After Google announced that it was changing its search algorithm (yet again), panic unsurprisingly ensued—but making the switch to a mobile-friendly site isn’t as daunting as it sounds. If you’ve already implemented your redesign, or if you’d like to test your existing site, here’s how to can tell if your site meets Google’s new mobile-friendly requirements.
Testing Looks & Functionality
The first step is using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to determine whether or not your site meets the criteria. Simply input your URL and the test will give you a clear yes or no, and even show you what GoogleBot sees when it visits your site. If there are errors, it will display a list of what you need to correct before it gets the Google stamp of approval. Some examples include text that’s too small or links that are too close together.
If you’d like a more technical look at what goes into a mobile-friendly site, a more appropriate tool might be W3C Mobile OK Checker, which can provide you with in-depth specs and failures for your site. For those who want something in the middle, mobiReady gives you a glance at how users on any device will see your site as well as its failure points.
Of course, more goes into mobile-friendliness than the looks. Load speed is also a significant factor in Google’s considerations. There are a variety of handy tools out there to test this, including PageSpeed Insights. The faster your page, the higher it will rank with Google’s new algorithm.
Does Your Site Pass the Test?
These tools will not only tell you whether or not your site meets Google’s requirements, but will also help you bring your site up to par. Once you’ve met all of the requirements, you’ll get a boost in your Google ranking and more site traffic as a result.