MediaTech Law

By MIRSKY & COMPANY, PLLC

Delayed Results of Google’s “Mobilegeddon” Show Small Sites Suffer on Mobile

Posted September 16, 2015 by Rob Ellis 0

On April 21st online behemoth Google altered its search engine algorithm to favor websites it considered mobile-friendly. This change, dubbed “Mobilegeddon” by web developers and search engine optimization (SEO) specialists, sought to reward sites that used responsive design and other mobile-friendly practices to ensure sites display well on smartphones and other mobile devices. Conversely, sites that were not mobile friendly would ultimately be penalized by ranking lower on mobile search results.

At the time, it was unclear just how large of an impact this change would have on companies’ appearance in organic mobile search results. A recent report by Adobe Digital Index, however, shows that the impact has indeed been substantial. The report determined that traffic to non-mobile-friendly sites from Google mobile searches fell more than 10% in the two months after the change, with the impact growing weekly since April. This means that non-mobile-friendly sites have dropped sharply in mobile search rankings, while mobile-friendly sites have risen in rankings, showing up higher on the mobile search results page. This change has had the greatest impact on small businesses that likely underestimated the value of mobile search traffic, and also affected financial services and law firms.

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Adobe analyst, Tamara Gaffney, found that companies which were unprepared for the impact on search results have tried to offset the decrease in organic traffic by buying mobile search-ads from Google. This tactic served to keep mobile users visiting their sites through paid ads. Substituting paid results for organic results may work in the short term but is usually not a sound long-term approach. A sustainable long term online add strategy over time usually consists of a balanced approach between building brand and consumer trust through organic search, and strategically supplementing that with paid ads.

What is a company adversely affected by Mobilegeddon to do?

One obvious course of action for a site that has suffered from Mobilegeddon is to become mobile friendly. This means putting in place a responsive theme, and implementing best practices that aid in mobile user experience. This includes using larger easier-to-read text and separating links to make them easier to tap on a smaller screen. Those who are unsure of how their site fares according to Google can use the company’s Mobile Friendly Test Tool to see what recommendations may be made to improve the mobile user’s experience.

With mobile search queries outpacing desktop, Google is sending a clear message that it is willing to reward sites that provide a good mobile experience, and businesses that fail to heed that message will suffer in the search rankings.

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Shorts: Phoning Home in the 21st Century: Call US and Canadian Numbers from Virtually Anywhere… For Free

Posted November 6, 2012 by Britnie Morris 0

I highly recommend that you consider leaving your smartphone at home while traveling abroad.  My colleague Andy Mirsky asked me to write this post while I spoke with him from Spain.  He called my 202 number, and we chatted for about 15 minutes and planned to speak again next week. What’s the significance of this, you ask? Well, I’m in Europe.  Until I was pickpocketed in Puerta Del Sol, Madrid, last week, I was able to text and phone home as much as my poor, little homesick heart desired without being charged a dime.  So pack your smartphone, enable Airplane mode, and forget about roaming fees.

Talkatone is a free app officially available for iPhone, iPod, iPad (iOS 4.0 and later).  You can also download Talkatone on some Android devices although it’s not officially supported by the app.  Talkatone uses Voice Over IP (VOIP) technology to connect users to any US or Canadian number via a Google Voice account.  Talkatone is also an alternative to stay connected via your mobile device when you’ve got weak cell tower reception but can access WIFI.

Here are the steps:

  1. Get a free Gmail account if you don’t already have one.
  2. Sign up for a free Google Voice account here.
  3. Download both the Google Voice app (I prefer Google Voice for texting) and Talkatone on your mobile device.
  4. Sync your Google voice account with your Talkatone app.
  5. Call and text home for free from anywhere, although you’ll have to be able to access the internet – awesome, right?

Although services like Skype are great for chatting with friends and colleagues during your travels, you cannot use these applications to contact individuals at institutions such as banks and medical offices who do not subscribe to these services.  Since I’m without iPhone, I have spent the past week trying to figure this out: If for some reason you’re ever abroad and all you’ve got is a computer and WIFI, how do you phone people at home… for free?  Google Voice has an awesome extension for Chrome users that, just like Talkatone, allows you to send unlimited, free SMS text messages and also make and receive calls all via your desktop.

Quick tips:

  • I prefer the texting interface on the Google Voice App over Talkatone’s so I would recommend downloading this app as well.
  • Call quality will depend on strength of your data signal.  And, if both parties use Talkatone, expect a clearer conversation.
  • If you’re in my position and feel totally disconnected from the world, there are plenty of other options to keep in touch with loved ones and work.  However the more well-known apps for making calls (Skype and Google Voice, most obviously) charge fees.  Their rates are competitive and modest, but of course I like free.

Enjoy your time abroad, watch out for pickpockets, and please share this information with friends and family with whom you want to stay connected!

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