Google’s Mobile Algorithm Set to Change April 21. Is Your Website Ready?

There are some big changes, quite possibly the biggest of all time, coming to Google's mobile search algorithm. It's being called "Mobilegeddon" and is expected to be the dawn of a new era of internet that has never been seen before. If you haven't optimized your website for mobile by the cutoff date of April 21st, you're going to be left in the dust of your competitors that already have.

It would be a major understatement to say that consumers rely on mobile devices during their search for a home. In fact, 40% of Homes.com's total traffic now comes from mobile and there has been a 192% increase in mobile property leads since 2014. This means that there's a huge opportunity to grow your business if you are able to provide a mobile platform that your audience can rely on.

There are more benefits that come with having a mobile-friendly website than simply creating a better experience for users on their smartphones and tablets. One of the most important advantages is the role that it plays in search engine optimization (SEO), which is the area that this new algorithm is expected to affect the most. The bottom line is this—your website will have a better chance of being discovered in mobile search results if it meets Google's mobile standards.

A study conducted by Advanced Web Ranking found that the first five results featured in a Google search accounted for 67% of all clicks and the results ranked from six to 10 accounts for only 3.73%. What this shows is simple. Higher search ranking equals more traffic to your website, thus more opportunities to connect with buyers and sellers.

So how do you know if your website is TRULY optimized for mobile? Well, there are a few ways that you can do this. First, you can use Google's helpful "Mobile Friendly Test" to figure out if your site is up to par with Google's general mobile requirements. It's pretty easy.Just paste your website's URL in the space provided and it will generate a checklist to show the key areas that Google analyzes when determining if your site is mobile ready. If you fail the test, it will identify where your site is lacking and will provide solutions on how to fix it.

Once you've run that test, try using the Mobile Usability Report to gain access to Google's Webmaster Tools, which will identify other areas of your website that could use a little improvement. Finally, there's the good ol' fashion method of personally navigating the site on your own mobile device to search for any other discrepancies. While all the changes that will be included in this new algorithm have yet to be released, these tests are pretty comprehensive and will help shed light on areas of your website that need work ahead of time.

April 21st is right around the corner, so the question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you're ready for it. Don't fall behind the competition because your website isn't up-to-date.

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.