At the beginning of September, Google grabbed a few headlines with its fifth official logo redesign. It triggered the predictable arguing over whether the logo looks better or worse than the previous one, minute focusing on the angles and edges of the lettering, and endless analysis of the logo’s color scheme. While it would be easy to dismiss the logo change as a gimmick, the truth is that the comprehensive change does represent Google’s shift in focus from mainly desktop to multi-device service. There are plenty of other changes in the same direction, and they all impact the way Greenville, SC SEO should be done in today’s online environment.
Why Google’s New Logo Actually Means Something
Google’s new logo design isn’t just an aesthetic shift—it goes deeper than just a crooked line on the “E.” As people use Google on their mobile devices, they will start noticing the logo more and even interacting with it. That’s because the new logo is dynamic: it animates to show exactly which Google service is active, and it changes in size and shape to stay out of the way when necessary. These changes are all geared toward accomplishing a goal that Greenville SEO professionals share: optimizing for mobile Web browsing.
With each month seeming to bring a “groundbreaking” development in mobile technology, it is not easy for Greenville, SC SEO experts and web developers to keep up with the increased capabilities! Users lose patience when a website/service isn’t optimized to look and function perfectly on their small screen, and Google is well aware of that fact. A minimalistic logo that can shrink, expand, and transform to fit its context is just what’s called for in this new environment.
Will Apps Replace Browsers on Mobile?
Adapting to mobile tech while retaining dominance on the traditional computer screen is a delicate balancing act.
The invitation “Download our free app!” is seen and heard more often all the time. An app provides a business with more marketing advantages than a website in some contexts, namely:
• Convenience: fewer clicks and typing are needed for a customer to connect to a business through an app than finding it in a Web browser.
• Relationships: Downloading an app and personalizing it encourages the customer to maintain a longer, “richer” relationship with the business.
• Tracking: Many apps harvest valuable user information that can help the business market more effectively.
Clearly, app developers would like for businesses to equate the shift to mobile with the need for apps. But an app might not be right for every kind of business. One of the biggest advantages that a mobile-friendly website has over an app is that it provides a consistent experience for both mobile and computer users. Since an app serves only mobile users, a business that still gets a sizable percentage of its leads from computer users needs to continue devoting attention to maintaining a high-quality website. That type of business may well decide to concentrate on improving its mobile-friendly website rather than paying for an app that will only serve some of its customers.
Google Maps and Social Media vs. Traditional Websites
Many people don’t realize how much “off-page” work their Greenville, SC SEO agency does. The term “off-page” refers to any activity outside the boundaries of the official company website. The most common examples include:
• Facebook profile creation and posting
• Other social media activity, including Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube
• Google Maps and Google+ business page listings
• Listings on Yelp, Citysearch, Hotfrog, and other local business directories
All of this off-page activity is hugely important for reaching mobile users. A potential customer using a smartphone may not be likely to open a browser and execute a Google search for traditional websites, but he is likely to use the Google Maps or Yelp app to find what he’s looking for. If your business has a properly registered Google+ business listing and Yelp entry, that customer could show up at your door without ever visiting your website. Moving to mobile means ensuring that your Greenville, SC SEO consultant is making your business’s information available across the Internet and the apps that access it.
Going Mobile with Greenville, SC SEO
Just as Google has made a major attempt to better fit into the mobile lifestyle with its logo redesign, our Greenville SEO company is focusing on mobile. From website optimization to off-page business listings, give us a call to find out how we can get you in front of more mobile users.
