Making your mark in the digital world is extremely difficult, with thousands of websites and businesses competing for the same customers. We all know about the importance of SEO, but implementing these practices takes time, skill, and understanding as to exactly what Google is looking for.

One thing that we can all agree on is the increased importance that mobile search has taken on over the past few years. However, not all website owners understand what a profound difference this has made to the creation and implementation of SEO strategies.

The reality is that not all website owners have to — particularly if they are working with an established team providing SEO services in Australia, like Newpath Web. Read on to hear expert advice from our team of SEO specialists about the importance of optimising your site for mobile audiences.

SEO explained

SEO — or Search Engine Optimisation — is an organic digital marketing practice, the purpose of which is to improve your website’s SERP ranking.

But what exactly does that mean?

Well, let’s start with the term ‘organic’. When used to describe a marketing strategy, organic means that you are implementing strategies that are designed to attract customers naturally and over time. One of the easiest ways to explain organic marketing is to explain what it isn’t, which is a paid advertisement.

When you type a search term into Google, you are presented with a page (known as the SERP — search engine results page) that includes two types of results — organic and paid. Paid are easy to spot — they will have a little ‘ad’ disclaimer next to them. Organic results, on the other hand, are those that are calculated via the search engine’s algorithm, based upon a number of factors such as relevance.

Google ads can make you appear on the top page of their search engine results. However, this will depend on many factors like market competition and targeting right keywords and will only be for a limited amount of time — until your funds run out.

A successful organic strategy means that your site can occupy a top ranking position without you having to continually purchase advertising space. It is far more cost-effective and can generate increased interest in your website, business, products and services.

SEO is quite a complex area of marketing. While it is not as expensive as PPC (pay-per-click) strategies, it can take a considerable amount of time before you start seeing results. A well-rounded SEO strategy generally consists of three separate targeted categories: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.

On-page and technical SEO is all about making changes to the structure and function of your website so that users have the best experience possible while browsing. Off-page SEO, on the other hand, is centred around sharing your site content as widely as possible, through link-sharing and social media.

What’s so different about mobile SEO?

Google (and other search engines) aim to provide users with results that they feel are the most relevant to their search term. They also put a strong focus on creating a good user experience. After all, if they are suggesting websites that take too long to load or put your device and information at risk of being hacked, it’s unlikely that we (as search engine users) will make use of their service again.

As part of this, Google pays particular attention to how we are searching, in particular, whether we are using a computer or mobile device. It is estimated that approximately 3.5 billion Google searches are conducted every day. In 2020, Semrush believes that 66 percent of all search traffic originated from a mobile device, suggesting that the future definitely lies in the hands of smartphone users.

What impact does this have on SEO strategies, if any?

Well, what these kinds of statistics mean is that websites need to be optimised for mobile devices if they are to perform well in SEO rankings. If browsing on mobile is a priority for consumers, it follows suit that it is a priority for Google.

This has also been clearly articulated by the search engine itself. Google has rolled out several algorithm updates in recent years that have suggested that the mobile performance of your website is of utmost importance, and is one of the key factors on which their algorithms sort and rank websites.

When putting together an SEO strategy, the mobile performance of your site should be a top priority. This means that you need to pay careful attention to:

• The legibility of your content: Mobile users aren’t put off by the small screen — providing that they can easily read the content. You should not have to ‘pinch’ the screen (zoom in) and scroll horizontally to read all the information contained on a mobile page.
• Page speed: If it takes more than a few seconds for your page to load, you’ve already started to lose potential customers. Google themselves have suggested that a single second delay can cut your traffic conversation by up to 20 percent.
• Local information: Mobile searchers are often on the go, looking for restaurants or shops near them. If your business is targeting local customers, Google needs to know. This can be signalled through the inclusion of a business name, address, and contact details in your metadata.

These are just a handful of the mobile factors that must be attended to to ensure your website is reaching your target audience.

Newpath Web — your SEO specialists

Now you know why it’s important to optimise a page for mobile search, your next question should be — how?

There are a few ways that a mobile-friendly site can be achieved; all of them are best implemented by a trained development team that provides SEO services in Australia. After all, SEO is a complex game and the last thing you want is to make poor decisions that could have a devastating impact on your online marketing performance.

Fortunately, Newpath Web is here to help. Our experienced team of SEO experts and developers understand exactly what it takes to implement mobile-friendly organic strategies that will see your website soar to the top of the search engine results page. Contact us today to find out how we can get more customers onto your site and through your door.