Online marketing is not a one-time effort, nor is it a simple, single strategy. Marketing online takes a number of different approaches and efforts that need constant maintenance for them to be as effective as possible. Aside from search engine optimization strategies (SEO) and pay per click, businesses also need to make sure that their websites are optimized for mobile. Here’s why.
1. Google Likes Mobile Friendly Sites
SEO, of course, refers to tactics that help a website rank more highly in the search engine results. Since Google owns between 65% and 70% of the search engine market share, that is the search engine to please. Google likes mobile friendly websites. Google’s goal is to offer their end user a good experience, and when people are searching using their mobile phones they want to see mobile friendly sites.
2. People Hate Unresponsive Websites
The reason Google favors and rewards websites that are mobile friendly is that users like them. Any SEO company will tell you that people simply don’t like websites that can’t be viewed from a phone. It’s pretty difficult to view any un-optimized website on a four inch screen, and it’s even harder to navigate. Do yourself a favor and give the people what they want, which is a responsive website that can be easily viewed across all devices.
3. Most Local Searches Are Done on Mobile
Most local searches are done on mobile devices when people are on the go, so a mobile site can actually boost your local SEO. One of the benefits of SEO is that your website will rank higher in the search engine results, but mobile is a little different. There are 645 million local page views a week in the U.S. on average, and the number of page hits from non-PC (read: mobile) devices more than quadrupled in 2012.
Optimizing a website for mobile is essential these days, so if you haven’t done it already your rankings are probably hurting because of it. Website consulting services and an SEO company can both help you get your website back on track and hopefully on page one.
Do you see any benefits of having a mobile friendly website? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section below.