Has something like this ever happened to you? Aside from the fact that it’s annoying as a user, think about what it’s doing to your business as a site owner. That’s one reason why avoiding intrusive pop-ups is an SEO best practice. Another is that they could cost you a ranking boost in Google.

Let’s explore intrusive interstitials as No. 3 in our series on Google’s page experience ranking update that rolled out between mid-June and early September 2021.

• What are intrusive interstitials?
• Why do intrusive interstitials matter?
• How to avoid intrusive interstitials
• FAQ: How can I avoid using intrusive interstitials while maintaining a positive user experience on my website?

What Are Intrusive Interstitials?

An intrusive interstitial is essentially a webpage pop-up that makes it hard for a mobile user to access the content they want.

When Google first talked about this issue in 2016, it gave some examples of intrusive interstitials:

• A pop-up that covers the main content immediately after a person navigates to a webpage from the search results or while they are looking through the page.
• A standalone interstitial that a person has to dismiss before accessing the main content.
• A webpage with above-the-fold content similar to a standalone interstitial where the original content is inline underneath.

Pop-ups that are OK include:

• Interstitials for legal obligations (like cookie usage notices or age verifications)
• Login dialogs on sites, such as to access private content
• Banners that are easily dismissible and don’t take up too much space on the webpage

When the interstitial pops up matters. Google’s intrusive interstitials ban “is essentially focused on that moment when a user comes to your website” because that’s a bad user experience. A pop-up may be “perfectly fine” if it isn’t the “first thing” a user sees and if the user experience is preserved. We’ve known this all along, but it’s nice to have John Mueller state it for the record in a Google SEO Office Hours hangout on August 20, 2021.

Why Do Intrusive Interstitials Matter?

Intrusive website pop-ups create a bad user experience for mobile users. Since this can harm your website rankings, they’re also bad for SEO.

In 2017, Google rolled out an intrusive interstitial penalty. Google explained that:

Starting today, pages where content is not easily accessible to a user on the transition from the mobile search results may not rank as high.

This applies only to pages that mobile users visit directly from a Google search result (not subsequent webpages visited on the same site from the original page). Regardless, it’s a good best practice to avoid annoying your visitors.

Google reminded readers that this is just one signal and, as always, great content will prevail:

As we said, this new signal is just one of hundreds of signals that are used in ranking and the intent of the search query is still a very strong signal, so a page may still rank highly if it has great, relevant content.

With interstitials being a factor in Google’s new page experience algorithm update, it’s a reminder that intrusive pop-ups have no place in a mobile-first world.

How to Avoid Intrusive Interstitials

You want to avoid intrusive-pop ups by aligning your website with the mobile user experience.

Google offers in-depth guidance on creating a mobile-friendly site here, including how to avoid common mistakes with pop-ups.

Luckily, you can still achieve your website goals without hindering people’s page experience. Keep these mobile-friendly navigation practices for pop-ups in mind:

1. Use pop-up banners that don’t take up a lot of space. This may mean reducing the size of the elements or placing a banner on the side or bottom of the page.
2. Make sure users can easily dismiss the pop-up. That “X” should be clearly visible and easy to press.
3. Apply a delay before the pop-up renders. Make sure visitors can access the main content right away when they come from the search results. This can be a time delay or a scrolling delay. Or you can show the pop-up on exit instead of entry to the page.
4. Segment your pop-ups by the audience to make the message more relevant to them. For example, new versus returning visitors.
5. If a user closes a pop-up once, make sure that it doesn’t continue to display or follow them around the website. Showing it to them again at a later date (like a week later) should be fine.
6. Make sure your pop-up doesn’t slow your page load time.

It comes down to courtesy. When designing website elements like interstitials, make sure your site delivers the kind of page experience that satisfies visitors and Google.

For more details on the update, keep reading our page experience series:

1. What’s the Page Experience Update?
2. How to Make a Mobile-Friendly Site
3. Intrusive Interstitials & Why They’re Bad for SEO
4. HTTPS for Users and Ranking
5. Core Web Vitals Overview
6. Core Web Vitals: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
7. Core Web Vitals: FID (First Input Delay)
8. Core Web Vitals: CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)

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FAQ: How can I avoid using intrusive interstitials while maintaining a positive user experience on my website?

