epages base 6 Shops Responsive for Google Mobile-First Indexing

Release date: April 2020

Now the time has come: Google has officially launched the switch to "Mobile-First Indexing" for September 2020. What does this mean for your epages base 6 shop? Is the mobile view sufficient or is it advisable to make other adjustments to the shop to make? Here you can find the answers.

First of all, the good news: there is no need to panic. Mobile-First Indexing does not mean that websites and online shops where the desktop and mobile view do not meet 100% of all criteria are no longer indexed by Google. It “only” means that Google does not index the desktop version first and, if available, a mobile version, but first searches for a mobile view.

How do I know which Bots Google uses for indexing my online Shop?

This article describes the simple steps to know which bots Google used before September 2020:
Which bots (crawlers) does Google use to index my website: desktop or mobile?

Why switching to mobile-first indexing at Google?

Most of the searches on Google have been carried out over the past few years using mobile devices. If the page of a complete desktop version is indexed, but the visitor is only presented with the abbreviated content of a slimmed-down mobile version on the smartphone, then this certainly does not meet his expectations. So it makes perfect sense that the mobile pages are indexed first.

What does Google recommend and what does this mean for your epages base 6 shop?

1. All displayed content should match on all devices (including text, images, videos, links)
   The content of the mobile view is generated automatically on epages base 6 and based on the desktop version. Therefore, they largely correspond to the desktop version and are practically complete.
   The lists of the categories are only transferred as a menu, i.e. without a short description and pictures.
   The cross-selling products that are important for SEO are missing on the product pages.
   A responsive design of the desktop version can help here.
    
2. All content should be responsive, so it should be easy to view on smartphones
   The content you have inserted, especially that of the homepage, should be optimally designed for smartphones and guarantee a positive experience for the user (and thus also for the Google Mobile Bot).
   You should pay special attention to the content of the homepage.
   Please note that the most important content is available on the mobile view, as this is indexed by Google.
    
3. Use of the same meta-robot tags on both versions
   This is guaranteed with the mobile view of epages base 6
    
4. Meta tags (such as titles, descriptions, robot meta tags) should largely match
   This is guaranteed with the mobile view of epages base 6.
    
5. The meta tag "Description" is missing, which provides the short description on results pages from the Google search engine (SERP - Search Engine Result Page)
   The text is therefore created from other content. A responsive design of the desktop version can help here.
   The important page title <title> is available.
    
6. Google must be able to crawl the webiste
   This is guaranteed with the mobile view of epages base 6
    
7. Same structured data
   These are elements that are invisible to the user and that contain information that can be read and indexed by Google about the content of the page.
   This is largely the case with epages base 6, and more fully guaranteed on the desktop version, which is ensured by a responsive design.
    
8. Use good quality images
   This is guaranteed at epages base 6, as far as you insert them in appropriate quality
    
9. Use the same alt texts from images on desktop and mobile
   This is guaranteed with epages base 6.

IMPORTANT: The XML site map and the short URLs for Google indexing remain valid.

Does your epages base 6 shop lose ranking on the Google search engine?

One thing you should be aware of in principle: Google is unpredictable!

But: Google will continue to index with the Mobile Bots the desktop versions. And epages base 6 does provide a valid mobile version, which is also accessible to Google Bots. Google is also increasingly taking into account the so-called “structured data” (for user hidden data about the content pages that can be read by search engines and web applications). However, indexing via URLs has become less important.

Much of the structured data is available on epages base 6 on both versions, desktop and mobile, although the desktop version provides more data. This is one reason you shoud prefer a responsive solution.

However, it can be assumed that epages base 6 shops with a well-usable and designed mobile version or, even better, through a responsive design, give the Google Mobile Bot a better user experience and a more uniform structure and are therefore superior to those who have none or have a poorly usable mobile version. We can also assume that the implementation of the adaptation to smartphones via a responsive design by mobile supervision has a better ranking.

Conclusion

How should you now prepare your epages base 6 shop for "Mobile First Indexing"?

There are two options:

1. An optimization of the mobile view
2. Design the desktop version responsive

In both cases, an optimal presentation of the content should be ensured, which is complete and easy to read on all devices.

1. An optimization of the mobile view of epages base 6

The existing mobile view of epages base 6 allows for an astonishing adjustment in terms of both design and functions.

1. The design of the mobile view should convey the same "look & feel" of the desktop version
2. The information of the desktop version on the navigations bars (header, footer, etc.) should be available on the mobile version if possible
3. The presentation of the start page, product lists and product pages should be elegantly designed and legible
4. Important functions such as "Customer account" with data management, order overview, newsletter subscription management, wish list, as well as cross selling and product reviews should be available on the mobile version, too

With these measures, your epages base 6 shop is best possible adapted to current requirements.

To support you to implement this measures, we provide the following services:

• Design for smartphone for epages base 6 shops
• "Login" and "My Account" in the mobile view of epages base 6 shops
• Cross selling on a mobile view

2. Design the desktop version responsive

This is the solution suggested by Google. That actually sounds very simple, but you can already guess that this requires a little bit more than just push a button. Here you benefit from our many years of experience with responsive design for epages base 6 shops.

In order to ensure the best possible match between data structure and content as desired by Google, adaptation via responsive design is the best approach to adapt your epages base 6 shop as best as possible to the requirements.

As the desktop version of epages base 6 is well optimized for Google indexing and the standard templates are solid, this allows the use of responsive design for tablets as well as for smartphones.

And these are the advantages over optimizing the mobile view:

• A single version of Google is indexed, the more complete desktop version
• The lists of the categories are completely transferred with a brief description and pictures. This not only makes the pages more information-rich, but also more attractive
• The meta tag "Description", which provides the short description on results pages from the Google search engine (SERP - Search Engine Result Page) and also plays a role in indexing, is available
• The structured data on the Desktop Versin is more complete than on the mobile view and is indexed by Google
• The customer also has access to all important functions such as customer account with data management, order overview, newsletter subscription management, wish list, as well as cross selling and product reviews on all devices

Service for Responsive Adaptation of epages base 6 Desktop Themes

Learn more about the implementation of responsive design at:
Responsive Web Design epages base 6 Shops :: Tablets & Smartphones

Other related topics:

Meta Tag Description: Still important or unimportant? Short or long?

SEO checkup for epages shops

epages base 6 Demo Shop responsive desktop customization for smartphones

This is how the desktop version of an epages base 6 shop works on a smartphone whose theme has been adapted to responsive design:

https://epages6responsive.viamodul.eu/