What You Need to Know About Google’s Mobile-First Indexing
On October 31, 2023, Google announced that its Mobile-First Indexing (MFI) update is now complete. This means that Google Search will now primarily use the mobile version of your website for crawling, indexing, and ranking.
Google has been moving towards mobile first indexing since 2016, so this is not a new change, but the update which has taken 7 years to complete, is now final.
Here’s a brief summary of the update and what it means for you:
What is Mobile-First Indexing?
MFI is a new way of indexing the web that prioritizes the mobile version of your website. Google has been moving towards MFI for several years, and it’s now the default way that they index all websites.
Learn More About: Mobile SEO
Why is Mobile-First Indexing important?
MFI is important because more and more people are using their mobile devices to access the web. In fact, over 60% of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices. By prioritizing the mobile version of your website, Google is ensuring that users are getting the best possible experience, regardless of what device they’re using.
What does Mobile-First Indexing mean for my business?
If you have a website, it’s important to make sure that the mobile version is up-to-date and mobile-friendly. If it’s not, you may notice a drop in your search rankings.
Some basic MFI health-checks:
- Make sure your website is responsive, so that it looks good and functions well on all devices.
- Make sure your fonts, and buttons are large enough, and easy to tap on a mobile device.
- Avoid overloading your mobile pages.
- Make sure your website loads quickly on mobile devices.
What is the history of Google’s mobile first indexing?
Google’s Mobile-First Indexing (MFI) is a direct response to the rapid shift in internet usage, where mobile devices have overtaken desktops as the primary way users access online content. The journey towards this fundamental change began in 2015, when Google first announced its plans to prioritise mobile-friendly websites in search rankings. At the time, Google’s ranking system predominantly assessed the desktop versions of websites, even though more searches were being conducted on mobile devices. This mismatch often led to poor user experiences, as mobile users would encounter sites that weren’t optimised for smaller screens or touch navigation.
By 2018, Google started rolling out Mobile-First Indexing by default for new websites, meaning that the mobile version of a site would be the benchmark for ranking and indexing rather than the desktop version. For older sites, the transition was gradual, as Google continued to evaluate whether they were mobile-friendly before switching them to MFI. In 2020, Google accelerated the shift by announcing that all websites, regardless of their launch date, would be moved to Mobile-First Indexing by March 2021. However, due to the complexities some sites faced in making the transition, the full implementation was delayed until late 2023.
Today, Mobile-First Indexing is the default standard, ensuring that websites prioritise mobile usability, fast loading speeds, and responsive design. For businesses and website owners, particularly in Australia’s competitive digital landscape, adapting to MFI is critical for maintaining visibility in search results. Google’s emphasis on mobile-friendly experiences continues to shape Search Engine Optimisation / SEO strategies, reinforcing the importance of responsive design, structured data, and optimised performance for success in search rankings.
What is Mobilegeddon?
Mobilegeddon refers to Google’s Mobile-Friendly Update, which was rolled out on 21 April 2015. The term itself was coined by SEO experts and digital marketers ahead of the update, as speculation grew that it would have a significant impact on search rankings—particularly for websites that were not optimised for mobile devices.
Google first announced the update in February 2015, stating that it would prioritise mobile-friendly websites in mobile search results. This meant that sites with responsive design, fast loading times, and touch-friendly navigation would be favoured, while non-mobile-friendly sites could see a drop in rankings. The name “Mobilegeddon” was widely adopted within the SEO community, with tech and marketing publications such as Search Engine Land and Moz popularising the term.
Despite initial fears of widespread ranking collapses, the impact of Mobilegeddon was more gradual than expected. However, it marked a turning point in Google’s search algorithm, setting the stage for future mobile-first updates—including Mobile-First Indexing (2016) and the Page Experience Update (2021).
For Australian businesses, Mobilegeddon reinforced the need for mobile optimisation to maintain search visibility. Today, mobile-friendliness remains a key ranking factor, making it essential for websites to prioritise responsive design and fast-loading pages to succeed in Google search.
Is Mobilegeddon the same as Google’s mobile-first indexing?
No, Mobilegeddon and Google’s Mobile-First Indexing are not the same, but they are related. Both focus on improving mobile experiences, but they serve different purposes within Google’s search algorithms.
Mobilegeddon was the nickname given to Google’s Mobile-Friendly Update, which launched on 21 April 2015. This update prioritised mobile-friendly websites in mobile search results, meaning that sites that weren’t optimised for mobile screens could see a drop in rankings when users searched on mobile devices. However, this update still relied on Google’s traditional desktop-first indexing, where search rankings were determined primarily by a site’s desktop version.
Mobile-First Indexing (MFI), announced in 2016 and rolled out gradually from 2018 to 2023, was a more fundamental shift. Instead of using the desktop version of a website for ranking and indexing, Google began prioritising the mobile version of a site for all search queries, regardless of the device being used. This meant that websites with incomplete or poorly optimised mobile versions could suffer ranking losses across both desktop and mobile searches.
