Google has just announced some changes in the way search results appear on mobile devices. These are small changes, but they aim to further improve the user experience. We’ve always talked about the fact that Google puts the user first, so this latest update also focuses on that.
SEO for Mobile Sites: What Has Changed
And thinking about helping those who work with SEO strategies for brands, let’s talk a little about these changes in this article. Keep reading to understand better.
1. Identification of Sponsored Results
Google maintains a policy of transparency on its advertising platforms. Therefore, sponsored search results receive a badge of identification in Google searches.
This identification has already undergone some color and format changes and, until then, the word “Advertisement” was used in bold.
Now, on mobile devices, the identification becomes “Sponsored”, similar to what some social networks use, such as Instagram. The change is subtle, but it could signify a trend towards standardization across tools, contributing to the overall user experience.
2. Featured Website Name
Another change is the addition of the site’s name to the result, highlighting the brand. For the user, it is easier to recognize who that link is from. For brands, it is an additional opportunity to stand out and become better known. This may be the biggest change, as before we could only see the link and name specific to that page (SEO title), not the site.
3. New Favicons
Finally, the favicons (a mix of logo and icon) that appear in Google search results on mobile have also changed. They got a round shape and are now a little bigger. The change helps the user to associate the result with the brand identity, which gains more visibility. It’s an advantage for both sides.
In this case, little changes in your SEO strategy. Perhaps your only concern is making sure the site name is correct and the updated favicon is the correct dimensions.
The news were announced only for mobile and some of them can already be seen by users. But Google also plans to test them on the desktop versions.
User Experience First
The changes mentioned in this article are in line with the updates that Google has been working on for a few years, with the aim of making the user experience on the platform even better.
Therefore, it is important to pay attention to each update, but try to focus on creating valuable content that matches the needs of your personas, and on the usability of the page. At the end of the day, Google wants users to have the best experience possible by finding the answers to their searches.
SEO Firm in Vancouver
If you’d like to produce quality content for your brand that’s written according to Google’s most up-to-date guidelines but don’t know how to get started, contact us. We can help you both with your strategy and with the production of texts optimized for good ranking in search engines. To contact us, click here.