Google has announced that starting July 5, 2024, it will cease indexing websites that are not accessible on mobile devices. John Mueller, a search engine employee, shared this update on the social network X, stating:
“The small number of sites we still crawl with desktop Googlebot will be crawled by mobile Googlebot starting July 5, 2024… After July 5, 2024, we will only crawl and index sites using Googlebot Smartphone. If your site’s content is completely inaccessible on mobile devices, it will no longer be indexed.”
This significant change implies that search engines will no longer index resources that cannot be loaded from mobile devices. However, if a site has a desktop version and this interface is accessible on smartphones, Google will continue to index the site.
Final Step Toward Mobile-First Indexing
Google has described this change as the “final step” in its transition to mobile-first indexing. This move underscores the increasing importance of mobile accessibility in web development and SEO practices. Websites that are not optimized for mobile devices risk losing visibility in Google search results, potentially impacting their traffic and online presence.
It is crucial for web developers and site owners to ensure their content is mobile-friendly to remain indexed by Google. As the industry shifts towards a mobile-centric approach, staying updated with these changes is essential for maintaining online visibility. We’ll keep you updated on any further developments regarding this transition.
NIXsolutions adds that Google has previously explained the reasons behind errors in neural network responses in Search, highlighting the complexity and ongoing improvements in search algorithms.