10 Ways to Optimize Your Site for Mobile Search. Mobile search is different than desktop search in a few ways. We also use mobile devices on the go. The context of mobile search can be different than on desktop devices. This means you’ll reap some very important benefits by implementing AMP markup into your web page. Users can now scroll down through the search results and across on some sites for more content from my web page. Google and other search providers are making this push to force web developers to create simpler designs with fewer load times. Look at your mobile website Your content needs to be mobile-friendly. Here’s the same search result on mobile. Here we were given a full 2 keywords that didn’t appear on the desktop site.
Mobile isn’t just the way of the future. It’s the way of the now.
Google is working on splitting desktop and mobile into separate indexes. And mobile will be primary.
SEOs like myself have been pushing mobile for the better part of five years now.
It’s no longer a new idea.
Research shows mobile users outpaced desktop as of 2014. That was a long time ago.
Did you know mobile devices are our primary connection to the Internet?
In fact, mobile accounts for 71% of total online time in the U.S.
It’s not just mobile, but smartphones specifically. We love our smartphones!
They’re used more than desktops, laptops, and tablets.
Knowing all this, it only makes sense to optimize your website for mobile devices, right?
But how exactly do we do that?
Mobile search is different than desktop search in a few ways.
People are increasingly using apps, voice assistants, and IoT devices for online searches.
We also use mobile devices on the go. The context of mobile search can be different than on desktop devices.
So making sure your website shows up in mobile search is now mandatory.
To get you started, I put together my list of the best ways to make sure your website shows up on mobile SERPs.
Let’s get right into it.
1. Use Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) markup
As of February 2016, AMP has been officially integrated into Google’s mobile search results.
This means you’ll reap some very important benefits by implementing AMP markup into your web page.
First, you’ll be included in Google’s SERPs above search results and even paid results for certain searches.
In addition, you can implement the AMP content carousel into your own web page like I did with mine.
Users can now scroll down through the search results and across on some sites for more content from my web page.
Each blog I post creates another carousel entry.
This technique allows you to pack a ton of content into one search result, greatly amplifying your reach.
It’s how you make the most of your search rankings. Twitter is using this technique to display a user’s recent tweets.
Now I have two horizontal content feeds in the vertical search results.
Are you starting to see why AMP is important?
It’s meant to strip mobile pages of all the bells and whistles to focus only on the necessary components.
Google and other search providers are making this push to force web developers to create simpler designs with fewer load times.
There are three components to successfully implementing AMP into your website’s structure.
- AMP HTML – This redesigned HTML uses custom AMP-related commands for more dynamic mobile content.
- AMP JS – Asynchronous loading is the goal of the AMP Javascript structure.
- AMP CDN – A Google-hosted content delivery network with cached content.
By optimizing for AMP, you create a duplicate layer of your content optimized for mobile devices.
Both are served to search engines and social media platforms, literally amplifying your content.
Killing two birds with one stone is a dream scenario for marketers.
AMP isn’t the only trick to get you more visual mobile content.
Google also relies heavily on schema for mobile searches.
2. Implement Schema markup
You already know I’m a fan of structured data.
It’s one of the few technical parts of digital marketing I like to roll up my sleeves for.
This is because structured schema data can trump all other SEO efforts by answering a specific user question well enough to be featured as essentially the only answer.
It doesn’t take a technical genius to get started. There’s a plugin for WordPress called Schema App Structured Data that I love.
Google has long been working on providing simple answers to user queries.
When we search the term “what is content marketing?” for example, we are presented with an infobox with answers to related questions.
By answering as many specific user questions as possible in your blog, you’ll gain more exposure.
Of course, that’s only if you implement schema markup.
But that’s not the only benefit.
Check out this search of “food subscription boxes.”
Buzzfeed’s schema allows it to outrank everything but the PPC campaigns for Blue Apron and HelloFresh (neither of which is shown in the preview of Buzzfeed’s article).
Essentially, Buzzfeed put a list within a list of the search results.
This once again proves the success of listicles online (and Buzzfeed’s mastery of them).
Even the PPC campaign for the term is somewhat high at nearly $6.
Using elbow grease instead of spending money is never a bad idea.
We still have some more technical stuff to go through, so I hope you’re still with me.
Don’t worry. It doesn’t get too wonky.
3. Choose a responsive web design
Ever since Mobilegeddon in 2015, responsive web design has been mandatory to maintain rankings.
And Google has made it very clear it’s only going to continue prioritizing mobile design.
Responsive HTML adapts according to the screen size and orientation of the device viewing the content.
For example, the code for a fixed-width column looks like this.
This is non-responsive HTML that will fix the width at 320px. While this will display well on an iPhone, it’s going to look terrible on a desktop or tablet.
Instead of considering every possible screen size for every device, this simple, responsive code can be used.
It’s sleeker, simpler, and much more powerful.
These simple changes ensure that every image and character on your website is displayed exactly how you want.
On a desktop, the weather report may be landscape.
But on mobile devices, this information needs to be displayed vertically.
Responsive design is the most effective way to personalize each end user’s experience while also minimizing HTML code on your end.
Of course, you don’t even have to program your website yourself. Many people and businesses use WordPress.
Thankfully, the WPBeginner editorial staff put together a great list of the best responsive themes for any website.
Now we need to talk about images.
4. Compress images
Images are necessary for dynamic web content.
You’ll notice I use a ton of graphs, screenshots,…
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