We can plan entire trips, watch feature films and work out with millions around the world all on our mobile devices. Even corporate executives might just be able to get all the information they need to evaluate new locations the same way. Is it any wonder that Google prioritises the mobile version of websites over desktop these days?  

The tech giant announced recently that its quest to move to mobile-first indexing is complete. It is a clear signal from the search engine leader: our web platforms must be optimized for mobile users who are increasingly our primary audience. It is also a reminder of the ongoing shift in user behaviour.  

Ensuring that our sites are responsive and mobile-friendly is now more than a best practice. It has become a necessity for staying relevant and accessible in Google's search pages. Investment promotion agencies generally already struggle on this topic, as we experienced during our own site selection process. Let’s look at what this means and why investment promotion website optimisation for mobile should be on your marketing team’s priority list in 2024. 

When did Google announce mobile-first indexing and why? 

Google first announced its intention to prioritize mobile indexing back in 2016, a response to the surge in mobile internet usage. By March 2018, they started rolling out mobile-first indexing, which became the default for all new web domains as of July 2019, so this isn’t exactly ground-breaking news. 

The rationale is straightforward: most users are now accessing the web via mobile devices, and Google’s shift ensures their search algorithms align with user behaviour. This change aims to incentivise websites to improve the mobile user experience, providing searchers with content that's not just rich and relevant but also easily accessible on their devices of choice. 

This latest announcement simply confirms what we already knew – if your site doesn’t work on mobile, your organisation is operating in a different era. 

What are the implications of mobile-first indexing? 

Websites with responsive design, fast loading times, and mobile-friendly navigation have seen better search rankings and increased user engagement. On the flip side, sites neglecting mobile optimization have experienced a noticeable drop in their search visibility. For economic development, this could equate to lost investment opportunities. 

Content parity between desktop and mobile versions has also emerged as crucial, as any disparity can lead to undervaluing of the site's content by Google’s mobile-first indexing. This reinforces a simple tenet: what's good for the mobile user is good for search—and by extension, the site's success. 

This couldn’t be more important for consumer-facing talent attraction brands, where the audience is likely coming through mobile anyway. On the investment promotion side, researching locations on a phone can be cumbersome, but the tablet experience is much more common these days and still holds weight among potential investors. Regardless of target audience, from a branding and usability perspective, the shift to mobile is a positive hands down. 

Every organisation these days is in the business of providing a high-quality user experience, whether that’s online or in person. And let’s face it – a well designed website for mobile provides the best user experience. If you can’t make a case on a touch-screen, you can’t make a case. 

Getting out of a desktop-first mindset 

More than a few are still operating in a desktop world. After all, we still spend too much time staring at a computer from a desk. It is easy to think that’s how most people are also viewing our web pages. 

But consider that so much work today is done after hours, on the road and remotely. That is reducing the reliance on the desktop experience. To not adapt by also accounting for the mobile experience (in addition to desktop) is to fall behind, and that fall will start becoming precipitous. So what do you do? 

1. Go to the Page Speed Insights tool and check your mobile and desktop performance. It’ll generate a list of suggested improvements for optimizing your website across both that can make a massive difference. Some of the improvements are rather technical, while others are plain as day. In either case, identification of the problem is the first step to solving it. 

2. Next, pay close attention to your mobile site analytics. Are they the same, better or worse than your desktop users, and how big is the gap? Understand how mobile users interact with your site differently from desktop users and consider adjusting your strategy accordingly. A visit to Google Search Console can help with this as well. 

3. Take a critical look at your own website on your phone and tablet. Is it easy to navigate? Give it to a friend or family member and have them do the same. If it’s clunky, consider a refresh so you can move to responsive design and simplistic navigation in our tappable new world. 

Looking for help with website optimisation strategies? From design and development to analytics and conversion optimisation, we offer services and consultation that can help. Contact us for more information.