Google Search Index To Be Split in Two: How It Will Affect SEO

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In today’s world when you ask someone a question and they are not sure of the answer, they will respond to you by saying “Google it.”  The ability to conduct a quick Google search has never been more accessible, with more than 50% of search queries now coming from mobile devices.  And since the Google search index has been split in two, mobile searches will become even better.

When Google updated its algorithm in April of 2015, it gave priority to websites that displayed well on smartphones, tablets, and all other mobile devices. Searches conducted on a desktop computer were not affected by this update, but the split of Google’s search index will affect those desktop searches — and not in a good way.

Google Wants Mobile-Friendly

Google has been working non-stop to shift towards mobile-friendly websites. In the coming months, they will continue their pursuit, as it has been announced that the Google search index will be split into two. The desktop search index will be taking a backseat to the mobile search index. Mobile searches will now be the priority for Googlebot crawlers, which means that they should be your priority as well.

Google wanted to be clear that they are pushing towards mobile searches, leaving desktop searches in the dust. There are now more Google searches conducted on mobile devices than searches done on a desktop, so Google wants every website to be mobile-friendly.

Google search index

What the split allows Google to do is more accurately index mobile-responsive pages. Content that is optimized for mobile use will now be the priority. This will give better organization to the mobile indexing, leading to content delivery being faster and more accurate for mobile users.

Google made the first move by splitting their mobile and desktop search indexes, which means it is time for site owners and SEO specialists to follow suit. If your site does not, at the very least, have a mobile version then Google will continue to demote it. Without mobile optimization, it is impossible for your site to gain better rankings and receive more traffic.

How To Make Google Happy

In order to satisfy Google under this update, mobile-friendly websites will be more important than ever. Not sure if your website is mobile-friendly? Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see if your site is compatible with the new requirements. Simply enter in your website’s URL and click “Analyze” to see if your site is mobile-friendly under Google’s standards.

Google search index

Other than being mobile-friendly, your site should also be optimized for speed. In order to increase the speed at which your mobile site loads on a mobile device, you should use the Accelerated Mobile Pages tool. This tool will help all of your mobile-friendly pages load much faster than before.

Faster page loads will benefit the user experience. Since mobile searches are conducted anywhere at any time, mobile service fluctuates. You want your mobile site to load as quickly as possible so that even with bad cellular reception, users can still access your site quickly and conveniently. Remember, the information people are searching for can most likely be found on multiple websites, not just yours. If your site doesn’t load within 5 seconds users will go back and try another site, leading to an unwanted number of bounce backs for you.

With the AMP tool, you’ll want to focus on pages that produce content, like blog pages or news and updates pages. Since mobile searches are conducted in hopes of finding the most up-to-date information, you want your site to focus on the pages that hold your most up-to-date information.

Google Search Index Split Pushes for Better SEO

With the Google search index splitting into two, SEO is now even more important than before. The update will roll out in the coming months but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to prepare for it. In fact, preparing now will only benefit you in the near future when the split actually does happen.

Creative Click Media has a team of SEO experts that can help you adjust to this split in the Google search index. Using WordPress development, we will make sure your site is mobile-friendly, optimized for speed and user experience, and continuously updated with new content to help increase your Google rankings. To make sure your website is ready for this update, get started today.

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