Mobile Site Redirects – Google Recommends Responsive Design Over Redirects

by | Jun 18, 2013

Google sets SEO Standards for Mobile WebsitesGoogle sets SEO Standards for Mobile Websites

Yet another reason you might want to consider going responsive instead

Pressure has been put on sites with what Google is calling “faulty redirects”. These occur when a user on a mobile device requests a desktop page linked to on Google and is instead redirected to the site’s mobile homepage. According to Brian Klais, CEO of Pure Oxygen Labs (a mobile marketing firm), retailers with faulty redirects will suffer in their Google rankings.

Google recommends webmasters follow the industry best practice of using responsive web design, namely serving the same HTML for all devices and using only CSS media queries to decide the rendering on each device.

Responsive website design offers the best solution

As Bill Siwicki points out on Internet Retailer, this might be a good time to consider going with a single responsive website instead of relying on separate mobile and desktop websites:

Have your products gone Mobile Responsive Yet?

Have your products gone Mobile Responsive Yet?

There is a way around this common problem: Instead of going mobile with an m-commerce site for smartphones, create a responsive web design site. In fact, that is Google’s No. 1 recommendation for businesses looking to optimize their sites for mobile devices.

Responsive design uses one set of web content and one code base to create a single site that renders differently to fit the size of the screen of any device, be it a desktop, tablet, smartphone or smart TV. Because a responsive site is a single site, it only has one URL per page; thus, there is no need to match desktop URLs with mobile URLs.

Bill has offered three excellent tools to test if your mobile website is meeting Google standards.

Free tools to test your mobile website

Responsive Web Design is good for Google Search Optimization

Responsive Web Design is good for Google Search Optimization

Klais’ firmPure Oxygen Labs has created three free web-based tools retailers can use to check their mobile sites to see if the sites comply with Google’s rules. They are Mobile Site Analyzer, Mobile Page Analyzer and Mobile Redirect Viewer, and are located under the Tools tab at PureOxygenMobile.com. A marketer can enter a page URL into Mobile Page Analyzer and in 10 seconds view a report on the page that indicates whether it meets 10 criteria to pass muster with Google. The tool breaks results down by iPhone, Android and BlackBerry mobile operating systems. A marketer can enter a group of up to 50 pages into Mobile Site Analyzer to view reports on all pages in less than 10 minutes. Mobile Redirect Viewer accesses a single page simultaneously emulating five user agents—desktop computer, Google bot, iPhone, Android and iPad. The tool produces a report that shows a marketer or webmaster how her site is responding to different devices, and whether redirects meet Google requirements, Klais says.

Continue reading Bill Siwicki’s informative take on this pertinent issue at internetretailer.com.

Designing a website with SEO in mind is crucial for improving its visibility in Google searches. Here are some key aspects to consider for optimizing your website design for SEO:

### 1. **Keyword Research and Implementation**
– **Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research**: Identify relevant keywords and phrases your target audience is searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs.
– **Strategic Placement**: Integrate these keywords naturally throughout your website, including in titles, headings, meta descriptions, and body content.

### 2. **Responsive Design**
– **Mobile-Friendly**: Ensure your website is optimized for mobile devices as Google uses mobile-first indexing. Responsive design makes your site accessible and functional on both desktop and handheld devices.

### 3. **Site Structure and Navigation**
– **Logical and Intuitive Structure**: Organize content using a clear, hierarchical site structure. This helps search engines understand the organization of your content and improves user experience.
– **Breadcrumbs and Internal Linking**: Use breadcrumbs and a robust internal linking strategy to enhance navigation and authority distribution across your pages.

### 4. **Page Speed Optimization**
– **Fast Loading Times**: Optimize images, leverage browser caching, and minimize HTTP requests to improve page speed. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help assess and improve load times.

### 5. **Content Quality and Originality**
– **High-Quality Content**: Regularly update your site with high-quality, original content that provides value to your audience. This engages users and encourages sharing and backlinking.
– **Content Freshness**: Updating content with the latest information can improve its relevance and ranking.

### 6. **Meta Tags and Descriptions**
– **Compelling Meta Descriptions**: Write concise and compelling meta descriptions that incorporate primary keywords to improve CTR (click-through rates).
– **Title Tags**: Ensure each page has a unique title tag that includes keywords and accurately describes the page content.

### 7. **Use of Headers and Formatting**
– **Proper Use of Headers**: Utilize header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure content and highlight important information, making it easier for search engines to understand the hierarchy of your content.

### 8. **Optimized Media**
– **Alt Text for Images**: Add descriptive alt text to images using relevant keywords to improve image search ranking and accessibility.
– **Video Optimization**: If you use videos, ensure they’re properly optimized for fast loading and include transcriptions or captions.

### 9. **Secure and Accessible Website**
– **HTTPS**: Ensure your website runs on HTTPS to secure user data and improve trust and ranking signals to Google.
– **ADA Compliance**: Make sure your website is accessible to all users, which can also positively affect your SEO.

### 10. **XML Sitemaps and Robots.txt**
– **Submit an XML Sitemap**: Submit a sitemap to help Google understand the structure of your website and prioritize crawling.
– **Optimize Robots.txt**: Use the robots.txt file to guide search engines on which pages to crawl and index.

### 11. **Local SEO Considerations**
– **Google My Business**: Ensure your business is listed and updated on Google My Business if you target local audiences.
– **Local Keywords**: Include location-based keywords and create content relevant to your local audience.

By implementing these strategies, you’ll lay a strong foundation for your website to be more easily found and ranked by Google, ultimately increasing your site’s visibility and organic traffic.

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