After 7 Years, Google Completes Mobile-First Indexing Rollout
Back in 2016, Google made a pivotal shift to mobile-first indexing. This fundamental change means that all websites, including those in the apartment and multifamily industry, are now primarily assessed from a mobile perspective rather than the traditional desktop view.
Why Does Mobile-First Matter?
- User Behaviors: An increasing number of prospective tenants are using mobile devices to search for apartments. The mobile performance of your website directly influences user satisfaction
- Google's Algorithm Prioritization: Google now gives priority to mobile-optimized websites. If a website isn't mobile-friendly, it risks a decline in search rankings and reduced visibility.
Assessing Your Website's Mobile Friendliness
It's critical for all multifamily property websites to make sure that content is fully optimized for mobile-first indexing. Neglecting to incorporate mobile-first indexing into your SEO strategy could mean missing out on valuable traffic. Take these steps to assess your website's mobile-friendliness:
- Adjust User Agent: Use tools like Screaming Frog and change the user agent to "Googlebot Smartphone"
- Compare Mobile vs. Desktop Crawls: Ensure a seamless mobile experience by comparing how your apartment website is crawled on mobile devices versus desktop.
- Content Audit: Identify differences between mobile and desktop content, ensuring your property information is effectively presented on smaller screens.
- Streamlined Navigation: Implement clear menus, concise headings, and strategic content placement.
- Consistent Internal Linking: Maintain a consistent internal linking structure on mobile devices to help users navigate property listings and amenities effortlessly.
- Mobile-Friendly Content: Review the readability of your content on mobile screens, incorporating headings, bullet points, and mobile-friendly design to engage potential tenants.
- Competitor Analysis: Gain insights by analyzing the mobile experience of high-performing competitors in the apartment and multifamily industry.
Google has reported that only a small number of multifamily websites are not functioning well on mobile devices, and for these, they will continue to use the legacy Googlebot. However, the vast majority of multifamily websites should now be seamlessly integrated into the mobile-first indexing structure, ensuring they effectively cater to the growing mobile-savvy audience searching for their next rental property.
Ready to Improve Mobile Website Performance? Let's Talk