How Mobilegeddon is Affecting Legal Web Sites

If your website’s search rankings recently took a tumble, then you may be being affected by Google’s latest search algorithm update. Google recently announced an update to their algorithm that will eventually start giving preference to websites that are considered to be ‘mobile friendly’ (those with large text, easy-to-click buttons or links, and that will resize according to the screen it’s being viewed on) on searches performed from a mobile device, while demoting those that are not. There’s various reports about the actual impact since April 21st but regardless of whether you’re seeing the impact yet, the change is coming.

Even though the importance of having a responsive web design has been touted for awhile now, this latest update widely known as “Mobilegeddon” took many law firms off guard. According to Vizibility, law firms generate approximately one-third of their online traffic from mobile devices. With mobile traffic at an all time high, it’s even more surprising that 53% of the top law firms do not have a mobile-friendly website. This means that a majority of law firms have been (or will be!) affected by “mobilegeddon.”

It was only a matter a time before Google pulled the rug out from under dated websites. Google reports that about 60% of all search traffic comes from mobile devices, which will only continue to grow as more and more people ditch their desktop computers for the convenience of tablets and smartphones. The Penguin and Panda algorithm updates were designed to weed out irrelevant websites and now Google is turning its focus on the user experience with “Mobilegeddon.” Because even the best content is considered useless if the website it’s on is hard to read or navigate.

First impressions are everything when you are running a law firm. A mobile responsive website will help you deliver the right message to the right people at the right time – regardless of what device they are browsing on. With a seamless user experience you will not only deliver your firm’s message consistently across devices, you will also connect with a whole new generation of clients.

Worried about your law firm? Head over to Google’s “Mobile-Friendly” test page to test whether your website makes the cut – simply type in your URL and see if it passes. If your website has been affected by mobilegeddon and you are looking to upgrade to a responsive web design, email us at Info@CondorWeb.com for more information.