Google recently announced and enacted changes to its search tools. The change is primarily to prioritize mobile. In other words, the search tool is now mobile-first. The question then becomes, why is Google changing its search priorities, and what does this mean for businesses and users? Here are some more details about why Google is prioritizing mobile searches.
Google search is a tool that works through the use of ‘bots.’ These bots are responsible for trawling through the web and sorting and categorizing websites based on the content, location, and other factors associated with the site to give users the most relevant sites possible to their searches. Google has long used the same algorithms and search tools for all search platforms.
However, the newest Google search updates will move Google in a new direction, creating an entirely different mobile-only search index for people performing Google searches on mobile devices. This separate mobile search index is becoming the primary search index for the Google search tool. Basically, this means that mobile users are going to get the most frequently updated search results and that people who use desktop search tools will see different search results that are possibly not as well-filtered.
The primary reason for these changes is simple. Google has found that the vast majority of the searches performed with Google were performed on mobile devices. Because there were so many people using Google search on mobile devices, Google wants to make the user experience on smartphones and tablets as responsive as possible.
Another reason for the mobile-first priority is that people searching Google on mobile devices often look for quick info about business hours, addresses, or the weather, or for immediate answers to whatever other questions they might have. Google wants to ensure that these users get what they need when they need it. And of course, a mobile-first search tool will help ensure that the sites that do appear in a mobile search are optimized for mobile devices so that they load quickly and correctly.
With these facts and reasons in mind, you can better understand why Google search is transitioning to a mobile-first platform and how this may affect you and your business. To make sure your business is ready for this transition, contact us for further help and guidance.
