Starting from July 5th, Google will no longer index non-mobile-friendly websites. This announcement comes as part of Google’s mobile-first indexing initiative, which started in 2016 and is set to be fully implemented by October. The news was shared by John Mueller from Google, who explained that the small set of sites still being crawled with desktop Googlebot will now be crawled with mobile Googlebot after July 5th.
According to Mueller, the majority of websites are already being crawled and indexed using mobile Googlebot, so there won’t be any changes for them. However, after July 5th, Google will only crawl and index websites with Googlebot Smartphone. This means that if a website is not accessible using a mobile device, it will no longer be indexed or ranked by Google.
This move by Google is a long time coming. The company has finally drawn a line in the sand for websites that do not render properly on mobile devices. It’s important to note that Google will still index websites that are not mobile-friendly, as long as they can be accessed and loaded on mobile devices. So, if a website has a desktop template but can still be viewed on a mobile device, it will not be affected by this change.
However, it’s worth mentioning that Google will continue to use the Googlebot Desktop crawler for certain purposes, such as product listings and Google for Jobs. So, website owners may still see Googlebot Desktop in their server logs and reporting tools.
For most people, this change won’t be a problem. But for those working in SEO or web consulting, it’s essential to ensure that the websites they work on are accessible on mobile devices. If a website doesn’t load on a mobile device, it won’t be crawled and indexed by Google after July 5th. To ensure a website is rendered properly on mobile, it’s recommended to use the Google Search Console URL Inspection tool.
Overall, this change reinforces the importance of mobile accessibility in website design and development. With more and more users accessing the internet through mobile devices, it’s crucial for websites to provide a seamless experience on mobile. By prioritizing mobile-friendly design, website owners can ensure that their sites are not only indexed by Google but also provide a positive user experience for all visitors.
