Google is completely shaking up how search works, offering priority in search for mobile-friendly sites on mobile devices.
The changes could spell as much as 50 percent less traffic for websites that are not mobile friendly, however, the changes were inevitable with the emphasis on mobile that there is today.
The changes will have an impact on millions of people, with Google being the largest and most used search engines. Those that will particularly be affected are Web developers.
Developers will need to quickly make their websites mobile-friendly if they aren't already, however, in today's Web environment, most top websites should be mobile friendly anyway. For those that aren't, the change is long overdue. Luckily, Google isn't leaving developers completely in the dark and is offering a tool for developers to check whether their websites are mobile-friendly or not.
Developers also need to remember that the changes to search impact individual webpages rather than websites in general. What this means is that for developers who have some pages on their websites that they want to be accessible by mobile, they can change those pages and not the entire design of the website.
Google is also offering another tool in Webmaster Tools called the "Mobile Usability Report," which essentially shows developers if there are any errors in how their websites work on mobile devices. If there are no errors, the tool will tell them that.
Of course, the changes won't only impact developers. Consumers will also notice differences in their searches. The change in algorithm will essentially mean that users on mobile will not run into websites that are not mobile-friendly anywhere near as much, which is certainly a good thing. Trying to navigate a non-mobile-friendly website on a mobile device is frustrating, to say the least.
As mobile becomes a platform used by more and more people, these changes will become more and more necessary. Google knows that desktop users sill exist, however, and has made sure that the changes will not affect those using computers. Google has said that it might take up to a week for users to notice a difference.
According to reports, only 38 percent of business websites are currently optimized for mobile use. The changes in Google's algorithms should give these businesses a firm wake-up call, and will essentially force them to create a mobile-friendly site if they don't want to miss out on a lot of potential business.
