By now we know that Google runs through your site to add pages to its index and in the past Google surfed your site as desktop users… Now Google will do this as a mobile user.

You might not realise this but your site my present a completely different display to mobile users versus desktop users – for example links on your site that appear on a desktop might not appear on a mobile device, leading to this being bad for business because Google isn’t able to follow links causing your website to be optimised and ranked badly.

So the bottom line? When performing SEO, ensure it is optimised for mobile first!

Why is Google using a mobile first index?

• The answer is very simple… Mobile devices in this day and age have become very popular!
• It has been reported by Google that more than 50% of search queries globally come from mobile devices.
• So ensuring your site is mobile friendly has become even more important now as Google are acting on this by ranking your site based on mobile friendliness.

You might now be asking yourself… What if I don’t have a mobile friendly site?

You can relax a little! Google will still surf your site using the desktop version as well, while the mobile first index is in testing. Therefore your site can still be indexed even though it’s using a mobile user agent.

But a little bit of advice for you is… if you want to make a statement online you need to have a mobile responsive site.

Will Google have different indexes for mobile and desktop?

For now, yes it will! As Google grows confident in the mobile first index they do plan on them only have one, which will obviously be based around mobile content.

So do you need to make improvements on your site for the mobile first index? If so I would make those improvements beforehand to ensure when your site is surfed by the mobile first crawler it shows it is optimised for mobile devices.

How can I tell if Google sees my mobile pages?

You are able to do this by using the Fetch and Render tool in the Google Search Console.

By specifying the mobile:smartphone user agent, once the fetch and render is complete, you are able to see what Google sees when surfing your site.

Is any of your content missing? If it is be sure to look into this and fix it as quickly as possible, then run the tool again.

This allows you to ensure your site is optimised properly so when it comes to Google searching through your site, you are therefore ranked well, more than you would have been if you had left it how it was.

Will mobile first indexing change rankings?

Google have said that it shouldn’t dramatically change the rankings of sites; however they have said that right now it is too early to tell due to it still being testing.

Although, if your site is not mobile responsive to the audience, you shouldn’t expect it to be ranked well for particular keywords. So making changes to your site for this new process will be a great help.

When does the mobile first indexing begin?

Well, Google have already started implementing the mobile first crawler, but they have stated it will take a few months before full implantation takes place.

They are still testing the code, and will continue to roll out more searches over time as it gains confidence; resulting in only one index being used once the mobile first index is working fully and achieving what Google wanted.

So what’s the main thing we have learnt from all this? For starters Google has realised that more searches are being done on mobile devices and will therefore start ranking your site through the mobile first index, so you need to ensure your site is mobile friendly.

Google still currently has the desktop crawlers in place alongside the mobile first crawlers, however when a full implantation is complete this will change, having an effect on your site if you haven’t done anything to make it mobile friendly.

Being blacklisted is a topic that concerns all website owners and is one of the worse things that could happen to any business who relies on the internet for their income.

This is why it is handy to know how to check if a website is blacklisted, to know how a website becomes blacklisted, along with knowing what rules to follow to gain blacklist removal.

What Happens When You Are Blacklisted?

Are you blacklisted? If you are unsure, there are many different telltale signs that you can pick up on, such as the amount of traffic your website usually receives could significantly decrease, along with emails that you send to your customers could bounce (in this case, you may also receive a message saying that the email bounced due to abuse, in which case they may assume that you are sending your customers spam).

If your website has been infected with malware, (which will lead to Google blacklisting your website) then you may realise your website has been blacklisted due to the warning message Google will provide your visitors with when they try to access your website, saying that your website could be dangerous to their computer. Meanwhile, you should also receive a message from Google, explaining how your website has some malicious software and explaining the process you should follow to get your website running smoothly online again.

How Do You Get Blacklisted?

There are many reasons that could make Google want to blacklist you, so we are going to list the main reasons so you know how to avoid situations like this from happening:

• Website Maintenance:
One simple way to get your website blacklisted, is by not maintaining your website enough, which is why it is crucial to constantly ensure that you website is active and regularly updated.

• Masking Keywords:
Are you thinking of sneakily hiding keywords of you website page, or are you already doing this? Well if that is the case, then it is time to stop before you are put on the Google blacklist!

• Website Linking:
While linking your website visitors to other websites that they may be interested in, is always a good way to improve your site and to become more active online, at the same time, you need to ensure that you are not leading your visitors to website pages that are spam or malicious to their visitors.

