On July 9, 2018, Google rolled out the mobile page speed update making page speed a ranking factor for mobile results. Google claimed that this only affected the slowest mobile sites, and there was no evidence of major mobile rankings shifts.
Is your site optimized for mobile devices? The world has rapidly shifted from favouring the use of desktop computers to mobile devices, and roughly 60 per cent of all internet traffic now comes from smartphones and tablets.
Here are five ways you can optimize your site for mobile speed:
Image and video availability: Ensure all image and video content is visible on mobile devices. If the video player used is not responsive, it may load at full size when accessed by a mobile user making the video too large for them to view. If your site is using older coding methods or incompatible files, images and videos may not load at all on mobile devices.
Visible text: Sites should have all text readable immediately, without requiring zooming or scrolling to read it. A responsive site will do this automatically.
Clickability and interactivity: On sites optimized for a browser, buttons can be small, since users rely on a mouse or trackpad to click them. On mobile devices, these buttons need to be large and easy to click with a finger. Dropdown menus and other interactive elements can be quite challenging to use on a mobile device. In these instances, the layout in the mobile format is developed to be easy for users to scroll and select options.
Loading speed: Page loading speed is important for user experience and search rankings. On mobile devices, speed is even more important. Mobile devices typically have slower loading capabilities than desktops or laptops. If loading times are significant enough, a user could abandon their visit. Loading times can be improved, sometimes dramatically, by reducing the amount of content on pages, shrinking images, or using a caching plugin.
User interface: A site layout and design takes time to plan to ensure it is as effective as possible, adjusting it so users feel comfortable engaging with the site on a mobile platform.
Adopting a responsive design for your site, using the points above, will address Google’s Speed Update and deliver a much-improved experience to your mobile site visitors.
We can help you get your website up to speed for mobile devices. Contact us for more information.