It’s not news that Google is the most dominant search engine in the world, but many business owners are surprised to find out exactly how much of the market Google owns. The most recent stats reveals that Google gets nearly three-quarters of all search traffic and more than 90% of mobile searches. That means it’s very important for a business to pay attention to what Google wants from them in order to enjoy first-page search results.

[Tweet “50% of Gen Z shoppers expect that a website should anticipate their needs.”]

Google uses an indexing algorithm to determine how search results are displayed. In 2016, Google announced it was experimenting with a mobile-first index, which prioritizes mobile-friendly sites over those sites that don’t load quickly, display properly, or work well on mobile devices. The experiment is now over. In March of this year, Google announced the switch to mobile-first indexing is here to stay.

What does this mean for your business? It’s a good time to look at your website with a critical eye. Google has shared a list of best practices they recommend for anyone who wants their site to rank well, which includes factors like page load speed, content choices, and metadata.  If your current site isn’t performing well under these parameters, it’s time to upgrade. 

It’s also important to understand that Google isn’t the only one who has expectations of your website. Your customers also have a pretty clear idea of what they want from you, and in many ways, they’re more demanding than Google. In addition to fast loading pages and unique content, today’s customers want highly tailored experiences, including personalized recommendations – even from websites they’ve never visited before. The younger your customers are, the stronger these expectations will be. 50% of Gen Z shoppers expect that a website should anticipate their needs, and these young shoppers influence the worldview of the adults in their lives, including Millennial and Gen X shoppers.

Throughout the spring, we’re offering special incentive pricing on website upgrades that adhere to Google’s mobile-first index best practices and appeal to today’s customers. Included in the upgrade package: e-commerce and built-in data capture and customer service tools. Find out more details here.