The Ongoing Mobile SEO Debate
The mobile SEO world is deeply divided. They are deeply divided in a contrivance that only the factual geeks can deeply divide. Entire church denominations have splintered over grand, mighty less.
What is rocking the mobile SEO world is the expect of dedicated mobile websites and domains: are they vital, significant, and distinguished, or are they a complete slay of time?
The argument boils down to whether companies need a mobile-specific website and a mobile-specific domain name on the .mobi platform. Should companies prefer a .mobi domain name and then a separate server to store their specially-designed mobile websites.
Mobile SEO Argument #1: Mobile Websites and Domains Are necessary - Some mobile phones have problems rendering websites, say these proponents. And mobile search engines ogle at websites differently than regular desktop websites. Even the users visit a website for different reasons, whether they are on a laptop or on their mobile phone.
Generally, a person who is looking at a mobile area only needs basic information, not long blocks of copy, Flash-based movies, or giant graphics that are difficult to read. They want hastily information, because they are usually on the depart, trying to secure an address, glimpse up an item, or determine what they should catch. They do not have the time to sit down, research, investigate, and ponder. This means their web browsing habits are different — they want like a flash, simple, and easy to consume.
Also, a .mobi domain name is distinguished to mobile SEO because it helps the mobile search engines decide whether to include a page in their mobile-only search results. Plus, it makes it easier for mobile SEO professionals to acquire a domain that matches their most-frequently searched keywords.
This means mobile SEO professionals need to do what works for both the search engines and the mobile users. They need dedicated pages that are programmed in HTML5. They need pages that only a mobile user will want, like contact information, directions, menu, easy ordering, etc.
The aid of this advance, say the proponents, is that it boosts mobile SEO rankings, making clear the company's website appears at the top of the mobile search results.
Mobile SEO Argument #2: Mobile Websites and Domains Are NOT significant - These proponents argue that the original smartphone is like a mini-computer favorable of rendering any website. There is not even a need to effect mobile pages on a desktop location, because the set will render beautifully on the smartphone's web browser.
The assist this has to the mobile SEO professional is that it saves money: no need for extra programming, extra domains, server residence, and someone to manage it all. Any money that would have gone into website development and mobile SEO can instead be attach into other social media marketing efforts.
The plight with his argument is that not all phones are the most up-to-date smartphones. They do not all render web pages correctly. Of the total cell phone market, only 28% of them are smartphones. And some of those phones are older and detached cannot render desktop websites.
The proponents then say that if companies would only program in HTML5, then any method could read it — desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and cell phones — and this would no longer be an scream. Of course, the costs and hassles of redesigning an entire website is going to result in the same extra costs that creating a mobile website and hosting would have in the pro-mobile state argument above.
While this mobile SEO argument is not going to be resolved any time soon — at least not until all websites have begun adopting HTML5 and/or all smartphones are able to render desktop websites no matter the age. Until then, the mobile SEO professionals will hotly debate and discuss this speak for years to reach.