The best SEO agency will surely be knowledgeable in implementing the “Mobile-First Indexing” algorithm update that Google requires. This is especially true if they have been in the industry for a very long time. There have been several “upgrades” to Google’s Mobile-First Indexing. So if you are a website owner, it’s just right that you seek such professionals who can help your site become mobile-ready, especially now that Google has announced the scrapping of desktop-only websites.
If you aren’t familiar with this, you may want to check out the following items.
1.Don’t jump the gun
A mobile-ready site isn’t just about passing the mobile-friendly test. Many websites rolled out sub-standard changes to avoid a ranking drop when the April 2015 mobile-friendly update rolled out, negatively impact the UX of sites for visitors. Google has said that it is better to not sacrifice a fully functional desktop-focused site and wait to roll out URLs that provide a positive user experience for mobile visitors rather than rushing and producing something substandard just for mobile-first indexing.
2.Think about ‘information overload’ in an over-connected mobile-first world
Can the top SEO agency provide the same things or meet the same details needed in a shorter yet concise way, like provide ‘substantively’ the same? The usage of executive summaries, TDLR, table of contents, and named anchors that easily go to the main areas of the page or back up to the top will all contribute to user happiness. Over time, they may even assist you in becoming the “selected one” in voice search inquiries.
3.Flash is a total no-no
Completely avoid presenting content to users on mobile devices, which requires Flash to be installed as mobile devices do not support this. It would be best to connect with the SEO agency to discuss the best alternatives to flash by combining HTML5 and JavaScript or CSS3. Many of the functionality provided by Flash can be partially or completely imitated or replaced by these newer markup and code technologies.
4.Consider XML Sitemap and robots.txt
All connections to your XML Sitemap should be available from your site’s mobile version. Because these files direct Google to all of your vital pages, it is critical that crawlers can locate them. Robots.txt directives are used to advise crawlers about which portions of the site may or may not be crawled. Either you or your chosen top SEO agency must have control over these versions for your website.
5.Don’t forget about hreflang links
Hreflang attributes are used to tell Google you’re using different languages for different pages. They help search engines provide users searching in a specific language with relevant results. If you use ‘rel=hreflang’ on the mobile version of your site, make sure you separate it from the desktop one. In short, the hreflang on your mobile page must match up with the mobile URL as the desktop page’s hreflang should match up with the desktop URL.
6.Prioritise content
As mobile-first indexing means your mobile content is prioritised. For this, you should provide a clear structure of your texts. Being constantly in a rush, mobile users prefer easy-to-consume information. The mobile SEO agency can make your content more concise and appealing by dividing your texts into paragraphs.
Using expandable menus is also advisable. Remember how Google crawls all the content hidden in dropdowns on mobile? Using hamburger and accordion menus, you save the limited screen size and improve user experience significantly.
7.Check your metadata, schema markup and social metadata
If you haven’t already, it’s time to start adding metadata to your webpages, such as titles, meta descriptions, and schema markup. Although titles and meta descriptions are widespread, you may be unfamiliar with schema markup. These are extra fields that help Google, and other search engines understand how to categorise your content. Moreover, your mobile-friendly website should have social metadata, such as Twitter cards or Open Graph cards.
8.Make sure to carry out verification
It’s not enough to verify your desktop website alone on the Google Search Console for mobile-first indexing for WordPress. The mobile SEO agency will need to submit your mobile version of your WordPress as well to Google Search Console for verification.
Indeed, having a strong ranking will give your company a good online presence that can provide you with an increase in revenue and customers. One way to achieve that is to make your websites mobile-ready with the help of these SEO practices above that will be implemented by your chosen SEO agency. Hence, make sure to go out there now and look for the best SEO expert who can implement all of these. By doing so, you can enjoy the benefits a Google recognised website has to offer you and your business.