Google Bring in “Mobile-Friendly” Labels to Search Results

Google have officially began rolling out the mobile-friendly label in search results snippets for mobile users.

Having tested this feature for months, including “not mobile-friendly” labels, they have decided to release the notification, letting users know if a website has been appropriately designed for viewing on a mobile device. The label can be seen beneath the URL of a site on the search results page, and before any snippets or descriptions. An example can be seen below.

With more and more people turning to their smartphones to browse the web, this step taken by Google is designed to assist users in receiving the best experience whilst doing so.

Google have also mentioned that experimentation is underway to take this into consideration in a new algorithm for determining rankings. If you haven’t already, it’s certainly time to think about ensuring your site is as user-friendly for mobile users as possible.

“Mobile-friendly” Eligibility Criteria

In order for Googlebot to decide if your site is eligible for the label, it must meet certain criteria:

• Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash
• Uses text that is readable without zooming
• Sizes content to the screen so users don't have to scroll horizontally or zoom
• Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped

To test your website for its mobile usability, you can use Google’s mobile-friendly testing tool.