Mark your calendar everyone. On April 21, Google will implement the use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This move, according to Google, was made due to the fact that more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet. This has ultimately led to Google adjusting its algorithms to adapt to the users’ pattern.
The updates Google implemented in the past were meant for the sites to be configured properly and to be viewable in modern devices. Now, the next big step is to bring every site to the direction the future is heading: Mobile devices will be the main method to access the internet.
To help users discover more mobile-friendly content, Google made the following announcements:
More mobile-friendly websites in search results
Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.
To get help with making a mobile-friendly site, check out our guide to mobile-friendly sites. If you’re a webmaster, you can get ready for this change by using the following tools to see how Googlebot views your pages:
- If you want to test a few pages, you can use the Mobile-Friendly Test.
- If you have a site, you can use your Webmaster Tools account to get a full list of mobile usability issues across your site using the Mobile Usability Report.
More relevant app content in search results
Starting today (February 26), we will begin to use information from indexed apps as a factor in ranking for signed-in users who have the app installed. As a result, we may now surface content from indexed apps more prominently in search. To find out how to implement App Indexing, which allows us to surface this information in search results, have a look at our step-by-step guide on the developer site.
Check out the original announcement here.