Mobile-first indexing is a term used in the context of search engine optimization (SEO) to describe the practice of using the mobile version of a website as the primary source of information for indexing and ranking in search engine results.
Traditionally, search engines have used the desktop version of a website as the primary source of information for indexing and ranking in search results. However, as the number of mobile users has grown, search engines have started to prioritize the mobile version of a website over the desktop version. This is known as mobile-first indexing.
With mobile-first indexing, search engines will primarily use the mobile version of a website to understand its content, structure, and relevance to a user’s query. This means that the mobile version of a website must be complete and up-to-date, with all the same content, links, and metadata as the desktop version.
To prepare for mobile-first indexing, website owners should ensure that their mobile and desktop versions are aligned and consistent, and that the mobile version is optimized for search engine crawling and indexing. This can help improve the visibility and ranking of a website in search results, and provide a better user experience for mobile users.