Google’s John Mueller announced several updates regarding the mobile-first index at SMX Munich today.
Team members Brent Csutoras and Vahan Petrosyan were present to share key details. Here’s a summary:
Google Will Notify Users When a Site is Moved to Mobile-First Index
Contrary to previous statements, Google will notify webmasters via Search Console when a site transitions to the mobile-first index. Google has begun moving sites to the new index, and while no notifications have been sent yet, you can look for these indicators:
- Increased activity from the mobile version of Googlebot
- A noticeable drop in desktop traffic
A drop in desktop traffic shouldn’t be concerning; Mueller mentioned that the decrease is likely negligible.
Still Moving Individual Sites That Are "Ready"
Google will continue to move sites that are most prepared for the mobile-first index. A site optimized for mobile search will be ready. Responsive and AMP content is preferred.
Markup on Mobile Sites is Important
Markup on mobile sites is crucial as Google will no longer reference desktop versions. Ensure that both mobile and desktop versions of your site have the same markup.
A Good Desktop Site is Better Than a Bad Mobile Site
If you’re not ready for mobile-first, don’t rush to create a mediocre mobile site. Stick with your good desktop site until you have a quality mobile-friendly version ready. Content relevancy is key and can still appear in the new index even if not mobile-friendly.
Presentation Highlights
Here are some highlights from this morning’s keynote presentation:
Google’s steps to mobile indexing
How Google determines whether a site is ready for the mobile-first index
Are you fully ready? Or maybe ready?
Google’s next steps
Specific notes for separate mobile sites
Track mobile indexing with PHP code
For further consideration
