Creating a mobile-friendly site doesn't have to be difficult – but you also need a mobile SEO strategy. If your site isn't being found, there are plenty of ways to boost your site's visibility. We've got ten reasons you're not being found – and what to do about it.
1. Your site isn't mobile-friendly
This is pretty important! You'll need a dedicated or responsive mobile site; whichever works best for your business. With mobile traffic rising at a faster rate than desktop traffic, you'll need to ensure your site is suitable for viewing on mobile devices, or you could miss out. If you need extra information on this here is a great article - How To Make Your Website Mobile Friendly.
2. Slow loading pages
Slow loading times can put visitors off – there's nothing more frustrating than waiting for pages to load on a smartphone while on the go. Reducing the size of images and eliminating unnecessary design elements on your mobile site can help. Google looks for mobile pages to load in one second or less in order to keep users engaged – but the average loading time for most sites is around seven seconds. Bear in mind that page load speed is crucial when it comes to a successful mobile SEO strategy, so spend some time getting this right.
3. You're not focused on the mobile user experience
Want a successful mobile SEO strategy? User experience is the most important factor. User experience affects your website's ability to engage visitors, which can directly impact search engine ranking, not to mention your conversion rates. Providing a great experience for your customers will improve your site rankings, so don't be afraid to spend time focusing on this.
4. You're not taking voice search into account
People search differently using mobile devices, which means it's no longer enough to combine keywords and a location when it comes to your mobile SEO strategy. More mobile users than ever before are using the voice search facility on their smartphones, so keywords need to be considered in context. For example, a user looking for an office furniture company in Brighton may ask their phone “Where is the nearest office furniture company?” rather than typing in (for example) “office furniture company Brighton”. These search results will be based on the location of the mobile user, so you'll need to create an SEO strategy which promotes the location of your business and includes more conversational terms in its content – this can give you the edge over competitors in your area. Learn more about the power of voice search here - Google Voice Search – The Future Of Mobile Search.
5. You don't understand mobile user intent
A successful mobile website needs an SEO strategy which focuses on the wants and needs of its audience – and these may be different for mobile users than desktop users. Those searching using their smartphones are often looking for a local business – in fact according to figures from Google, 69% of mobile users are searching for businesses within 5 miles of their location. This is why having a Google + business listing and ensuring your contact information, operating hours and a physical address are all clearly visible to those searching on-the-go on your mobile-friendly site.
6. Your site isn't focused on usability
The design and usability of your site can really impact your ability to engage users and boost conversions. Mobile users are viewing your site on a smaller screen, so information should be easily digestible, clear to read and with clear calls-to-action. Big buttons can also make the mobile user experience more positive. Usability is more important than design when it comes to mobile sites, so eliminate any non-essential design elements, which can make your site appear cluttered and lead to slow loading times.
7. You're not using the right keywords
Keywords for mobile sites should include information about the location of your business. Mobile users are often searching for local businesses, so by failing to use keywords which include your location, you won't show up in local search results.
8. Unplayable content
When users visit a page which has content that's not supported on mobile devices – such as Flash player, they'll get an error message, resulting in a poor mobile user experience. Consider using HTML5 animation for animated content rather than multimedia players such as Flash player.
9. Your cross-links are irrelevant
If your site serves users on separate mobile URLs and you have links to the desktop version of your site (and vice versa), it could be that those links are pointing to an irrelevant page – for example your mobile pages could link to the homepage of your desktop site. Don't make this mistake!
10. Elements on your page are too close together
This links back to the usability and design of your site. Having buttons and links too close together means users can accidentally tap the wrong elements with their finger. Make sure elements are sized and spaced appropriately for mobile users.
Maybe you can relate to one of these ten reasons, or maybe more than one applies to your website. Spend some time fixing the problems with your mobile site and you'll notice an increase in visitors and boost to your conversion rates.
To find out more about how JDR can give you a website design that works for mobile users and improve your mobile marketing – visit the website www.jdrgroup.co.uk or call today on 01332 343281