Optimizing user experience has become paramount. As websites aim to engage visitors and convey their messages effectively, avoiding intrusive interstitials while maintaining a positive user experience is both pertinent and challenging. Intrusive interstitials, those pesky pop-ups that hinder access to content, can disrupt user interaction flow and potentially drive visitors away. However, striking the balance between your website’s goals and users’ needs is achievable with the right approach.

Regarding intrusive interstitials, the key lies in embracing user-centric design. These pop-ups are roadblocks; they deter users from reaching their desired destinations. To avoid frustrating your audience, consider using subtle banners that convey important messages without obstructing the content. Strategically position these banners to ensure minimal disruption and easy dismissal. By respecting your users’ journey, you show that your website values their experience.

Experience teaches us that timing is crucial in web interactions. Similarly, consider when your pop-ups appear. Intrusive interstitials that greet users immediately can lead to dissatisfaction. Instead, slightly delay their appearance, allowing users to immerse themselves in the content before encountering interruptions. This strategic delay minimizes frustration and contributes to a smoother user journey.

Moreover, segmenting your audience allows you to tailor messages effectively. New visitors might benefit from different pop-ups compared to returning users. Personalization enhances user experience and showcases your website’s attentiveness to individual needs. This level of detail underscores your commitment to delivering value without compromising usability.

A well-executed exit intent strategy can also be effective. Instead of bombarding users upon entry, consider triggering pop-ups as users navigate toward exiting your site. This approach respects their initial engagement while allowing them to share additional content or offers. This way, your pop-ups become valuable extensions of their journey.

Thoughtful design and strategic implementation are key to avoiding intrusive interstitials while maintaining a positive user experience. By considering the user journey, optimizing timing, segmenting audiences, and leveraging exit intent, you can strike a harmonious balance between your website’s objectives and your users’ satisfaction.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Evaluate your pop-ups’ purpose and alignment with user experience goals.
2. Identify critical messages that need to be conveyed through pop-ups.
3. Design subtle banners that complement your website’s visual aesthetics.
4. Position banners in non-obtrusive locations, such as the sides or bottoms of pages.
5. Ensure the “X” button to dismiss pop-ups is easily visible and accessible.
6. Introduce a slight delay before pop-ups appear after users navigate to a page.
7. Implement exit intent triggers for pop-ups to engage users before they leave.
8. Segment your audience based on characteristics or behaviors.
9. Tailor pop-up messages to suit different audience segments.
10. Prioritize mobile responsiveness for all pop-up designs.
11. A/B tests different pop-up designs and timings to gauge user preferences.
12. Monitor user engagement and bounce rates to assess the impact of pop-ups.
13. Use analytics to understand user interaction with pop-ups.
14. Continuously refine pop-up strategies based on user feedback and data.
15. Focus on delivering value through pop-ups, such as exclusive offers or content.
16. Avoid using pop-ups excessively; opt for quality over quantity.
17. Prioritize the overall user journey and seamless navigation.
18. Stay updated with industry best practices and evolving user preferences.
19. Seek feedback from users to gauge their perception of your pop-ups.
20. Continuously adapt and evolve pop-up strategies based on user behaviors and trends.

The post Page Experience Matters: Intrusive Interstitials & Why They’re Bad for SEO appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

That’s why this article (No. 2 in our page experience series) will discuss mobile-friendliness as a way to help your webpages earn a ranking boost from Google’s page experience ranking update, which went live in mid-2021. (Be sure to see all our other articles in this series at the end of this one).

• What is a mobile-friendly website? 
• Why does a mobile-friendly website matter? 
• How do you make a site mobile-friendly? 
• FAQ: How can I create a mobile-friendly website to improve user experience and search engine rankings?

What Is a Mobile-Friendly Website?

A mobile-friendly website creates a good experience for people who visit a website from a smartphone or tablet.

There’s a lot that goes into having a mobile-friendly website. Some of the factors include:

• Using mobile-compatible plugins
• Ensuring the webpage fits different screen sizes
• Configuring the size of the text for mobile viewing
• Making sure that it’s easy for mobile users to click on buttons and links
• Having fast-loading webpages (Although this is not talked about much in Google’s mobile-friendly guide, it counts toward the page experience ranking signals and is a best practice for mobile anyway.)

Why Does a Mobile-Friendly Website Matter?

A mobile-friendly website also matters to your search engine rankings because Google wants to include websites in its search results that offer a good experience to mobile users.

