Google is all set to revamp its search ranking for mobiles, modifying the method in which its search engine recommends websites on them, a step that will reprimand various sites, including Microsoft and the European Union, says a report from the Financial Times. The search engine giant will start updating its algorithm for ranking sites to give preference to those that are “mobile friendly” while penalizing websites that are not in line with the set standards.
EU websites may be penalized
Experts of search engine optimization have called the shift “Mobilegeddon,” suggesting that the companies not ready to change themselves will sustain heavy damages. Such a move results in Google penalizing the EU, whose antitrust chief said Google is misusing its dominance in online search.
In its recent online test, Google showed that EU’s Europa website is not “mobile friendly.” The result revealed that texts over the website are not legible. Links on the site are “too close together,” the content is wider than the screen.
Gabrio Linari of The Search Agency U.K., an online marketing company, told FT, “Those without a mobile-optimised site may no longer rank on page one, whereas competitors that do have a mobile presence will take their place.”
Google gave a warning before
It is not that the internet giant has not warned of this move before. In February, Google issued a warning talking about an update which suggested that the change will affect mobile searches in all languages across the world and will have a significant effect on search results.
Somo, a mobile marketing agency, mentioned in its results that some of the world’s largest companies will be punished by Google, ranging from fashion brands such as Versace, technology sites such as Microsoft’s Windows Phone and financial services companies such as Legal and General.
As per the report, the modified algorithm will not impact searches on tablets or the desktops computers. But with mobile making up half of all searches on Google, companies will surely feel the impact. Therefore, a company that lags behind in abiding by Google’s mobile algorithm could pay dearly.
