Here are three things you need to do before the update on April 21st
1. Understand the Google mobile update
Ultimately, Google will begin ranking mobile websites more favorably when a user is searching on a mobile device. More and more users are using smart phones and mobile devices to fulfill their internet needs. The percentage of mobile users accessing your website or looking for your content is only going to increase.What is Google Ranking?
Ranking is the position in the search results where your site shows up. For example, if I search "Tealaholic" on Google, my blog is the first result to show up. However, the second result is a radio show where I was a guest speaker. Most people searching won't even go to the second page of the results. So if your site is not in the top 10 rankings for a keyword, it probably won't get much traffic from said keyword.
Therefore, even if you do not watch your rankings, it is important! Read the Official Google Announcement for more technical information.
2. Determine if your site is mobile friendly
So, now you may be thinking, "Oh no, I do not even know what mobile friendly means!". That is okay. Google made this nifty tool where you can copy and paste your URL to see if your site is already mobile friendly. So click here to check that out.If it says, it's mobile friendly, awesome! You do not need to worry. You have nothing else you need to do.
If it does not, then we have some work to do and quick!
If you use Google Webmaster Tools, (which you should... it is free and easy), then you can also check out your usability report. This report points out any issues with specific pages on your site or blog. For example, one page might have loads of Flash-based content that doesn't work on mobile. They also have a handy guide to some common mobile errors and how to fix them.
3. Modify your design
If your site is NOT mobile friendly, it is time to make the change ASAP. If you use Blogger, it is insanely easy to fix your mobile design. Go to the back end of your blog, click on "Template" from the left navigation, and then click on the gear symbol under "Mobile". Then choose "Yes. Show mobile template" and choose the template you like best!If you do not use Blogger, you have a few options. You should look for a new web design, find a web developer that can convert your template to a responsive design, or research more information on the program you use to blog or host your site. There are many free responsive templates for nearly every platform that are easy to download and install.
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