After all, about 63 percent of visits to Google’s search engine on average in 2019 were from mobile users.

You can confirm how many mobile users are coming to your own site through your Google Analytics account. (Go to: Audience > Mobile > Overview)

Recognizing the growing trend in mobile web browsing, in 2016, Google started testing a mobile-first index. In March 2020, Google announced it would be “switching to mobile-first indexing for all websites starting September 2020” but then pushed the full rollout back to the end of March 2021.

Mobile-first indexing means Google predominantly uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking. Historically, the index primarily used the desktop version of a page’s content when evaluating the relevance of a page to a user’s query. Since the majority of users now access Google Search with a mobile device, Googlebot primarily crawls and indexes pages with the smartphone agent going forward.

–Google, “Mobile-first indexing best practices”

When Google announced the upcoming page experience ranking update, it affirmed that the existing mobile friendliness signal would be a part of it. This is another confirmation that having a website set up for mobile users is key if you want to compete in Google’s search results.

How Do You Make a Site Mobile-Friendly?

You can make a website mobile-friendly by following best practices outlined by Google and a seasoned SEO expert. One size does not fit all when it comes to a mobile strategy.

If you’re ready to make your site more friendly to mobile users, you need to follow four basic steps:

1. Test your current site.
2. Learn about mobile-friendly best practices.
3. Implement changes.
4. Watch for common mistakes.

1. Test Your Current Site

One of the first things Google recommends is to run pages through its mobile-friendly test. You can also use the mobile usability report in Search Console.

Depending on what stage you’re at in your mobile journey, the next steps will vary. The goal is to address the main issues uncovered in the testing phase.

2. Learn About Mobile-Friendly Best Practices

Addressing the issues will require learning more about mobile-friendly best practices. You can do so by reviewing Google’s guide here and our guide on mobile SEO and UX optimization as well for more information.

Again, an experienced SEO professional can help you make good choices here.

3. Implement Changes

Of course, implementing mobile-friendly updates is the next step.

Website Configurations

One big decision you may be facing is what type of website configuration you should have to support mobile users.

Google supports three types of mobile website configurations: responsive web design, dynamic serving and separate mobile URLs. (Check out this cheat sheet on mobile design.)

In general, a responsive website is going to be the easiest to create and maintain. A responsive website uses the same URL and HTML code no matter what device the visitor has (versus a separate mobile site). But it serves up the content in a slightly different format depending on the screen size — so it’s friendly for mobile users.

Be sure to check out these seven mobile navigation best practices for more.

Website Content

Remember that a responsive website does not automatically mean a mobile-friendly website. How you serve the content is one thing. But what you actually prioritize in the content is another.

You see, people using mobile phones tend to search differently than those on a desktop. User intent is different, and that means that the information you want to serve may be different.

You can learn more about this concept in my article on understanding Google’s mobile-first index. And read the mobile SEO checklist for ideas on mobile content and more.

Website Speed

Mobile friendliness and fast webpage loading go hand in hand.

Mobile users do not want to wait around for content to load. Google once found that 53% of mobile site visits were abandoned when webpages took more than three seconds to load.

You can test page speed on your key pages through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.

You can also view data in your Google Analytics on site speed (go to: Behavior > Site Speed). And the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console is going to give data on load times, as well.

Read more about the need for speed in Google’s mobile-first index.

4. Watch for Common Mistakes

One pitfall to avoid is sacrificing necessary content for the sake of speed. Reducing content to improve page speed could impact rankings in a mobile-first world as I’ve written about in the past:

What is currently being served as your mobile site is what Google would consider for indexing and ranking in its mobile-first index. If the mobile version of your site only displays a portion of all available content, then Google will only consider that part in its ranking calculations (and not any additional resources available in the desktop version of a site).

If a site has a responsive design configuration, as Google recommends, everything on both the desktop version and the mobile version should be accounted for by Google, right?

Not exactly. In responsive design, you tell the site not to display blocks of text or certain images in a mobile device.

Traditionally, Google would index the desktop version of your site. Whatever the desktop image was, that’s what Google would index and use to rank. Then, when a person loaded that page on a mobile device, at that point, you could control what was displayed. However, the index was based on the full desktop version of the content. Responsive design just decided what was displayed or not for a mobile or tablet device.

Now Google is moving to a mobile-first index. Whereas the desktop version of the site used to matter most for search engine optimization, now it’s the mobile UX that counts. If the mobile version of your site is not displaying certain content or images, Google will no longer consider them in ranking and indexing.

