As most undoubtedly know, search engine optimization in East Bay and other areas is essential for effectively marketing through an internet web site. Additionally, around 80% of consumers now use smartphones to find the company from whom they wish to purchase goods or services, making SEO for mobile devices more important than ever.
What does it mean for a web site to be optimized for mobile? A well-optimized mobile site is one that fits the smaller screen of a mobile device without the need to scroll horizontally. It has text large enough to read without zooming. It has simple code to ensure speedy loading. It does not contain Flash, which is incompatible with most mobile devices unless they have a plugin – which is not the default. Its links have enough space between them to make it easy to tap one without accidentally hitting a different one.
TIP ONE: Use the tools available for webmasters to evaluate websites to make sure they are mobile-friendly. Google provides one of these in its Webmaster Tools section. Simply enter the URL of the site in question, and it will evaluate it, score it, and give ideas and instructions on how to fix anything it finds that needs attention.
TIP TWO: Remember to capitalize on local searches. Be sure the contact information – name, address, phone number, city and state – of your business are accurate and complete.
TIP THREE: Make sure search engines like Google are aware that the site is mobile-friendly. Declaring a viewport will assist devices in properly displaying the site when using a responsive configuration. With dynamically served sites, the Vary HTTP header serves the purpose of alerting Google. For separate URLs, use the link rel=”alternate” tag on the desktop site and link rel=”canonical” on the mobile site to let search engines know that they are the same site for different screens.
TIP FOUR: Remember that speed is important. If a site takes more than two or three seconds to load, users will often give up and go elsewhere. Less code usually results in a faster load time. Smaller images or lower resolution can help. It also helps to have few or no ads from external sources, which usually take time to load. If the desktop site is slow to load, the mobile site will be even slower.
TIP FIVE: Do not block page resources. These are things like css, images, and javascript. Some people use the robots.txt file to block access. Some software has it blocked as a default. Take a moment to check and correct any blockages you may find.
Search engine optimization in East Bay for mobile is very similar to SEO for desktop browsers, at its core. Keywords can and should be used judiciously inside this content, as well as in titles, headings, URLs, alternate text for images, and meta descriptions. Keep in mind that the display space on a mobile device is much smaller and adjust accordingly. And, of course, quality content is always a top consideration and should be an integral part of any website.