Mobile-First Indexing

Why It Matters

Since 2019, Google uses mobile-first indexing for all new sites, and most existing sites have been migrated. If your mobile site is inferior to desktop (missing content, slower, poor UX), you'll rank poorly even in desktop searches. Mobile-first indexing makes mobile optimization mandatory, not optional.

How It Works

Googlebot primarily crawls using a mobile user agent. The content, structured data, and metadata on your mobile version determine your rankings for all devices. If content exists on desktop but not mobile, Google may not index it. Desktop versions are still crawled but secondary to mobile versions in the indexing process.

Use Cases

• An e-commerce site ensures product descriptions, specifications, and reviews are identical on mobile and desktop versions
• A blog implements responsive design to provide consistent content across all devices automatically
• A business site moves critical content hidden in mobile tabs to visible positions after rankings drop

Best Practices

• Use responsive design to serve the same HTML/content to all devices
• Ensure mobile version has all content, structured data, and metadata present on desktop
• Don't hide important content in tabs, accordions, or off-canvas menus on mobile
• Verify mobile usability in Google Search Console and fix any issues
• Test mobile page speed and optimize for fast load times on cellular connections
• Ensure images, videos, and other media are accessible and optimized for mobile