For example, on your desktop site in your footer, you might have 50 links. But in the mobile version, you don’t want to clutter it up so you only display 10. When Googlebot crawls your page, it’s not going to count 50 links, it’ll only consider the 10.

Because there are so many variables when creating a mobile-friendly site, it’s important to have an expert SEO working with your developers to make important decisions about mobile configuration.

For more details on the update, read our entire page experience series:

1. What’s the Page Experience Update?
2. How to Make a Mobile-Friendly Site
3. Intrusive Interstitials & Why They’re Bad for SEO
4. HTTPS for Users and Ranking
5. Core Web Vitals Overview
6. Core Web Vitals: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
7. Core Web Vitals: FID (First Input Delay)
8. Core Web Vitals: CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)

If you’d like to talk to us about your SEO needs, contact us today for a consultation.

FAQ: How can I create a mobile-friendly website to improve user experience and search engine rankings?

As it becomes increasingly important for businesses and websites to remain accessible across all devices, mobile-friendly sites become even more essential in serving a growing mobile user population and improving search engine rankings. This article discusses how you can create an appealing mobile-friendly website that appeals to both users and search engine algorithms alike.

To begin, consider responsive web design as your foundation. Responsive design enables your website to adapt automatically to different screen sizes, providing users with an uninterrupted user experience across devices and reducing maintenance burden by eliminating your site’s separate desktop and mobile versions.

Next, prioritize content optimization for mobile users. Understand that mobile search behavior differs from desktop searches. Craft concise and engaging content that addresses user intent quickly. Prioritize crucial information, enhancing readability and engagement.

Website speed is critical to user satisfaction and search engine rankings. Mobile users demand swift loading times, and Google rewards fast-loading pages. Regularly assess and optimize your website’s speed using tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights.

Additionally, mobile-friendliness extends to navigation. Simplify menus and ensure buttons are easily clickable on smaller screens. Optimize images for mobile consumption to minimize load times without compromising quality.

Lastly, leverage Google’s mobile-friendly test and mobile usability report in Search Console to identify and rectify any issues. Regularly monitor mobile performance metrics to stay proactive in improving the user experience.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Create a Mobile-Friendly Website

1. Choose a responsive web design framework.
2. Optimize your website’s content for mobile users’ needs and preferences.
3. Craft concise and engaging headlines and content.
4. Prioritize essential information to capture user attention quickly.
5. Implement a mobile-first approach to design and user experience.
6. Simplify navigation menus for easier mobile browsing.
7. Ensure buttons and links are easily clickable on smaller screens.
8. Optimize images for mobile devices to reduce load times.
9. Evaluate website speed using tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
10. Implement speed optimization techniques, including browser caching and image compression.
11. Leverage mobile usability reports in Google Search Console to identify issues.
12. Test your website using Google’s mobile-friendly test tool.
13. Regularly monitor mobile performance metrics, including load times and bounce rates.
14. Address any issues identified through testing and monitoring.
15. Continuously update and refine your mobile-friendly strategy based on user feedback and industry trends.
16. Stay informed about Google’s algorithm updates and mobile-friendliness guidelines.
17. Collaborate with experienced SEO professionals to ensure optimal results.
18. Consider user behavior and intent when crafting mobile content.
19. Regularly assess and improve website speed to maintain a competitive edge.
20. Prioritize user experience in all mobile website design and optimization aspects.

The post Page Experience Matters: The Mobile-Friendly Site appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

• Optimizing your site for mobile SEO
• Choosing the right mobile configuration 
• Must-Do mobile SEO
• Mobile UX optimization 
• FAQ: How can I optimize my website for mobile SEO?

Why is mobile optimization a top priority for SEOs today?

Page Experience: the Page Experience update focuses a lot on mobile and speed. And it is hard to discuss one without the other. Please read our Page Experience eBook on that subject, then come back.

But back to mobile…

First, mobile internet usage exceeds​ desktop. People using smartphones ​make up ​more than half the consumer traffic to top sites globally. Certainly, it varies widely by industry, but it is significant for every site.

Second, more searches take place on smartphones than on desktop computers, according to Google.

As a result, Google has switched to a “mobile-first index.” The search engine crawls and indexes the mobile version of a website. In other words, whatever shows to mobile users is what counts for ranking purposes.