In short, Mobilegeddon was a ranking update for mobile search, while Mobile-First Indexing changed how Google indexes and ranks all websites. Both highlight the importance of mobile optimisation, but Mobile-First Indexing has a much broader and lasting impact on search engine rankings.
Google’s Mobile-First Indexing (MFI) is less about a single algorithm update and more about representing a fundamental shift in Google’s indexing and ranking processes. That said, several key algorithm updates paved the way for this mobile-first approach.
One of the earliest signals of Google’s mobile focus was the Mobile-Friendly Update (2015), often called “Mobilegeddon.” This update prioritised mobile-friendly websites in search rankings, encouraging businesses to optimise their sites for mobile users.
In 2016, Google officially announced Mobile-First Indexing, marking the transition to prioritising the mobile version of websites for ranking and indexing. The rollout began in 2018, with new sites being indexed under MFI by default. By March 2021, Google expanded Mobile-First Indexing to nearly all websites, with the final transitions completed in late 2023.
Another related algorithm update was the Page Experience Update (2021), which introduced Core Web Vitals as ranking signals, emphasising mobile performance factors such as loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. This update reinforced the importance of a smooth mobile user experience.
While no single algorithm update is responsible for Mobile-First Indexing, Google’s continuous refinements—including Mobile-Friendly Ranking Factors, Core Web Vitals, and Page Experience Signals—ensure that mobile optimisation remains crucial for search rankings. For Australian businesses, keeping up with these updates is essential to maintaining visibility in Google search results.
How does mobile-first indexing affect your website?
Google’s Mobile-First Indexing (MFI) means that the search engine primarily crawls and ranks your website based on its mobile version, rather than the desktop version. This shift has significant implications for Australian businesses and website owners, as it directly impacts search visibility, user experience, and overall digital performance.
If your website is mobile-friendly, optimised for speed, and offers a seamless user experience on smaller screens, Mobile-First Indexing will likely work in your favour. A well-structured, responsive site can improve rankings, attract more organic traffic, and enhance engagement. However, if your mobile site is poorly optimised—featuring slow load times, intrusive pop-ups, or missing content compared to the desktop version—you risk lower search rankings and reduced visibility.
Key areas affected by MFI include content, page speed, and structured data. Google expects the mobile version of your site to have the same high-quality content, meta tags, and internal links as the desktop version. Additionally, mobile page speed is a crucial ranking factor, meaning that sluggish, unoptimised websites could see a drop in rankings. Mobile usability is also critical—issues like difficult navigation, unclickable buttons, or intrusive interstitials can negatively impact both rankings and user engagement.
For Australian businesses looking to maintain strong search engine performance, ensuring a mobile-friendly, fast, and accessible website is essential. Regular audits, responsive design, and performance optimisations will help safeguard your rankings in Google’s Mobile-First Indexing era.
What are the negative effects of mobile-first?
While Mobile-First Indexing (MFI) is designed to improve the search experience for mobile users, it can present challenges—especially for websites that haven’t fully adapted to mobile optimisation. Australian businesses that rely on desktop-first designs or have complex web structures may face ranking drops, user experience issues, and technical hurdles under this indexing approach.
One of the biggest negative effects is the potential loss of search rankings if your mobile site lacks the same content, structured data, or metadata as your desktop version. Google prioritises the mobile version for indexing, so if critical information is missing or not properly formatted for mobile, your site could lose visibility in search results.
Another key issue is performance and page speed. Mobile users expect fast-loading pages, and Google factors this into its rankings. If your mobile site is bloated with large images, unoptimised scripts, or slow-loading elements, it could lead to higher bounce rates and lower engagement, ultimately impacting conversions.
Additionally, some businesses may struggle with responsive design limitations. Websites with complex layouts, detailed tables, or interactive elements may not function as seamlessly on smaller screens. This can degrade the user experience and make navigating the site frustrating, discouraging visitors from staying on the page.
Finally, for businesses still relying on separate mobile sites (m.example.com) instead of a responsive design, MFI can create issues with inconsistent content, duplicate URL structures, and improper canonical tags—leading to SEO complications.
To mitigate these risks, Australian businesses should focus on responsive web design, mobile speed optimisation, and content parity across all devices. Regular audits and user experience testing are essential to ensure your site remains competitive under Mobile-First Indexing.
What should I do next?
You don’t need to take any action. We already considered mobile when we audited your site and created your custom strategy. We’ll continue to monitor your website for any impact and advise you if we discover anything that needs to be actioned.
If you have any questions about digital marketing, MFI or would like to discuss the impact of this new update on your site, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Out expert team of Australian SEO agency gurus is here to help you make sure that your website is positioned for success.
