What’s New with Google
It’s been almost 20 years since people started making their first Google searches. Today however, Google is arguably the most powerful company in the world. How else can you find out how to build a miniature playground for your pet hamster?! Hello, Google Search!
The tech giant’s expertise pushes far beyond its humble search beginnings and now reaches into nearly every tech-based industry imaginable including web (search), mobile (Android), business (Google Cloud Platform), media (YouTube), navigation (Google Maps), retail (Google Store), social (Google+) and many more. Many people don’t realize the breadth of Google’s empire.
So, for your reading enjoyment, here’s a brief update on what Google has been up to lately!
Search Algorithm Change
If you haven’t already heard, Google publicly declared its search-algorithm change to favor mobile-friendly websites. As of April 21st, websites regarded as “mobile-friendly” by Google standards will rank higher, and websites that are not mobile-friendly may rank lower on mobile-search results. Interestingly enough, it is estimated that over 40% of Fortune 500 companies still do not have a mobile-friendly website.
Key takeaways of the Algorithm Change:
- Only searches on mobile devices should be affected
- As of right now, searches on tablet devices are not affected
- Googlebot must be allowed to scan your CSS and JS files to be considered mobile-friendly
- Websites will be judged on a page-by-page basis
Even if you’re homepage is mobile-friendly, you may still be at risk of losing mobile search traffic - Small text and flash video are deemed as detractors
- Loading time will be a factor
Want to know if your website passes Google’s mobile-friendly criteria? Test it here.
Important note! If Google tells you that your website is “not mobile-friendly,” this does not mean your site will be penalized and drop in search rankings. Our research shows that Google’s diagnostic tool may not properly interpret Drupal websites.
Always get a second opinion
We invite you to try our award-winning, diagnostic tool: Responsive Design Checker. Try it here.
Google Voice – one number for all your phones
Google is not new to the telecommunications market. In fact, Google Voice, a free service offered to U.S. residents, has been around since its initial release in 2009. The service provides users with a U.S. phone number, chosen by the user, from available numbers in selected area codes. The main benefit of Google Voice is that it allows a user to have a single forwarding number to all of his or her phones.
Is Project Fi the new wireless?
Google’s Project Fi is described as a low-cost wireless service that operates over WiFi. Google says it’s designed to help people get the “highest-quality connection.” If the WiFi connection is unavailable or weak, Google Fi will leverage the strongest of the Sprint or T-Mobile networks.
Of course you won’t be seeing Google WiFi trucks driving around your neighborhood, because Project Fi is only available through downloading its App, and currently, the service is only available for Nexus 6 users who reside in the United States.
Want to test the waters? Sign up here.
Media Streaming
Joining the ranks of similar streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, Google plans to offer a subscription version of YouTube later this year for a monthly fee. Paid subscribers will be able to enjoy YouTube’s growing library of original content as well as its current video offerings ad-free.
Similarly, late last year, YouTube launched an ad-free, subscription-based music service. Competing directly with Spotify and Beats Music (Apple), YouTube’s paid-for service is expanding the available options for consumers and thus un-monopolizing the market. YouTube Music Key, the official name of the service, costs $9.99 per month and includes a subscription to Google Play Music. Together, the two services will track users listening habits to better make recommendations on both platforms.
How does Google affect my business?
While Google’s updates are usually important to know about, the most noteworthy one is Google’s search algorithm update. We recommend the following steps to minimize your risk of taking a search-ranking hit.
- Check to see if your website passes Google’s mobile-friendly test.
- a. If your website passes, it should not be negatively affected by the algorithm change. In fact, you’ll probably see an increase in organic traffic as other websites play catch-up.
- Test the responsiveness of your website using our Responsive Design Checker to determine (on the face) where major pitfalls may lie.
- Contact us to evaluate your website’s code and functionality in an effort to pinpoint where problem areas are present.
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