Google Recommends Responsive Web Design For Mobile

Google finally joined Bing and brought clarity to what they consider best practice for building a mobile website by announcing and posting Recommendations for building mobile smartphone-optimized websites.

Recent Spyder Trap Responsive Web Design project for VigiLanz

Pierre Far of Google delivered the news in person at SMX Advanced and also gave helpful adjustments to make sure Google’s mobile bot reads your mobile content correctly, whether it’s a responsive web design using a single domain or a mobile friendly website at its own domain (m.domain.com).

Mobile Web Design Recommendations Related to Google:

1. Responsive Web Design is Google’s preferred configuration (Bing’s too). This means the same URL, code and content appears within a fluid grid using CSS3, dynamically altering its size and layout depending on the user’s device or browser.

2. This single URL and site content makes it easier for Google’s algorithms to index and rank a site, as the Googlebot won’t have to rate two separate sites. This is also good news for SEO campaigns as the same link and content optimization can affect both versions.

3. In situations where responsive web design is not appropriate, Google also supports websites that serve different HTML to different user agents, whether with one or more URLs. However, it transpires that it is essential to use the Vary HTTP header to tell the Googlebot that this is the case.

IMPORTANT: The “sky is not falling” for mobile friendly web design. The above technical additions to your site allow for your http://m.domain.com site to be crawled just fine. Google prefers responsive web design, but in no way bans the other methods. Exhale.

I also think there are certain sites and situations that a mobile specific site is far better for the user and their marketing.

Mobile Search Is (Kinda) Like Desktop Search (For Now)

Speculation has been growing on how Google ranks mobile search results, especially as mobile search traffic has quadrupled in the last year alone. Google’s Pierre Far commented during his presentation that Google’s mobile search uses “pretty much” the same desktop or traditional search ranking factors for the mobile results.  He also shared that this is “for the time being”.

That said, many others have found variances in the results from mobile and desktop searches.  It’s safe to say that while the core ranking factors might be the same, Google is treating mobile search different already with factors and screen display adjustments.  It’s also easy to understand and key to realize that local search is a bigger part of mobile search. Don’t sleep on any of this, it’s changing rapidly.

Mobile search’s growth, Google’s latest vote for responsive web design and the dominance of Google, with 97% of all mobile web searches, indicates that more factors are headed for mobile search rankings.  I have no doubt that a mobile friendly or responsive web site will be part of those factors.

Mobile Search Dominance

The current mobile search results opportunity is a very focused one with less results and major real estate for the top two paid ads.  A top organic rank and a top 2 paid result for the same website can garner 66% or higher of the mobile screen real estate.

For a desktop search, you’d need to control around 4 or 5 of the results in a normal search result page with 12 to 14 available spots. That’s usually impossible.

Considering Google local search results, one business can get all of the love by being in the top local result with the map.  The example below shows two different mobile searches where the “A pin” local listing is essentially all by itself on the screen.  Just one business with its link and buttons to call or map directions to.

Become Technically Sound First

In closing, Far stressed to the attendees that anyone serious about succeeding in mobile web and mobile search will put their focus on the right build and technical configuration first.  Without the right base, your optimization efforts for mobile can fall flat.

A mobile searcher is more likely to accomplish a specific task or objective in an almost immediate timeframe with local intent as shown in these mobile search stats:

• 70% of mobile searches lead to action within one hour, as opposed to online searches, 70% of which lead to action within 1 month.
• 50% of mobile searches have local intent: 20% for food and entertainment, 16% auto and 15% consumer products.

5 Common Mobile Search Behaviors

1. Fewer keywords: The Mobile searcher is using less keywords to find what they are looking for on their mobile device.  This is largely due to the smaller screen and a phone’s keypad.

2. Location is key: Mobile users are on the go and ready to take action. Another thing to consider is that GPS is standard on most smart phones so claiming your local profile on Google Places is key for users that are looking for directions and specific location details.

3. Mobile experience: Your site should provide a user-friendly experience on their mobile device accounting for the reduction in screen size, variance in navigation methods and the context of the user.  Mobile Optimized vs. Mobile Friendly are 2 common terms you may have heard.

Mobile Optimized:
This refers to structuring a mobile site to the meet the user’s needs. A mobile web design should be simple, have only the most relevant content, have directions if applicable, and have little-to-no large graphic elements.  Mobile optimized sites user browser detection to serve the user this mobile version automatically from their device.

Mobile Friendly:
This term refers to a site that has elements are viewable on a mobile device, this would exclude Flash sites, but isn’t optimized for the mobile users.  The screen size isn’t set for a mobile device so adjusting the size of your screen may still be needed.

4. Time: Mobile Searchers are looking for information more frequently on evenings and weekends.  The is the opposite of desktop users search behavior.

5. Browser searches vs. Apps: Browser searches continue to dominate the mobile search field at 73% but using apps to search is continuing to grow and catch up to Browser search volume. This is largely due to the convenience and ease of use Apps provide vs. the mobile browser search experience.

Mobile Search Final Thoughts

The key to your success with mobile search is using the combination of these 5 behaviors and building a simple but solid mobile presence.  Considering your user and their needs in the search and purchase process is a great place to start.

If you are a business that depends on local foot traffic or your target market is a technology and device savvy crowd, mobile is a must.

At Spyder Trap, we’ve seen as high as 25% of a clients web traffic coming from mobile devices like the iPhone, Android and iPad.  Whatever your number might be for mobile traffic and mobile search referrals, it’s only going to grow.

This year’s edition surveyed 33 local search experts including myself and focused on both the Blended Place results and the Pure Place results ranking factors.

The changes in local search ranking factors this year have greatly increased the value a quality website brings to the mix.  In years past, almost all of your local ranking was determined by factors outside of your website, not anymore.

Overall Top 10 Local Ranking Factors To Focus On

1.    Physical Address in City of Search
2.    Manually Owner-verified Place Page (check your verification)
3.    Proper Category Associations
4.    Volume of Traditional Structured Citations (IYPs, Data Aggregators)
5.    Crawlable Address Matching Place Page Address
6.    PageRank / Authority of Website Homepage / Highest Ranked Page
7.    Quality of Inbound Links to Website
8.    Crawlable Phone Number Matching Place Page Phone Number
9.    Local Area Code on Place Page
10.   City, State in Places Landing Page Title

The report dives further into the needs of both pure and blended results as well as factors to avoid (negative practices to avoid).  This years edition also has an addendum that explores why Google displays a Pure or Blended results page.

Reading this year’s edition as well as past editions will greatly help your local search understanding.  While there are clear numerical breakdowns of the factors at work, expert comments on each topic provide extremely valuable insight for anyone.

You can read David’s summary of the 2011 report as well as follow him on Twitter via @DavidMihm.