Google Comes Out with SEO Strategy for Mobile Content

It is good to see Google come out with certain mobile friendly SEO recommendations absolutely free. In my opinion, it is an apt mobile strategy portrayed by Google, making it look more user friendly. Also, it is a good deviation from the stringent Google Webmaster Guidelines, for which the company had come in limelight lately. With its Mobile strategy, it promises to serve Mobile content in 3 unique ways.

Serving Mobile Content

Google has provided 3 unique recommendations to serve users with its mobile specific content. As such, when a particular URL is requested by any mobile user, here are few pointers or options you could implement.

Same URL, Same HTML

It is optimal to change the look of the site, although not necessary (use CSS3 media for doing so). The HTML served should be same as the desktop version of the page. By implementing this, you could benefit from ease in its implementation, and also ranking metrics to one URL.

Same URL, Different HTML

Ideally, serve the CSS and HTML should be different from desktop version of the page. By this, Google has recommended adding a Vary HTTP header to the server response, while serving different HTML for mobile users.

Different URL

By utilizing mobile optimized content, redirect the user to different URL. In the form of a sub-domain m.example.com, companies commonly use a special site/URLs for mobile content. Google would like a couple of things to happen in case of using alternative URLs for mobile. Firstly, linking canonical tag link on mobile pages pointing to the desktop version of the URL, and secondly – linking alternate tag on desktop pages pointing to the mobile version of the URL.

In suggesting these options, Google has conveyed the most significant idea of user agent redirection lists. In doing so, Google clarifies that it is essential to have a comprehensive list of user agents to let your server know when and where to redirect a certain mobile user. In other words, a responsive design has become very essential in today’s standards prevailing in the mobile industry. As the iPhone user agent will be different than the latest Galaxy Nexus, Google harps of the necessity to constantly maintain a list, as the user agent is to undoubtedly become outdated at some point.

In my opinion, desktop versions of sites can indeed render great mobile conversion. A desktop site having an intuitive architecture should be first looked at even before considering creating a customized mobile experience.

About Robin Gupta

Myself Robin Gupta Director @ RobinGupta.Com, A leading seo services provider company. Robingupta.com was founded in 2007 with a vision of providing a comprehensive & well balanced Services, We have more than 350+ clients and still counting. We have helped thousands of websites into gaining their true potential. Our clients include many top companies from US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy and Many European Countries. Currently we owns more than 1500 Websites.