Satisfying mobile users is the search engines’ top priority. ​It’s no wonder they look closely at how ​your site treats its mobile visitors before giving you a high ranking.

Mobile SEO is crucial not just because smartphone users are the majority but also because Google and Bing use mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal in mobile search.

Is your site’s mobile SEO ​everything it needs to be? In this lesson, you learn how to:

• Optimize your website to be found in mobile search.
• See how many mobile visitors you have today.
• Pick between 3 ways to set up your mobile site.
• Make sure your site is really mobile-friendly.
• Improve ​your mobile user experience (UX) and page-load speed.

Optimizing Your Site for Mobile SEO

The shift to “mobile first” may require some refocusing for your website and its search engine optimization.

First, local searchers are where it’s at.

Most searches yield a different set of results on smartphones than on desktops (62 percent according to research). One reason is that mobile results factor in location much more heavily than desktop results do.

Search engines want to show results located near the mobile searcher — particularly for queries with local intent such as “coffee shop,” “dry cleaner,” or the increasingly common “near me” searches.

So, if you operate a local or location-based business, your first mobile-SEO ​task is to set up your business correctly for local search. Standardize your NAP (name, address, phone number) in your site’s metadata and wherever your business is listed. And make sure your business is verified with both Google My Business and Bing Places for Business.

Whether you’re a local business or not, every website must prepare to welcome mobile visitors and be found in mobile search.

How many mobile users access your site?

Let’s look at your audience specifically. How much of your website traffic comes from mobile devices now?

You can tell how people access your website with a glance at your Google Analytics (it’s free software, and we highly recommend you install Google Analytics if you haven’t already). As the image below shows, if you select Mobile > Overview from the Audience menu, you’ll see the exact percentage of site visitors coming to your website on a desktop vs. smartphone vs. tablet.

You might be surprised to see that a large number of people already find you using a mobile device.

Mobile SEO Part 1: Choosing the Right Mobile Configuration

The key to a good mobile user experience lies in choosing the best way to set up your mobile website. Many websites are misconfigured for mobile search or not configured at all, resulting in a huge loss in smartphone traffic.

Mobile ​search rankings won’t vary much based on which mobile configuration you choose to implement as long as ​you offer a good experience and similar content on all devices. The biggest impact will be on user experience and site maintenance.

Three Sitewide Setup Options

• Responsive design serves up the same content and URLs across all devices but alters the layout and formatting to fit the user’s window size (accomplished with CSS). This is Google’s preferred mobile configuration. It takes less work to maintain a responsive site since ​there’s only one version of the content to update. One possible downside for UX and SEO​ — page load speed may be slower with a responsive design than with the other mobile configurations. Care must be taken to preserve fast-loading pages (see Part 2 for more on safeguarding speed). TIP: To implement a responsive design, you need HTML templates that can resize automatically based on the user’s device using CSS rules. If your website is on WordPress, this can be as simple as buying and installing a mobile-ready, responsive theme.
• Dynamic serving uses the same page URLs but different content depending on what device is being used to access your website. This dynamic solution works well if mobile users and desktop users have different motives, or if you want to serve content like videos, ads, and other large files to desktop users but don’t want to bog down your mobile experience.TIP: Dynamic serving requires the use of an HTTP “vary response” header so search engines don’t think you’re trying to hide content (see technical SEO tips for more on avoiding cloaking and other red flags).
• A separate mobile site requires maintaining two separate websites with different URLs and different HTML content on each. This configuration can be best if mobile users have very different needs than desktop users, but site maintenance involves twice the work. You also run the risk of creating duplicate content for search engines if you aren’t careful (see Part 2 for more on this).TIP: Because of Google’s mobile-first index, make sure a separate m-dot site has enough content and features (such as schema markup, content, etc.) to rank well on its own.

Read more: A Cheat Sheet for Mobile Design explains pros and cons of each of these mobile configurations, while 8 Common Mobile Website Pitfalls to Avoid for SEO helps ensure proper implementation from the get-go if you choose the separate-mobile-site option. Google also ​offers ​help for implementing the three different options here: Mobile SEO Overview.

