People have started spending more and more time on their mobiles. The applications of mobile internet browsing have reached a new high. This has left us dependent on our phones for the news, online shopping, and much more. In this blog, we’ll help you create the perfect mobile website SEO strategy to boost conversions and enhance UI/UX.
What Is Mobile Optimization?
Mobile optimization is also referred to as mobile search engine optimization or mobile SEO. It is the process of redesigning a website to improve one’s mobile UX. This step helps boost conversions.
In the past, optimizing for mobile websites simply required implementing a responsive design. So, users could open a desktop version of the site on their phone, but the elements would get rearranged. However, the approach to mobile optimization has completely changed and mobile SEO strategies are coming up.
Since 2019, mobile responsiveness is not the only metric on which a site ranks. But, it also depends on mobile indexing.
Google assesses the content of the mobile website for indexing and ranking. In July 2019, Google implemented mobile first indexing, which means that Google will crawl the mobile version of a website. This helped determine indexing and ranking. You can benefit from Google’s mobile-first indexing update to rank higher.
Most website developers had to follow mobile-first indexing best practices, requiring an entire overhaul of their websites. Moreover, with the update came a higher focus on improving mobile UX for end-users for further compliance.
Some common features of a mobile-optimized site include:
- Responsive design
- Simple, uncluttered design
- Hamburger menus
- Big, bold buttons
- No sidebar
- No popups (if there is one, it should be easy to close)
- Scannable text (organized by subheadings and bullet points)
- Compressed images for faster load times
SEO for mobile always considers how easy it is to navigate a site and how people can sign up for a service or how a CTA is placed.
Why Makes Mobile Search Optimization Important?
Optimizing your website for better mobile-first indexing is a part of the reason why mobile optimization is crucial. There are other benefits to implementing mobile SEO, and one of them is improving mobile UX to increase conversions and generate profitable ROI.
With mobile phone optimization, you are trying to convert users to customers.
More recently, Google announced that it is launching a new algorithm update called Page Experience in May 2021. The update will take into account the user’s experience when ranking sites for search results. The User experience factors in the site speed and mobile-friendliness.
How Does Mobile Optimization Increase Conversions?
Convincing a potential customer to purchase an item is hard enough. But, with SEO for mobile, you can ensure that the overall profitability of the site gets boosted and remove any difficulties in making the purchase.
With an eCommerce website, a one-step checkout is an example of making the purchase transaction as fast and easy as possible. There shouldn’t be any distractions or lack of clarity as to how one might purchase on your website.
For years, business owners have focused on a website’s conversion rate optimization. With more and more consumers using their mobile devices to shop and look for a business, mobile conversions are also fast becoming a priority.
How to Implement SEO for Mobile
For optimizing a website for mobile device users there are many factors in play such as improving site speed to removing pop-ups. You can implement them as part of your conversion rate optimization.
The technical requirements of improving SEO for mobile may not be easy, so it helps to contact a mobile SEO company with experience in WordPress mobile optimization or implementing SEO for mobile sites designed for Shopify or Amazon.
If you are looking to make SEO mobile improvements, here are some of the steps you can take.
Run a Mobile SEO Audit
How do you know if your site benefits from Google’s mobile indexing rule? You won’t know what needs to be done if you don’t conduct research and gather data. A mobile SEO audit will assess your site’s mobile SEO performance, thus, giving insight into deciding which mobile SEO mobile strategy to implement.
One way to start your mobile SEO audit is by using Google’s mobile website speed testing tool, Test My Site. This is a free resource that helps you understand how your site performs against Google mobile-first indexing.
You can enter your website URL to get the following information:
- Mobile Friendliness:
This measures how easy it is for visitors to navigate the site. Tiny buttons, unclear navigation prompts and a host of other difficulties affecting the mobile user experience can bring down this score.
- Mobile Speed Score:
The score measures how quickly your site loads on mobile. We’ll discuss how to improve your site speed later on in this article.
- Desktop Speed:
This number represents the loading site speed for desktops. Site speed on mobile and desktop can differ greatly depending on factors such as bandwidth and site structure.
As soon as you get a clear idea of where you stand in terms of the mobile-first indexing Google has imposed, you gain clarity on how to improve your score.
Improve Site Speed
In mobile search engine optimization and technical SEO, site speed is essential. A 2018 Google study reveals if the site takes more than three seconds to load, 53% of people do not stay on the site. On average, mobile sites take 15 seconds to load, indicating how important it is to have mobile optimization boost conversion and direct high-quality traffic.
In addition to improving visitor retention, site speed improves UX, substantially. This turns visitors into customers faster.
More importantly, Google announced that its algorithm would include speed in ranking mobile sites. As a solution, Google recommends switching mobile sites to Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), which uses a simpler version of your HTML code for faster load times.
A few more strategies to improve site speed include:
- Enabling image compression
- Creating a simple layout
- Running a site speed audit
- Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
If these strategies are unfamiliar to you, consider the option of hiring a mobile SEO company. We specialize in mobile SEO services and conversion rate optimization. Also, we can assist with WordPress mobile optimization strategies that work for your site to boost search engine rankings.
Focus on Your Call-to-Action
It helps to focus on your site’s main goal by having a precise call-to-action. Having a clear CTA on your homepage can help immediately draw in visitors.
If you have an eCommerce site, buttons like Shop Now or Add To Cart should be easy to find on every product page. For consultants, a CTA like Let’s Talk or Schedule A Call should be front and center of your landing page.
You want visitors to take action after reading about your offer, so make the experience a great one for them.
Conclusion
The age of having a market predominantly dependent on mobile phones is here. Businesses and brands are now in line with the requirements of good technical SEO and understand the value of mobile optimization. It may be a costly enterprise, but it generates the ultimate benefit: more conversions.
Are you ready to provide your site visitors with the best mobile UI/UX? Then check out Idealysis mobile SEO services, which include specializations in eCommerce, local SEO, Shopify SEO and Amazon SEO. Give Idealysis a call today and get started with mobile indexing best practices with the help of our highly qualified mobile SEO experts.
