A few years have passed since Google introduced the mobile-first indexing approach. Today, most websites have adopted this change, making it a familiar aspect of SEO rather than a trending topic.
In 2021, Google Search Advocate John Mueller captured the essence of this shift in one of his tweets. He mentioned that mobile-first indexing has become a normal part of life and does not expect significant fluctuations as most sites have already transitioned.
Understanding that mobile-first indexing is now routine, it’s important for SEOs to grasp its history and current status. Initially announced years ago, it has paved the way for Google to emphasize Page Experience as a ranking factor, which heavily involves mobile usability.
Mobile-First Indexing Explained:
There aren’t two separate indexes; instead, Google uses the mobile version of a webpage predominantly for its ranking and indexing. In 2018, Google clarified that mobile-first indexing means the URL of the mobile-friendly version of a site is the one indexed. Regardless of whether different URLs exist for mobile and desktop versions, the mobile content is what gets indexed.
Transition to Mobile-First Indexing:
Google began the rollout of mobile-first indexing at the end of 2017 and expanded it in March 2018, prompting websites to prepare. Despite progress, by 2020, not all sites had made the switch, leading Google to delay the complete transition until March 2021. Various challenges like robots meta tags, lazy-loading, and mobile assets contributed to these delays.
For newer websites (post-July 1, 2019), mobile-first indexing is enabled by default. Google found that most modern sites were already optimized for mobile, hence the change.
Mobile Usability Vs. Mobile-First Indexing:
Google’s John Mueller clarified that a site could fail a mobile usability test but still be indexed under mobile-first indexing. These two concepts operate separately. For example, a poorly navigable PDF could still be indexed because its content is intact.
Ensuring Mobile and Desktop Experience Consistency:
In January 2020, Google emphasized the need for a consistent user experience across mobile and desktop versions. Key best practices include ensuring content, meta tags, and structured data are the same across both versions.
Google cautions that serving different content on mobile versus desktop could negatively impact traffic because it limits the information Google can access. Thus, having identical primary content on both versions is crucial.
Mobile-First Indexing Best Practices:
To ensure a seamless user experience, Google highlights several best practices for mobile-first indexing. These include verifying both mobile and desktop sites in Search Console, ensuring error page statuses match, and maintaining accurate hreflang links.
Google stresses that creating a mobile version of a site is crucial, although not mandatory for being indexed. This ensures the best experience for users and aligns with evolving SEO trends.
Page Experience Update and Its Intersection with Mobile-First:
The Page Experience update, launched for mobile in 2021, is integral to this discussion. It evaluates how users perceive their interaction with a page, incorporating Core Web Vitals like loading performance, visual stability, and interactivity.
Core Web Vitals underscores the need for a fast-loading mobile site, a principle also emphasized in mobile-first indexing best practices. Google provides tools like PageSpeed Insights to help webmasters assess and improve site performance.
For comprehensive content indexing and a positive user experience, it’s vital to adhere to these mobile-first indexing guidelines and regularly monitor your site’s performance using tools like Search Console. Maintaining a mobile-responsive website is not just about ranking; it’s about ensuring users have an enjoyable visit.
By focusing on both indexing practices and Page Experience standards, you can optimize your site for better performance and user satisfaction.
