Google Will Tweak Mobile Search Results This May

Google's mobile search results will soon be tweaked, the company announced in a statement today. Starting in the beginning of May, Google will further its effort to give mobile-friendly websites higher rankings in search results presented to mobile users. This will increase the number of mobile-friendly results those using smartphones and tablets receive, but will give publishers another change to contend with.

Google announced the planned search update in a brief statement on Wednesday, saying, "Getting good, relevant answers when you search shouldn't depend on what device you're using." The company first started taking a site's mobile-friendliness into consideration for search last year; this latest upcoming tweak is a continuation of that effort.

According to the Internet giant, the change will increase "the effect of the ranking signal" to surface more relevant mobile-friendly websites for those on smartphones and tablets. Publishers that already have a mobile-friendly website shouldn't be concerned, says Google, as none of them will be impacted by the May search update.

Google points concerned publishers towards the "Mobile-Friendly Test" and the "Webmaster Mobile Guide" to help them check on their site's mobile-friendliness and make improvements if they're needed. Finally, the company also stresses that websites with strong content will still rank well even if they don't have mobile-friendly websites, as it is ultimately the content that matters.

SOURCE: Google Webmaster Blog