Will Making My Website Responsive Help My SEO?
YES! Though as with any SEO strategy it takes time for the robots to come around and improve their assessment of your website.
All the major search engines have raised mobile compatibility requirements for their ranking calculations. How much weight mobile compliance carries is a trade secret that only their genius mathematicians and statisticians are aware of, but it is clear to anybody who works on the marketing side of SEO development (like us!) that it is one of the most heavily considered aspects of a website when it comes to SEO quality and improving a website’s search engine results. In fact, WordPress websites that are not fully mobile compliant are now a “red flag” to the search engines and have a significantly negative impact to your website’s ranking and score.
What if SEO isn’t important to me? Do I still need a responsive website?
We create and redesign custom WordPress websites for many types of companies and individuals, some of which have no interest in SEO marketing because their business simply does not rely on outbound marketing efforts or any digital advertising. Their customers come directly to them through different channels like direct industry connections, print advertising, in-person meetings, conventions, and good old-fashioned word of mouth referrals.
Some businesses make the common mistake of thinking that since they do not need SEO or do any digital marketing then they do not need to update their website so that it is mobile compliant and responsive. However, this is a false assumption that can negatively impact a business! A non-compliant website can harm a business even if SEO is not a factor in their marketing.
Responsive websites deliver a better, more consistent user experience
When looking for you online, people will Google the name of your business or product to find your website because they don’t know the URL itself. And even if they do know the direct URL address, people are lazy by nature and are accustomed to typing the search in the Google interface first. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m one of those people! It drives my husband crazy when I literally will Google the actual URL of a website rather than type it into the address bar, just out of sheer habit. Weird as it might seem to him, Googling everything is common behavior, and it’s important to address that behavior when designing your WordPress website.
If somebody Googles the name of your business and your website does not appear on the first page of Google’s search engine results, the negative impact is clear:
– The visitor feels immediately frustrated
– It becomes more difficult for the visitor to find your company or product
– The visitor may abandon the search entirely
– Even if they eventually find you, there is a feeling that their time has been wasted
– There is a negative experience associated with your company and brand that carries forward
– That visitor may share that negative experience with others in the future – “I tried to find them online but couldn’t!”
Any high-quality, legitimate company should always be easy to find on the Internet, and deliver a positive user experience.
Easily found, high quality digital access clearly has a huge impact on companies that are advertising and marketing through digital avenues, but it also has a big impact on any company that has a basic online presence that does not rely on SEO for business. If somebody is looking for you, you want them to be able to find you – even a word of mouth referral or current customer might stop looking altogether and consider other companies that appeared on their search. And once they find you, you want them to have a positive experience not a negative one.
The takeaway? Maintaining a responsive mobile compliant website is a tip-top priority when assessing the quality of your digital assets!
I’m right here in Austin, Texas and work with clients all around the world! Text me at 512-412-2967 to discuss your WordPress website or SEO needs today.