Part 2: Must-Dos

There are a few things you MUST do, no matter which configuration you use. ​This section​ explains four technical tasks to put on your mobile SEO checklist …

1. Be mobile-friendly.

The basic prerequisite for earning a mobile-friendly SEO boost is passing Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. Since that’s determined on a page-by-page basis, check each of your important pages. The results will list issues you might need to fix or give you the “mobile-friendly” green light:

For more tips on creating a mobile-friendly website, please refer to our 7 Mobile-Friendly Navigation Best Practices post.

2. Tell search engines which page is formatted for mobile.

Search engines look for cues in your HTML code that are different for each type of mobile configuration.

• Responsive sites should put the following meta tag in the head of each web document to signal that the page will adapt to all devices:
  <meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0″>
• Dynamically served sites need to use the Vary HTTP header in their response to each request. (For more information, see Google’s Help on setting up dynamic serving.)
• Separate mobile and desktop sites need to include <link> tags with rel=”canonical” and rel=”alternate” elements to show the corresponding URL for each page. (For more, see Google’s Help on annotating desktop and mobile URLs.)

3. Keep all page assets crawlable.

As a rule, you shouldn’t block search engines from seeing your CSS files, image files, JavaScript files, and any other resources needed to render the page. They want to see the page as it appears to users. So permit all search engine user-agents — Googlebot, Bingbot and all their cronies — to crawl page resources freely. (Tip: See Step 16 for how to use robots.txt appropriately.)

You can double​-check that everything can be crawled using Google’s Fetch and Render tool inside of Search Console.

4. Design for a good user experience on small devices.

Mobile visitors are limited by their device’s small screen size and reduced bandwidth. Keep reading for common mistakes to avoid and best practices for satisfying their needs so they’ll have a good experience on your site.

Part 3: Mobile UX Optimization – Making Users Happy

When it comes to your mobile SEO strategy, user experience (UX) is the single most important factor for success. Welcome visitors with a fast-loading site and good mobile design. These things impact your site’s rankings, since search engines want to give their searchers a satisfying experience.

Follow these tips for optimizing your mobile user experience to welcome potentially high-converting mobile visitors to your website.

Optimize your mobile site for faster page-loading times.

As we discussed in Step 16 of this SEO guide, slow page-load speed can have a negative impact on your rankings. On a mobile device, a slow site feels even slower! This kind of poor user experience can kill your chances for mobile traffic and conversions. Google knows this, which is why they offer a mobile and a desktop version of their PageSpeed tool.

What are the biggest culprits of a slow mobile site?

Images. Optimizing those fat images for mobile SEO is the No. 1 thing you can do to improve mobile UX. The larger your image file sizes, the longer it will take your web pages to load, especially on a phone or other mobile device. Ways to keep your image files small include compressing your images, resizing images to make them smaller, and specifying the width and height dimensions in your HTML image tags.

Videos can also cause your web pages to take too long to load. Consider embedding smaller or lower quality videos to reduce the amount of data required, as long as it doesn’t impact the viewing experience too much on faster devices. Another option for downloads of videos and other large files is to offer several download sizes. ​Then users can choose which one best fits their current bandwidth and device. Always look for ways to satisfy your various users’ needs and give each visitor a good experience on your site.

Consider using AMP or PWAs.​

Another speed solution is AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), a Google-led open-source project for making the mobile web faster. AMP is not for every site, as on-page functionality is limited. But AMP results do load nearly instantly for mobile searchers and get special treatment (not rankings, though) in Google results. (Read more about AMP and how to implement it with our quick start guide.)

PWAs (progressive web apps) offer another technical solution for fast mobile pages. Just starting to make waves in the digital marketing industry, using PWAs lets you program one website/app hybrid that works on all screen sizes. (Read more about PWAs​.)

Keep your mobile site simple and easy to navigate.

Have you ever visited a website from your smartphone that made you zoom and reposition the screen just so you could see it? A poor user experience like this causes most people to leave the site and find another with a more optimal mobile user experience.

When it comes to mobile search, less is more. Make every word count with valuable content that is:

• Written with the mobile user’s perspective in mind.
• Easy to access with large tap targets and clear navigation options.
• Readable with large enough text in a font that’s legible on a small screen.
• All in all, mobile-friendly. (Tip: Remember to check your important pages in Google’s free Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see if they pass.)

Tailor your content to fit the needs of your audience.

Keep in mind that a mobile user’s search intentions probably vary from that of a desktop user conducting a similar search.

A mobile user searching for Chinese food may be looking for a phone number to order takeout. A desktop user searching for the same thing may be looking for an online ordering option for delivery.

