Google is one of the companies that shape how people experience the internet, and every move that the company makes is closely scrutinized by everyone from major brands to owners of small websites. Keeping abreast of changes made by Google is essential for ensuring that your business can be found in online searches. One recent announcement by Google that will affect many websites is the announcement that mobile-first indexing will be used for new sites, and this may affect the search engine optimization (SEO) strategies used by a wide variety of businesses.

What Is Mobile-First Indexing?

When people perform a Google search, what is actually being searched is an “index” of all websites on the internet created on Google’s systems. This index includes a variety of information about a site and its relevance to people performing searches, including ranking factors that affect where it will show up in search results. Since so many people now use mobile devices to perform searches and view websites, Google now uses the mobile version of a website’s content in its index in many cases.

While Google still uses the desktop version of many websites in its index, its goal is to use the mobile version of sites as much as possible. Recently, Google announced that starting July 1, 2019, all new sites indexed by Google will use mobile-first indexing.

The internet is a vast treasure trove of data, and the number and variety of websites covering every topic under the sun is mind-boggling. Without the help of search engines like Google, finding useful information online would be nearly impossible. This is why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is so important; any business that wants to connect with their customers online needs to ensure that people will be able to find them in online searches.

When determining how to rank a site in search results, Google and other search engines look at a number of factors, but one of the most important of these is page load time. The amount of time it takes your site to load can play a major role in how people interact with the site, especially when they are using a mobile device. According to Google, 53% of website visits are abandoned if a site takes more than three seconds to load, but on average, mobile landing pages take 22 seconds to load.

Since Google emphasizes the importance of a site’s loading speed, it is essential to do everything you can to improve load times. One of the best ways to do so is through image optimization.

We are living in the future. Understanding this idea and incorporating it into your website and marketing strategy is vital to the long-term success of your company.

In generations past, a stereotypical breakfast table, or at least the idyllic image of one, consisted of kids eating and chatting excitedly about the day, while Mom and Dad sipped coffee and read the newspaper. Whether scanning national headlines or checking the box score of last night’s ballgame, the consumption of printed news and information was a social staple for many years.

This, of course, has changed drastically in the last several decades as more people have become reliant on electronic media to keep the abreast of the world around them. For many, the morning newspaper has been replaced by an iPad or Android tablet, allowing instant access to infinitely more information than ever before. Others may scroll through news feeds or web browsers on their mobile phone, allowing them the same access to the digital world on a smaller screen.