More and more people are using mobile devices to access the Internet. As a result, online marketers are now focused on mobile marketing.
The same goes for advertisers who are creating rich media, video, banner ads and other mobile friendly advertising formats. What is more is that Google has been giving priority to websites that have been optimized for mobile.
With that out of the way, what are some of the things that you can do to make mobile SEO successful?
This post looks at the vital considerations you need to make when optimizing your website for mobile SEO.
Create a Responsive Website
The first and the most obvious thing you have to do when it comes to mobile SEO are making sure that your website is mobile friendly. A responsive web design is one that adjusts its layout to fit in the screen size it is being viewed on. It automatically alters its images, text and content to make them legible on smaller screens.
While a mobile specific website is good, it will be costlier for you to manage the two versions of your website at a go. A responsive web design ensures that you run a single website for both mobile and desktop users. It is easier to maintain.
Having one website will further avoid the problem of duplicate content - a problem that can significantly impact your search engine rankings.
Leverage on Local Search
When you are targeting the entire world, you will have a lot of competition. This can keep your website from ever appearing on the first page of search results.
The best way forward when it comes to mobile SEO is to take advantage of local search. With this option, you will benefit from the Google AdWords feature, which is effective in giving users the results they need in a relevant location. This option helps weed out the competition and enables you to market to your real audiences.
Most people use their mobile devices to locate stores or find products near them. Taking advantage of local search will help you increase your sales. What is even better is that you can always contact a local companyto help with your SEO needs.
Focus on Mobile Keywords
When optimizing your content with keywords, you need to remember that desktop experience is different from mobile experience. This means the search terms users use on smartphones are completely different from the ones used on desktops.
The Google Analytics will give you mobile keyword data to help find the best keywords for your target Operating System. This tool will help you know which keywords you should bid on and how you should handle the bids for your organic rankings.
Page Speed
When optimizing your website for mobile search, one of the most important things to do is to make sure that your website loads fast.
Mobile devices have connectivity and hardware issues. As a result, the load speed of a page is more important for the mobile users than for the desktop users.
In addition to that, you have to minify your code and leverage on browser caching. Reducing the number of redirects will further improve the user-experience and boost the load speed of your website.
Don't Block Images, JavaScript or CSS
A decade ago, most mobile devices could not support these elements. Times have, however, changed and mobile devices are more advanced.
You must never continue blocking any of the three elements. These elements are important to GoogleBots as they categorize content. Having images, JavaScript and CSS on your website further tells Google that you are using a responsive web design.
Avoid Flash
Although most mobile devices can handle Flash, not all devices are equipped to do this. There are many devices that don't have the plug needed to run Flash.
This means using Flash on your website will cause a good number of your audiences to miss out on the fun. For the purpose of special effects, use HTML5 in place of Flash.
Do Not Use Pop-Ups
There is nothing more annoying to a mobile user than pop-ups. More often than not, the pop-ups are so big that the user cannot close them on their tiny screens.
This leads to higher bounce rates. Not using pop-ups will benefit you greatly.
Optimize Titles and Meta Descriptions
When searching using a mobile device, you have less room to show the user that your content is valuable to him or her. Therefore, to showcase your work, you need to be concise. Make sure you use titles, URLs as well as Meta descriptions.
Conclusion
A lot goes into optimizing your website for mobile ranking. The aforementioned tips will, however, get you started on the right foot.
It is also important to keep searching for better ways to optimize your website since SEO strategies keep on changing. You must also never be afraid to hire professional help.