Google’s latest algorithm update – an update concentrating on improving mobile experience by making sure you can get relevant answers no matter whether or not you’re on a mobile device –  is set out to help benefit mobile-friendly sites on mobile devices. Algorithm updates have gotten a bad reputation for the catastrophic potential that they pose upon initial integration. A good example of this being Youtube’s infamous algorithm update that obliterated many Youtubers’ fanbases and put them out of a job. Now many have been awaiting Google’s algorithm update with bated-breath, bracing for the same possible devastation. In March, Google announced that they were preparing to update their mobile friendly algorithm sometime in between April and May, and it is finally here.

As of April 21^st, the goal of the new algorithm is to, “increase the effect of the [mobile friendly] ranking signal,” but Google has informed users that the update will have virtually no impact on users that are already mobile friendly. The update is intended to happen gradually and will not cause a major drop in the support of websites that are considered “non-mobile friendly.” Instead, consumers should expect to wait about a week or more, before all of the changes are fully integrated into the index.

This page level change will have no effect on searches from smartphones, tablets, or desktops, instead only taking place on searches from mobile devices across all languages and locations. Still, even with the smallest bit of impact, having a mobile friendly website positively influences SEO, making it easier for people to locate results related to a webpage. Search engine optimization, commonly abbreviated to SEO, is the process of affecting the visibility of a webpage in a search engine’s unpaid (also referred to as natural or organic) results. To test individual pages to see if they are mobile friendly, many have been utilizing the Mobile Friendly Test.

This update is not the first time Google has endeavored to improve the mobile experience and it is certainly far from the last, as Google is constantly re-innovating their process. Concentrating on “getting good, relevant answers,” it’s clear that there will be definite improvements in the future―if not already―from this latest update.

1. A Window Into the Lives of Your Customers and Target Audience

   Social media is a great opportunity to investigate who is responding to your product or service and how they are responding to it. Pay close attention to the demographic and age group of people that you’re generally appealing to. Could it be larger? This information can be very useful in letting you know whether advertisements need to be reworked to be more palatable to a larger audience or whether you need to narrow down the scope and appeal to a specific group of people, such as college students or the elderly.

2. Competitors are Likely Already Taking Advantage of it.

   If you are considering taking your business to the social media front, chances are your competition is already there taking advantage of your potential customers because they are―in a sense―running unopposed. Not only is it important for your customer base, but it is also useful to keep tabs on the competition and scope out their own strategies. Use the opportunity to see what is working well for your competitor and what is falling flat. This will add to the variables you consider when discussing directions to take your business in.

3. A New Level of Customer Service

   Often times when a customer is disgruntled with a product or service, they will take to social media and voice their displeasure there, sometimes tagging businesses in their post or posting directly to the businesses page. This is actually a crucial aspect of interaction with your customer that can make or break your businesses reputation. It all depends on how quickly to address the situation and of course, how you handle it. Offer assistance, an apology, a solution, and maybe even a discount on a future purchase for the customer. This will not only reinforce a bond with your customer, but for lack of a better term, provide free publicity. Other social media onlookers will see the interaction between you and your customers and in turn cause new opinions to be formed. You may even change a couple people’s first impressions of your business with how well you handles disgruntled customers on social media.

   Ultimately, social media isn’t going anywhere, and by resisting the pull toward it, you are only hurting your businesses success in the long run. Of course this also means that once you register your business on social media, you must post consistently. Don’t bombard your followers with content, but update regularly. Nothing is more discouraging to a customer than a business social media account that hasn’t updated in half a year.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and basically boils down to the reason people can find your business’s website when searching keywords on search engines. Whoever is in charge of SEO for your website will run what’s called a keyword analysis to pinpoint which keywords will get your website the most foot traffic and suggest your website more frequently in internet searches. These keywords are then implemented into your website, sprinkled throughout the about page, blog posts, and so on. The better your SEO is, the more likely your website is to show up in general internet searches.

Many people think SEO is a waste of time and money―arguing that website suggestions on search engines are based on popularity and not keywords. To a certain extent, this argument holds some truth. When you type in ‘facebook’ of course the largest most successful social media platform in the world is going to be the first suggestion instead of a student directory for your local college. But if your business is small or just starting off, it is very easy for your website to get lost in the sea of more successful websites similar to yours. That where SEO comes in, targeting specific keywords to set your business apart from the rest and put your website on the frontlines of search results.

SEO can also help validate your business as a legitimate operation to people who have never heard you before. Let’s be honest with ourselves and say most of us do not get to the bottom of the first page of a google search result before we are typing something else into the search bar if we don’t immediately find what we’re looking for. Being the very first result of a search legitimizes your business to the average consumer whether they are consciously aware of it or not. The thought process is―google thinks this business is good enough to be at the top of the page, so it must be worth my time.

Search engine optimization has a lot to offer for your business and it can take your company to new levels it has not reached before. Schedule an appointment with us today to discover how your website can be optimized to appear at the top of search results and enjoy the difference it makes in the success of your business!