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Rainmaker
38,609
Holleay Parcker - Spinnaker Realty - Serving Clients From Corolla to Hatteras
SPINNAKER REALTY LLC - Kitty Hawk, NC
With 14 Yrs Experience in Outer Banks Real Estate

 Hi Gayle;

Actually, this is a really BIG DEAL that everyone needs to be aware of.

Come April 21, Google is implementing a new algorithm: if your site is mobile-friendly (according to Google), Google has said it will place those mobile-friendly sites higher in the organic search results on the mobile platform.  The reason Google is doing this is because more and more people are using their smart phones to search instead of their desktop.

Yes, Google is indeed 'forcing' us to go mobile-friendly!  But the alternative to do nothing is to lose rankings OVERNIGHT for all of your keywords on the MOBILE search platform.  (I have read that desktop search results will not be affected.)

This is SUCH a big deal that Google has been telling developers FOR MONTHS that this was coming down the pike.  And not only that, Google let everybody know THE PRECISE DATE this was going to occur, so that everyone could be ready ahead of time.  Google has never been more transparent with their algorithm updates! 

So no one is trying to sell you anything; this is not a scam.  This is a BIG DEAL.  

How can you know if your site is mobile-friendly?

Simple.

Google's webmaster tools has a web page designed to test your site.  Go here:

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

Type in your url, and let it perform the test.  If you get the green check, you are good to go, and nothing further need be done.

If you get the red 'x'... There's trouble in paradise.  And you need to get your webmaster on it PRONTO.

I stumbled upon this information a couple of weeks ago myself.  I started researching the issue.  I found Google's webmaster tools, and ran the test.

My site was not mobile-friendly.

My webmasters are creating a mobile-friendly version of my site that will be live prior to 4/21.

The articles I've read are calling this 'Mobile-geddon' and Mobile SEO-pacalypse, because it is indeed such a MAJOR deal.

Go test your site and make the necessary adjustments!

 

 

 

 

Mar 26, 2015 07:46 AM
Rainmaker
2,224,473
Debbie Laity
Cedaredge Land Company - Cedaredge, CO
Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County, CO

I have heard google is going to look more favorably on sites that are mobile friendly. While the emails you are getting may be preying on you to buy a service, I do believe there is something to the message. 

Mar 26, 2015 06:37 AM
Rainmaker
2,817,671
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Realtor (503)755-2905 Yes, I agree w/ Holleay Parcker - Spinnaker Realty - Serving Clients From Corolla to Hatteras .  It is a big deal.  If you failed the test, yes, you should make sure mobile friendly by 4/20.

There have been lots of articles about this lately, and many featured on here.  Regardless of this deadline, it is definitely something you should do as it makes the user experience better.  I changed mine maybe a year and half ago and within a week saw a boost.

Mar 26, 2015 02:19 PM
Rainmaker
1,356,817
Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate
John L Scott Market Center - Birkenfeld, OR
"Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843

So, thanks to Holleay Parcker - Spinnaker Realty - Serving Clients From Corolla to Hatteras I did this test that she gives us a link to go and sadly my website does not pass...I did NOT get the green checkmark. I have already e-mailed my webdesign people. 

I will not be paying any money to any of these random people (don't worry, Praful Thakkar ) but it's nice that I was at least given a heads up and am so glad that I didn't simply dismiss it...thank you all for your help. 

Mar 26, 2015 01:30 PM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Realtor (503)755-2905 - now if that is a third party and not Google, forget about it!

However, this is true and we had some recent post on how to check this - with some more information on what you should do.

Just don't pay anything to anyone.

Mar 26, 2015 01:26 PM
Ambassador
2,339,248
Hannah Williams
HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Realtor (503)755-2905   Mine is mobile friendly but thanks for the reminder

Mar 26, 2015 10:39 AM
Rainmaker
3,986,258
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

Yea...more threats.  I hope they keep coming.  The more the general public sees and hears of this the better we look.

Mar 26, 2015 10:11 AM
Rainmaker
1,726,096
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Realtor (503)755-2905 Beware. Lots of these sorts of emails are phishing expeditions.

Mar 26, 2015 09:36 AM
Rainmaker
1,771,867
Noah Seidenberg
Coldwell Banker - Evanston, IL
Chicagoland and Suburbs (800) 858-7917

I made all my sites Mobile friendly long ago Gayle so if I get those email I just hit the delete key.

