Google is officially adding app interstitials to the mobile friendly test, a month after I spotted Google’s plans to add the change. This means that webpages that serve users an interstitial when they click through from the Google search results will be impacted by this change. App interstitials will begin showing as an error in […]
App Indexing Ranking Signal Applies When Users Do Not Have App Installed
Google is experimenting showing app indexing results to users who do not have the app already installed, if Google feels the app result is a good result for the particular search query. And the app indexing ranking signal applies to those results too, for searches coming from an Android. Google hosted a Webmaster Office Hours […]
Googlebot Has New iPhone User-Agent for Crawling
It looks like Google has given its Googlebot crawler a brand new iPhone. If you track Googlebot visits to your site, or emulate one to “view as Googlebot” for testing purposes, you should be aware that Googlebot has a new iPhone user-agent to reflect the iOS 8 from iOS 6 difference. The new iPhone Googlebot […]
What Webmasters Should Know About Stagefright
Stagefright! Oh no do you have “Stagefright”? No not that paralyzing fear of talking in front of a group of people. Stagefright is the latest in a series of Android OS vulnerabilities. Basically, if you have Android OS you need to assume you are vulnerable until you are sure you are not. What is “Stagefright”? […]
Google Will Index Mobile-Only Sites, But Not Best Practice
In the most recent Google Webmaster Office Hours Hangout, the question came up about mobile only websites and whether it is possible for Google to successfully index websites that are designed for mobile only, and without an equivalent desktop version. The answer is yes… however, just because Google says it can do it, doesn’t mean […]
Google Testing New Line Breaks in Search Results
Google is testing additional line breaks in the Google search results for mobile users. The change adds an additional line in between where Google displays the title/URL/breadcrumbs and the description snippet in the of each individual search result. Here is how the additional breaks are appearing in the search results. And another example: Google is […]
Google Adds Phone Numbers to AutoSuggest
Google has added a new feature to autosuggest on mobile devices – large phone numbers. When searching on your mobile, when you do a search for “Call <name>”, Google will display the phone number for the business in autosuggest in extra large numbers. Here is one example: It also works for businesses outside of the […]
The New York Times Plans to Launch ‘Mobile Moments’
On Tuesday, The New York Times announced plans to launch a new type of mobile advertising this fall that will focus on key moments of a user’s day when Times journalism is particularly helpful in keeping readers informed and inspired. The ad solution, called Mobile Moments, will feature targeted short stories called Screenplays that will […]
Google Adds App Interstitials as Mobile Usability Error in Search Console
Google is taking the first step to reduce the number of app interstitials presented to mobile users when visiting a website. Starting August 14th, Google will begin treating webpages that serve users with a full page app interstitial as a mobile usability error in Google Search Console. August 14 Having a full-page interstitial popup on […]
Google: App Interstitials Result in Huge Abandonment Rate
Google has published an interesting study about app interstitials, and the results are significant enough that companies should consider removing their interstitial or switch to an app install banner instead. Many companies, in implementing their mobile strategy, feel that the more app downloads the better. But it is one of the most annoying things for […]