Last Updated on July 17, 2019
What is mobile-first indexing?
Simply stated, mobile-first indexing is if there is a mobile version of a URL, Google will predominantly use that version for indexing and ranking purposes. This is a change since historically the index was primarily based on the desktop versions of a page’s content. This change was made because the majority of users now access Google Search with mobile devices, so Googlebot will primarily crawl and index pages with the smartphone agent going forward.
When will it takes affect?
Starting July 1, 2019, mobile-first indexing is enabled by default for all new websites (new to the web or previously unknown to Google Search). For older or existing websites, we continue to monitor and evaluate pages based on the best practices. We notify site owners through Search Console once they’re seen as being ready. Since the default state for new sites is mobile-first indexing, there’s no need to send a notification to new sites.
For who will it matter?
Probably none of our current clients. Any client with a desktop only, responsive web design, or canonical AMP won’t have any changes because the mobile version and the desktop versions are the same. However, this is useful to understand this change for any current or future clients who have separate desktop and mobile URLs, dynamic serving based on device, or AMP and non-AMP versions of pages. Below is a table of who this will affect and how:
Here is more information and best practices if you do have a client who’s website will be affected.