Mar 26, 2015 08:41 AM
Rainmaker
5,583,278
Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

haven't....but I'd just delete it....

Mar 26, 2015 06:54 AM
Rainmaker
1,356,817
Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate
John L Scott Market Center - Birkenfeld, OR
"Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843

Debbie Laity and Gabe Sanders yes, I've figured out why they're contacting me (to make moola!), but I also wanted to know if this was something that I really need to do or NOT. I'll be talking w/my design folks on my website. 

Thanks!

Mar 26, 2015 06:40 AM
Rainmaker
4,800,082
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Yes, I have also.  It's true, but the ones sending you these messages are trying to sell you something.

Mar 26, 2015 06:35 AM
Ambassador
1,076,551
John Meussner
Mortgages in AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IN, MD, MN, MT, NC, NJ, NV, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI - Fair Oaks, CA
#MortgageMadeEasy Fair Oaks, CA 484-680-4852

Google's taking mobile friendly VS not into their ranking systems.  I'll be updating too, but it's probably a good idea regardless with so many people using mobile for everything these days.

Mar 26, 2015 06:02 AM
Rainmaker
5,772,575
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Gayle,

The majority of Agent Image sites are on Word Press.  Word Press has plug-ins for responsive design.  They do not look great, so you are going to have to check it in all versions and on all browers.  A

Mar 26, 2015 05:33 AM
Rainmaker
911,458
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

Google does penalize for certain things, but I'm guessing someone is using that info to try to sell some service that you might not really need. Your site should be mobile. There are several free services where you can test it.

Mar 26, 2015 05:19 AM
Rainmaker
5,772,575
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

It is a good idea to have your website be mobile friendly, because Google in its attempt to be everything to everybody is going to pay more attention to mobile, because so many of us are using mobile devices.  You can check your ranking on Alexa.com which ranks all websites, 

We have always designed our sites to be iPad or tablet friendly, and now we are designing several versions.  Beware of the templates that say that responsive design is built in, it is, the results look terrible.  AR's version, all the pictures look elongated on the phone, and OK on the iPad.  

So since we are fiendish on the subject ofi details, we are now designing for all size tablets in both portrait and landscape and phone versions separately.  We went through hell and high water doing our site, and refreshing our logo so that it works on the mobile versions.  The plug ins for Word Press are not that great so far.

Add to that, different browsers chrome, safari, firefox have their own restrictions, we have to take all that stuff into consideration.  

So this is the newest headache.  Here is the link to our post on this subject

Mar 26, 2015 05:06 AM
Ambassador
6,393,609
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

I got them and most of my sites are compliant, the one site that is not is still bringing in the clients.

Jan 10, 2020 10:45 PM
Rainmaker
630,251
Ajay Pandya
e-Merge Real Estate Unlimited - Columbus, OH
Realtor Ajay Pandya

It happens!

Mar 19, 2018 05:34 PM
Rainmaker
1,901,544
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Something for sure to check. Google constantly changes algorithms affecting SEO, now mobile directed.

Mar 27, 2015 06:46 PM
Rainmaker
1,356,817
Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate
John L Scott Market Center - Birkenfeld, OR
"Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843

Holleay Parcker - Spinnaker Realty - Serving Clients From Corolla to Hatteras THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! I am not a techie type and so I will do "as I'm told" by your explicit directions, I am most appreciative! 

Mar 26, 2015 12:48 PM
Ambassador
3,345,257
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Two of my sites are and one is not. I've got someone looking into my short sale site to update it. It's on Wordpress so it should not take long or cost an arm and a leg to get it done.

Mar 26, 2015 10:46 AM
Rainmaker
1,356,817
Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate
John L Scott Market Center - Birkenfeld, OR
"Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843

John Meussner thank you, and congrats on being a new Ambassador!

R&A~thanks, yes, I know they're Wordpress.

Jeff Pearl I will be calling my design people and ask them. I don't have mobile capabilities out here, so I don't have a way of checkin on my own devices. No cell service!

Mar 26, 2015 06:34 AM
Rainmaker
1,356,817
Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate
John L Scott Market Center - Birkenfeld, OR
"Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843

Wow, Ron & Alexandra Seigel--thank you! I guess I'll have to call Agent Image and talk with them about it, I don't want some design person I've never worked with to mess with it. 

Mar 26, 2015 05:13 AM