loading speed of the mobile website – the so-called page speed. The motto here is: “The faster, the better.” If you have a loading time of less than 1.5 seconds, for example, you are already in a very good position. After all, it is the first few seconds that decide whether a user stays on your website or leaves in frustration because it takes too long to load.
If this is the case, the bounce rate is said to be high. Google can recognize this bounce rate and will classify it as a negative user experience, which can significantly worsen your ranking. Of course we don’t want that!
That’s why you should think in advance about what a mobile website is and needs. Many cell phone users do not necessarily use the home Internet. This means that you are dependent on your mobile data and the reception that is available in this environment. While you cannot influence everything, you should limit your page speed to the most important elements on your website. Roughly speaking, this means that less is more and in terms of implementation this means, for example, not using many images or effects. This also benefits the general appearance of your site.
Responsive design
Have you ever landed on a website with your smartphone that was not or only slightly mobile optimized? If so, you may be familiar with the frustration that some elements are out of reach, while others are completely out of place. Do you stay on this page for a long time or are you looking for the next one? Another major point for the bounce rate of smartphone and tablet users is the lack of responsive design.
As already mentioned, the screens on these devices could not be more different. Fortunately, it is not rocket science to do justice to all these resolutions. Thanks to responsive design, all elements adapt optimally and provide the user with a thoroughly user-friendly interface for your website. This gives them enough incentive to stay on your website and continue searching for information and soon become customers.
User Experience (UX)
One term that has deliberately been used a lot in the course of this article is user-friendliness or user experience (UX). It is probably the most important element and should rather be understood as a result if you have successfully implemented all mobile SEO measures in the best possible way. Because nothing is more important than making the customer feel comfortable. This is not only a valuable part of the successful management of a company, but is also important for the successful management of a website.
Improving the user experience is the best way to convert your website visitors into customers. If a visitor does not have a good first impression of your website, they will have no problem leaving your website and going to your competitor. This is exactly what mobile SEO aims to avoid.
That’s why a website must be able to load quickly on a cell phone, be clearly laid out, function on the interface and offer the customer easy accessibility. Almost exclusively intuitive guidance through the individual points. Someone who has a good experience on your website will stay on it, explore it and, in the best case, become your customer.
Positive experiences encourage purchases – so make UX your goal.
Conclusion
Do you have any questions? If some things are still unclear to you, either before or during optimization, you don’t have to rack your brains alone. We would also like to help you beyond the contribution. A free initial consultation in all SEO matters, for example, only requires you to call us and make an appointment – we take care of the rest.
Otherwise, I hope you have taken something away from this article and now understand why mobile SEO is closely linked to online success. A trend that continues to gain so much popularity and, above all, support from Google, should be taken seriously and, above all, used.
Don’t miss out on potential sales when 90% of users are surfing the Internet on their smartphones.
