Google’s Mobile-First Indexing: Everything We Know (So Far) via @mindyweinstein
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Google's Mobile-First Indexing: Everything We Know (So Far)
Ever since Google first announced that it was experimenting with mobile-first indexing in 2016, there has been a ton of information published.
Throughout the years, Google has given us bits of new information and updates about how mobile-first indexing works and how to prepare.
The following is a compilation of things we know, so far, about Google's mobile-first indexing.
There Is No Separate Index for Mobile
Out of all the things listed about mobile-first indexing, this one is widely known.
However, it is widely known to those of us in the search community, but it is still a confusing concept to those who are not in our industry.
Just to ensure there is no misunderstanding, Google has stated that there is not a separate mobile-first index.
Instead, mobile-first indexing means Google primarily uses the mobile version of the webpage for ranking and indexing purposes.
In 2018, Google explained that with mobile-first indexing, the URL of the mobile-friendly version of your site is indexed.
If your website has separate mobile and desktop URLs, Google shows the mobile URL to mobile users, and the desktop URL to desktop users.
However, regardless, the indexed content will be the mobile version.
You Can't Force a Move to Mobile-First Indexing – You Also Can't Opt Out
At the end of 2017, Google announced that they would start slowly rolling out mobile-first indexing. By March 2018, Google stated that they were expanding the rollout and instructed websites to prepare.
As of the date of this article, though, not all websites have been enabled for mobile-first indexing. In August 2019, John Mueller encouraged site owners to be patient because eventually their sites would be moved over.
Martin Splitt, who works in Google's