Design your content to give users what they need.

For instance, in our responsive design for BruceClay.com (pictured), the navigation menu stays tucked neatly out of the way. But mobile users can access it as needed with the easy-to-tap ​menu button. We also added a prominent call option since we figured if someone is using a mobile phone to check out our various digital marketing services, they’ll probably want to talk to us.

TIP: Make sure you include enough content on your mobile site to support your long-tail rankings due to Google’s mobile-first index. Also, include markup there to qualify for featured snippets and other search results page enhancements. (See our Schema Markup Guide for more details.)

SEO GUIDE BONUS VIDEO

This video answers common webmaster questions about mobile-SEO best practices for tap targets, margins, and font sizes.

Google gives specific technical advice here on how to create mobile pages that focus on the user.

Finally …

Be sure to monitor how well your mobile SEO is performing. Many sites look at data for the whole website only, without realizing the story may be completely different for mobile vs. tablet vs. desktop users. Don’t miss out on opportunities to “tweak” your mobile SEO for a ​more mobile-friendly user experience and a better conversion rate.

Speaking of monitoring — it’s time to show you the ongoing tasks every SEO needs to know. Next, in the tutorial, you’ll learn how to monitor your website rankings and other key performance indicators (KPIs) to track your SEO progress over time.

Next Lesson

FAQ: How can I optimize my website for mobile SEO?

Mobile devices have quickly become the main entry points to the internet, necessitating website owners to optimize their sites for mobile search engine optimization (SEO). This article will give you valuable insight into this field.

Understanding Mobile SEO

To kick things off, it’s essential that we define mobile SEO clearly. Mobile SEO involves optimizing your website so it appears well on mobile search engine result pages (SERPs). Google and other search engines tend to favor mobile-friendly sites since mobile traffic accounts for a significant percentage of web visits, so you must adapt your site in accordance with mobile-first indexing criteria.

Mobile-Friendly Design and Responsive Layouts

One of the fundamental aspects of mobile SEO optimization is ensuring your website has a mobile-friendly design. This involves creating responsive layouts that adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes. Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means it primarily considers the mobile version of your site for ranking purposes. Ensure your website’s design is responsive and its content easily accessible on smaller screens.

Page Speed and Mobile Performance

Mobile users expect information quickly, making site load time an integral factor of mobile SEO success. Compress images, leverage browser caching, and minimize HTTP requests to enhance your site’s mobile performance. Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool can help identify areas for improvement.

Optimizing Content for Mobile

Mobile SEO relies heavily on content. Aim to craft easily scannable and consumable information on mobile devices by including bullet points or subheadings in long paragraphs. Additionally, ensure your images are appropriately sized and use descriptive alt tags for accessibility.

Mobile SEO Testing and Monitoring

Lastly, regularly test and monitor your website’s mobile SEO performance. Use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and Google Search Console to identify issues and opportunities. Continuously analyze your mobile traffic data and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Step-by-Step Procedure for Mobile SEO Optimization

1. Understand the importance of mobile UX for marketing.
2. Ensure your website has a mobile-friendly design with responsive layouts.
3. Prioritize page speed optimization for mobile devices.
4. Compress images, leverage browser caching, and minimize HTTP requests to improve mobile performance.
5. Create concise and scannable content that is easy to consume on mobile screens.
6. Use shorter paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings to break up text for better readability.
7. Optimize images by appropriately sizing them and using descriptive alt tags.
8. Regularly test your website’s mobile-friendliness using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
9. Use Google Search Console to monitor and identify mobile SEO issues and opportunities.
10. Continuously analyze your mobile traffic data to refine your mobile SEO strategies.
11. Adapt your website to meet mobile-first indexing requirements set by search engines.
12. Monitor the mobile user experience on your site and make improvements as needed.
13. Stay updated with the latest mobile SEO trends and algorithm changes.
14. Conduct keyword research specifically for mobile search queries.
15. Implement structured data markup for mobile SERP enhancements.
16. Optimize your website’s local SEO for mobile users, including accurate location information.
17. Ensure that your website is accessible to users with disabilities on mobile devices.
18. Implement a mobile sitemap to help search engines crawl and index your mobile content.
19. Test your website’s mobile compatibility across various devices and browsers.
20. Stay vigilant and adapt your mobile SEO strategy as mobile technology evolves and user behaviors change.

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