Google search results on desktop computers could soon become outdated compared to mobile results. The information was released by a Google trends analyst, who confirms that Google will split its index into two parts: one index for mobile and another for desktop.
This could take effect in the “coming months” to deliver better mobile experiences. And the most important point in this news is that mobile results will be updated more quickly than those of the desktop version.
For the first time, mobile & tablets take the lead
Google searches on desktop computers are starting to trend slightly lower than those made on smartphones. This was recently confirmed by a StatCounter study, dated November 1, 2016, which states that internet usage on mobile and tablets has for the first time surpassed usage on desktop or laptop computers.
This is only true for the global average, but it is clear that the trend is the same in all regions of the world: (chart of internet usage from 2009 to 2016)
Google splits its index in two
To follow this trend, Google will therefore begin to clearly divide its search index into two independent versions:
- A primary mobile version, updated quickly.
- A separate secondary search index for desktop computers.
According to Gary Illyes, a well-known Google trends analyst, who said at the Pubcon digital marketing conference in Las Vegas that the change will come in the “coming months”, the result will be that the desktop version of the index will be less up to date than the mobile one.
This is a long-standing Google forecast to encourage webmasters to prioritize the mobile versions of their sites. The search engine already favors sites that work well on mobile devices over those that don’t; this change had already been introduced in April 2015. The criteria for this boost include features such as text size and links that are easy to tap with a finger on touchscreens.
Mobile and tablets will be favored
Maintaining a completely separate index would allow Google to extend this trend by evaluating sites differently for mobile and for desktop, ending the situation where clicking a search result leads to a mobile site that has nothing to do with a mobile experience.
Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Land said:
“The most substantial change will probably be that, by having a totally independent mobile index, Google can run its ranking algorithm differently across ‘pure’ mobile content rather than the current system that pulls desktop content data to determine mobile rankings.”
This is not the first time Illyes has mentioned this split, having discussed it at the SMX conference in September 2015, but webmasters are taking note of the proposed date for the transition.
Joost de Valk, who runs the search optimization company Yoast.com, said the change is “a logical next step” for the search engine.
“It makes sense to me that they have two separate indexes and treat them as equals, but now there is a primary and a secondary one, which makes sense too, because it’s probably the fastest way for them to grow their indexes,” says Joost de Valk.
“I also think it’s a strategy to push people to make their sites responsive, rather than having one version for desktop and another separate version for mobile. By declaring the mobile index the most important, it will push people to focus on their mobile sites.”
In a statement, Google said: “[We] are always experimenting with different approaches to keep the search index as relevant and useful as possible, but we have no new developments to announce.”
Responsive first
Now all that remains is for webmasters to anticipate this important change right away and offer their visitors mobile versions, that is, offer the best user experience by providing responsive versions that adapt to all types of devices: desktop, tablets and mobile.
This trend will keep growing, and it is natural for Google to also keep giving priority to mobile and tablet search results, where most visitors are!
