Mobile analysis in Google Search Console is a crucial aspect of optimizing the mobile version of a website. With more and more users accessing the internet through their smartphones, ensuring that your website is easy to use and navigate on a smaller screen is vital.
In this article, we’ll explain how to use the Mobile Usability report in Google Search Console to identify and fix common issues with the mobile version of your website. By addressing these issues, you’ll improve the user experience for mobile visitors and ensure that your website performs at its best. Let’s dig in.
The Mobile Usability Report
The Mobile Usability report in Google Search Console can identify various issues with the mobile version of a website. Here’s a list of some of the issues that the report may show:
- Clickable elements that are too close together
- A missing or improperly set viewport
- Content that is wider than the screen
- Text that is too small to read
- Viewport not set to “device-width”
- Flash content not usable on iOS
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and the Mobile Usability report may also identify other issues. You should regularly check the report and address any identified issues to improve the user experience for mobile visitors.
Clickable Elements That Are too Close Together
When the clickable elements on a website are too close together, it can be difficult for users to tap on the desired element. This can lead to users accidentally tapping on the wrong element, which can be frustrating and cause them to leave the website.
To fix this issue, try increasing the space between clickable elements or adjusting the layout of the mobile website to make the clickable elements more distinct. Also, consider using larger buttons or links, making it easier for users to tap on the desired element accurately.
A Missing or Improperly Set Viewport
The viewport is the area of a webpage that is visible to the user on their device. If the viewport isn’t set or set improperly, the mobile website may not display correctly on different devices.
To fix a missing or improperly set viewport, add a “viewport” meta tag to the HTML of your website. The viewport meta tag should look something like this:
<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1″>
This sets the viewport to the device’s width, ensuring that the mobile website displays correctly on different devices. If the viewport isn’t set to “device-width,” the mobile website may not display correctly on different devices.
Content That Is Wider than the Screen
If the content of a mobile website is wider than the screen of the device, users may have to scroll horizontally to view all of the content. This can be frustrating for users, so it should be avoided.
To fix this issue, ensure that the content of your mobile website fits within the width of the device screen. You can do this by using responsive design techniques, such as using percentages instead of fixed widths for layout elements. This makes sure the content of your website adjusts to the width of the device screen and is easy to view without horizontal scrolling.
Another good idea is testing your mobile website on different devices to ensure that the content fits within the screen width on all devices.
Text That Is too Small to Read
If the text on a mobile website is too small to read easily, it can be difficult for users to consume the content. This can lead to users leaving the website, which can negatively impact your website’s performance.
You can fix this issue by increasing the font size of the text on your mobile website. You can do this by adding a font-size style to the relevant elements in your CSS file. For example:
p {
font-size: 18px;
}
You can also consider using a responsive design technique that adjusts the font size based on the device screen size. This can be achieved using media queries in your CSS file. For example:
@media (max-width: 600px) {
p {
font-size: 16px;
}
}
Content not Sized to Viewport
If the content of a mobile website isn’t sized to the viewport, it can be difficult for users to view the content on their device. As a result, users need to scroll horizontally or zoom in to view the content, leading to a poor user experience.
Fix this by ensuring that the content of your mobile website is sized to the viewport. A way to do this is by using responsive design techniques (e.g., using percentages instead of fixed widths for layout elements). This ensures that the content of your website adjusts to the width of the device screen and is easy to view without horizontal scrolling or zooming.
Don’t forget to test your mobile website on different devices and ensure that the content is sized correctly to the viewport on all devices.
Flash Content not Usable on iOS
Flash content isn’t supported on iOS devices like iPhones and iPads. If your mobile website includes Flash content, it won’t be usable on iOS devices. This can be a problem if most of your mobile website’s traffic comes from iOS devices.
So, to fix this, replace any Flash content on your mobile website with a different technology supported on iOS devices. Some options include HTML5, JavaScript, or CSS3.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mobile analysis in Google Search Console is a valuable tool for identifying and fixing issues with the mobile version of a website. Regularly checking the Mobile Usability report and addressing these issues will ensure that your mobile website is optimized and performing at its best.