• Be Original:
We have all heard of the rule ever since we started school, not to copy other peoples work and we have been taught this rule for good reason. Not only do people enjoy reading new and fresh content, but copying other peoples content is a breach of copyright. Save yourself the hassle of having angry authors contact you and getting de-indexed from Google and take the time to write your own content.

How Can I Tell If My Website Is Blacklisted?

Generally, if you have been blacklisted, you would soon notice, due to it having an impact on the amount of traffic that your website receives, which therefore would have an impact on your sales if you are a business.

However, if you want to double check to see if your website is blacklisted, we have prepared five tools that help by providing you with a blacklist website check:

1. Google Webmaster Tools

To use Google Webmaster Tools, you will need to create an account, however it is an extremely useful website with plenty of tools to be able to keep an eye on your website (if you own a blacklisted website, you will be able to tell from the sudden decrease in the amount of visitors who come to your website).

Not only will you be able to tell how many people have visited your website each day, but there is also the handy diagnostics tool where you have many options like Malware, Crawl Errors along with HTML Suggestions.

2. Site Check

Site Check is a website blacklist checker that you know you can rely on considering the amount of followers they have on social media.

With all of their social media accounts up to date, their Facebook page has 12,412 followers, while their Twitter page has an astonishing 18.9k followers!

With an up to date blog, there will be plenty to read, whether it is about security, hacking or fixing WordPress sites.

Site check ensure they do a thorough blacklist check through your website, while also checking for malware, website errors and seeing if your software it out-of-date.

3. What Is My IP

With an active Facebook and Twitter account, What Is My IP are IP address experts who are able to thoroughly check your URL or IP address to see if it is in the list of DNSBL (Domain Name Blacklist) or SURBL systems.

These systems are both used by email system administrators who try to prevent spam emails from reaching their destination.

The different systems work different areas of spamming and blacklist management, which is why using them both creates a highly efficient job of checking to see if your website is blacklisted.

4. Maine Host

Maine Host is all about helping their customers in every way possible. From live chats available online, emailing, phoning them up, even with their blog being regularly updated along with social media.

This is a busy website who know how to interest their visitors with plenty of information prepared for them to read.

5. Inmotion Hosting

Inmotion Hosting provide a thorough job of checking to see if your domain name or IP address is in any of the popular blacklisted website lists that they have access to. They do a great job at making sure their clients are able to get in touch with them easily, by providing a phone number, the option to Skype along with support chat. They also have an up to date Twitter account and LinkedIn account, along with a YouTube channel filled with videos for you to watch.

But this isn’t the real issue. The main question you need to ask is whether the website is having the desired influence on potential customers. After all, if your site elicits negative reactions, it’s actively causing more damage than good.

Quite frankly, you need to be sure that your website is of the highest standard. Here’s why:

First Impressions

For the client, gut feelings count for everything. In today’s climate, those first interactions will surface through access to your website. Therefore, it’s imperative that your domain generates a positive reaction.

Appearances are everything. And boasting a great web design will ensure that visitors start painting a positive picture of your brand immediately. As with any other marketing tool, grabbing the user’s attention is the first breakthrough. Once you’ve achieved this, the content on your site can help solidify those positive relationships.

Moreover, your website can establish the professional vibes needed to gain a customer’s trust.

Build Familiarity

A great website doesn’t only set a positive foundation. It can actually be used to plant a seed of familiarity and grow it until it’s ready to bring huge results for your company.

Familiarity will naturally increase your hopes of a sale or completed transaction. The key is to get customers interacting with your brand. Embracing new media is a fantastic way to keep them excited while blogging is an equally effective way to inform and entertain your audience.

As well as enhancing existing relationships, this can become a tool to build your reputation with new demographics.

Show Progressive Nature

Your business doesn’t simply need to be ready for success throughout the rest of 2016. There needs to be a focus on long-term plans too, and clients need to see that your company is ready to keep moving with the times.

Without a brilliant website, it’s very difficult to gain those positive reactions. In turn, this could be very damaging to the future of your business, even if it’s current products and services are fine. It’s all about perceptions, especially when aiming for loyal customers. Do not forget it.

Besides, most modern businesses embrace social media platforms as part of their marketing strategies. Those efforts will be rendered futile if they aren’t supported by a winning website.

Increase Profits

Ultimately, your only real incentive for making any upgrade is the prospect of increased profits. A great website will do that like no other, and is the chief reason it should be top of your agenda.

The influence of successful website can be huge for offline customers. However, you can also use the platform to accept online purchases. This essentially launches a new stream of revenue while opening your doors to a larger audience on a 24/7 basis.

If that doesn’t motivate you to start making positive changes, nothing will.