Perhaps you’ve received an email from Google saying your site is being indexed as mobile-first. Or perhaps you’re anticipating the email and your user behavior, wanting to appeal more to people on their mobile devices. No matter which category you fall in, it’s time to make updates to your content marketing to appeal to the mobile-first consumer.
What Is Mobile First?
Mobile first is simply the approach of designing for the mobile user over the desktop user. This approach includes design for people on smartphones and tablets alike — any device that’s smaller and more accessible on-the-go than a desktop computer.
Because of this paradigm shift in user behavior, it’s important that businesses make similar shifts to account for today’s modern consumer. Here are three things you can do to update your content marketing in a mobile-first world.
Short vs. Long-Form Content
It’s easy to take a knee-jerk reaction to your content marketing and completely nix long-form content on your website. This is a mistake. In a mobile-first world, it’s all about balance.
While it’s true that people on mobile devices typically want to find their answers quickly without being forced to swipe through pages of text, having long-form content on your site can still boost your authority.
Mix in short-form blog posts with longer blog posts and then link between each. The longer posts will help establish your authority to people on a desktop computer and give readers a resource to return to time and again for answers, while the shorter form will appeal to people on a mobile device.
Geographic Specific Content
When people search for your business on a mobile device, they’re oftentimes on-the-go. The expectations and need from this on-the-go search is very different than what it would be if the person searched from their home computer.
If you have a business that serves your region, it’s critical that you answer these on-the-go searches by showing up in your local area. Including geo-specific content can help you appear higher in search results for people looking for you in your region.
Experience Shift
Say goodbye to the one-size-fits-all experience. Google and the research firm, Purchased, determined people are more likely to have a brand experience on a mobile device than any other medium, including in-person. That means the experience they get through your brand and on your site needs to be tailored to their needs.
One of the easiest ways to do this with your content is to set your navigation up by categories. Divide up your content based on cohort and assign categories to each subsection on your website. This approach makes it easier for people to search and improves the overall experience.
Change is in the Air
As Google continues to evolve their mobile-first initiative, it’s critical that your website is designed for the mobile user. These updates can do a lot to help your business get found and convert visitors.
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