To create a mobile site suitable for SEO, there are three different techniques accepted by Google. Let’s examine these three techniques:
Responsive Design
The same URL and code work for both desktop and mobile sites. The appearance of the web page changes based on different devices or screen resolutions. This is the technique recommended by Google among the three.
should be present on all pages to inform the browser that the site is adaptable to all devices.
In responsive design, the content on the mobile and desktop sites is exactly the same; only the areas where content is displayed adapt to the screen size.
Advantages include working on a single platform when adding new pages or making changes, faster page loading due to no redirection between pages, and a lower likelihood of errors since there are no different URLs or code structures. Google has announced that it will now decide rankings based on the mobile index, making responsive design a recommended technique.
Dynamic Serving
There is no URL difference between desktop and mobile sites, but different HTML and CSS code versions work on the same URL. Mobile content is hidden in this configuration. When the Googlebot for smartphones visits the site, it needs a clue to find the hidden mobile content. This clue is provided using the Vary HTTP header. The main disadvantage is the potential errors during device detection, as a tablet user might be incorrectly identified as a smartphone user. This can lead to displaying the wrong version to both users and Googlebots.
Separate URLs
Desktop and mobile sites are completely separate, with different URLs and codes. This technique involves detecting the user’s device and redirecting them to the appropriate URL. Canonical and alternate tags must be used to convey the relationships between different URLs to the Googlebot. For example, on the homepage
Canonical tag in the source code of the desktop homepage.
Alternate tag in the source code of the mobile homepage.
Redirects must be one-to-one; two different desktop links should not redirect to the same mobile link. Canonical and alternate tags should be correctly placed on each page. In this configuration, content and functionalities may differ between desktop and mobile sites. Due to Google’s upcoming reliance on the mobile index for rankings, any differences should be minimized, and the mobile site should contain the same content as the desktop site. Any changes made to the site should be applied separately to both mobile and desktop versions, considering the workload and the potential for errors in redirects and tags. Responsive design is recommended by Google due to its simplicity and effectiveness in minimizing errors, making it the preferred method for achieving higher rankings on Google. If you want to elevate your business in Google rankings, consider working with a successful Seo Consultancy.
Author: Hakan Karaman
