Google ranks non-mobile websites lower in search results

Google will start rolling out a new algorithm on its mobile search engine on Tuesday. Websites suitable for small screens appear higher in search results; websites that are not, will be placed lower from now on.

The change only applies to search results on smartphones, not for tablets and large screens such as laptops and desktops. It’s unclear what happens to search results on screens with resolutions used in both smartphones and tablets.

Google announced the change back in February to give website administrators time to make their websites mobile-friendly. It is rare for Google to provide advance information about a change to its algorithms.

Administrators can use a special tool from Google to test whether their website is suitable for mobile devices, and can therefore be placed higher in the search engine. How much higher a website that is suitable for mobile screens comes is not entirely clear.

The change only affects ‘normal’ Google search results; the results for news items and videos, for example, remain unchanged. Google will begin the rollout on Tuesday, but it could take a few days or weeks for all changes to be implemented. Incidentally, Google already indicated in its mobile search engine which sites were suitable for small screens, but this had no consequences for the positioning of search results.