I'm posting a little early this week to call attention to today -- April 21 -- as the day Google's newest algorithm change goes into effect.
The biggest change is that internet searches done on mobile devices will now favor logistics websites that are mobile-friendly. That's significant since more than 60% of online traffic comes from mobile.
In Google's own words "Starting April 21 we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change...will have a significant impact on our search results."
Why are they making this change? For the same reason Google initiates any major algorithm change: it wants users to have a great online experience, to easily find what they're searching for, and to end up on high-quality, easy-to-use sites.
Is your logistics website mobile ready?
To find out, take Google's mobile friendly test. Or, use your smart phone to look up your site on Google. If you don't see the gray "mobile-friendly" label listed under your URL in the search results, you've got some work to do.
If you were a local business, like a restaurant, this change from Google might impact you much more severely. But you might be surprised at the percent of your logistics website visitors that come from mobile. To learn this percentage, refer to your site analytics package. If, like many logistics website owners, you use the free Google Analytics package, open the application and navigate to Audience/Mobile/Overview using the left column navigation. The resulting data to the right will break down the percent of visitors who arrive via desktop, mobile or tablet.
What to do if your logistics website is not mobile-friendly
If your site is not mobile-friendly, your rankings on mobile searches will likely fall, lowering the volume of traffic to your site. Our advice: fix it. The last thing you want is to make your logistics company harder to find on the web.
If you want to dig into the details yourself, Google Webmaster Tools (GWT) can help. If you don't have the tool, it's easy to set up a GWT account. Once set up, simply navigate to the mobile-friendly usability report for a full list of mobile usability issues across your site.
Alternatively, you can work with a digital marketing firm to tweak your existing site or migrate the site to a mobile-friendly platform. This could be a good time, as well, to do a comprehensive website audit to review your logistics website's performance on a range of factors, including search engine optimization.
Links from this post:
- How to test if your site is mobile friendly in Google.
- Sign up for a free Google Analytics account.
- Set up Google Webmaster Tools for detailed analysis of your logistics site.
- Get a free mobile-friendly usability report for your site from Google Webmaster Tools.
- Work with a digital marketing firm (link to Logistics Marketing Advisors).
- Request a website audit to discover more about the effectiveness of your logistics website.
