Somewhere around 60% of all searches now happen on mobile devices. Remember, while Google makes the rules on how search actually works, it also serves the market. And, it has to change with the shifts in the market so the market continues using Google. If it doesn’t, another search engine will take its place.

Fortunately for Google, they’re adept at meeting the demands of the marketplace. So, you probably won’t see it go away anytime soon.

They’re latest change involves dividing its index between mobile and desktop searches.

Why Is Google Doing This?

Currently, Google takes data from desktop content to formulate the mobile rankings. So, that leads to the search results being less than ideal for mobile users. In the coming months, reports Search Engine Land, Google will create and use a pure mobile search index.

The desktop index, which activates when you search from a desktop PC, won’t be as up-to-date. The benefit for Google is they can use their algorithm only to determine the mobile rankings, and users of course can get more relevant results for their mobile devices.

If You’re Not Already Optimized for Mobile Search, You Need to Be

At this point, no one can really point out the specifics of this update and how it might work. But, Google’s shown a clear trend towards improving the search results for its users. So, if you haven’t already optimized your website for mobile search, or if you haven’t analyzed your website for mobile search friendliness within the past year or two, it makes sense to give it a look.

Because, if you don’t, you risk a dent in your rankings. At a high level, here’s what you need to make sure your website ranks well in mobile search:

1. A responsive design
2. Only one version of your website, and not a desktop and mobile version
3. Fast page load speed
4. Large font size that’s easy to read – at least 16px
5. Links and buttons easy for thumbs to press
6. Avoid use of flash
7. Videos that execute and display correctly
8. Compress all images for smaller file sizes, without reducing image quality
9. Avoid using pop-ups, even though they can be welcome for desktop users

If you follow those tips, you’ll do all right in mobile search.