Mobile Friendly vs. Mobile Responsive in GSC
Friends who are familiar with the analytic definitions in Google Search Console , can you tell me what is GSC's real technical definition of a "Mobile-Friendly" Page?
What I am saying here is what is the specific criteria a page or post MUST MEET to be considered "Mobile-Friendly" according to GSC?
As you can see in my GSC, it is showing that I have 21 "Mobile-friendly" pages even though I have 110 Valid Pages.
However, all 110 pages are mobile responsive, meaning that they ALL work perfectly on any mobile device. My plugin also confirms this.
And within the 21 "Mobile-Friendly Pages" that GSC is showing, it shows these include BOTH PAGES and also POSTS on my website.
Which seems confusing to me, unless GSC does not distinguish between Pages and Posts.
Adding to this confusion, is that I have over 90+ other posts that ALL should be considered mobile friendly.
Why did GSC only "pick up" these 21?
Is it because these 21 posts/ pages are the ones that people commented the most on?
(I am only guessing, as I see this as a common thread between them)
GSC Shows Mobile Friendly Homepage - Mobile Friendly Test Does Not
ALSO, as you can see in the screenshot below, my GSC is showing that my HOMEPAGE is indeed Mobile friendly.
And my Homepage indeed IS mobile friendly.
However, when I ran a check of my same Homepage URL through a Mobile Friendly Test Tool (that GSC recommended), it showed the exact opposite: that my Homepage PAGE CANNOT BE REACHED!!
1) Does anyone here understand the distinction between "mobile friendly" and "mobile responsive" according to GSC, and can explain?
2) Can anyone explain the anonmaly of the Mobile Friendly Test?
Or is this a false positive?
Cheers,
Kaju
Recent Comments
19
May I try to say my piece on the question raised. A mobile friendly website is that your website posts are readable in mobile. All the texts and images details are there just like when you are viewing it in the desktop or laptop.
While a mobile responsive website has something to do with a website that can be opened in a mobile without needing to install a plugin or an application in order for you to access it.
I agree Jimmy, however this is not consistent with GSC's data and what I am seeing.
Actually my website works great on mobile, it looks great and it works fast. Everything on smarth phone looks EXACTLY as it does on a desktop.
My question here is why is Google Search Console's data not consistent with what I am viewing - that all 100+ posts are mobile friendly (rather than only 21).
Thanks,
Kaju
Does Google has a clear statement on these results? It's surprising to know a mobile friendly and responsive website appears to have been concealing some posts.
Or Google has something different algorithm to measure every post rather than being friendly and responsive?
Yes, this seems to be the great question. I am going to have to ask my Google person directly about this:)
Good Morning Kaju,
Some time ago I installed a plugin to make my website more mobile-friendly. When checking on mobile I had a shock. I was presented with the list of my posts and that was all I could see.
You could not see anymore it was my website as it had no sidebar with the widgets, no header with the pretty photo, only one post after the other. It could have been anybody's website, it had lost my identity.
I took the plugin away and now on mobile, even if you do not see the total as on desktop at least my website is recognizable.
I wonder why we should work so hard to give the personal touch to a website to then lose it on a mobile.
By the way, it is still loading nicely.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Hi Taetske,
Nice to see you.
Sorry to hear about your poor experience with that plugin.
Actually my website works great on mobile, it looks great and it works fast.
My question here is why is Google Search Console's data not consistent with what I am viewing - that all 100+ posts are mobile friendly (rather than only 21).
I am very happy with the plugin I am using, although I pay a premium price for it.
Take Care,
Kaju
Thanks a lot Kaju! Just freakin' great. I can always count on you. Just when I go thru Bootcamp a second time, get my 3rd site indexed, and move up 7 spots to #32, AND think I may just be learning this affiliate marketing stuff, YOU post this which is SO over my head right now.
Thanks for bringing me back to Earth. Now my brain hurts. Thanks. Taking the dog for a midnite run for consolation. I feel dumber than a bag of hammers now.
And don't get me started with Alex and his response. He made the lights flicker and the smoke alarms go off.
Thank goodness I love you guys.
Humbled Mark
ps. Insert image of bag of hammers here.
Mark,
Guess what! I'm not paying Kaju or Alex any mind.
Hahahahaha!
Let me stay dumb please. I don't need another headache.
Oh Mark, when I get brutally techie with my questions, I sure know how to "scare 'em all away"! (lol!).
Thank God I only LOOK dumb! (you should see me, tongue hangin' out...ROFL!)
I will look for those "bag of hammers" and also throw in an image of pet hamster Sam while I am at it.......still looking:)
Meanwhile, keep reading Alex's comment over and over, I'm sure it will eventually come to you!
LOL Maxine!
I'm sure if you read Alex's comment and reference my post a few times, this will come to you! I will send the Excedrin over:)
Kaju
Hi Kaju, hows it all going good I hope.
Diving in;
When we talk in terms of being mobile responsive, a website will automatically change dependant on the size of screen on the device. Having said that a site may not carry all the desired functionality.
That is actually a design factor, your nemesis would be a prime example they are mobile-friendly but not yet mobile responsive.
With mobile-friendly, a site will express on the small screen but lack some functionality to any degree it will be the same across the devices that it is displayed on.
Google introduced, mobile-first, as a ranking factor in July I think. I think that they are still coming to terms with the massive shift that has occurred in the online world.
Everyone is on their mobile phone, how often do you go home and crank up your desktop. I am sure that some folks would get a device implanted if they could.
We did have a mobile-friendly world, a mobile responsive world and now a mobile-first world.
I think that everyone is still coming to terms with that Google included. Initially, there will be some discrepancies or is it redunadcys in the system, this may be what you are seeing.
I believe the benchmark that Google is seeking is a site that loads in under 3 seconds, to meet the mobile-first criteria, they are driving it, and users are voting with the back button and the X.
It was a classic yesterday I meet someone in a flap, their site came up on mobile and a bit slow loading, still looked okay was it responsive, no scroll down the page and the most important piece of the puzzle was off the screen.
The buy now button was off the screen., desktop and tablet perfect, can't see many sales being made on mobile.
In their heads it was mobile friendly and mobile responsive.
Nothing can beat the practical test, look at your site on your mobile.
Just another thought websites don't load, pages load, so a train of thought is that we need to concentrate on the pages that are most visited and concentrate on the load speed if someone is there on your site the internal travel speed doesn't impact the same.
One metric can have so many possibilities.
I probably haven't answered your query just added some thoughts to the conversation that will ensue.
Thank You for your valuable input as always Alex.
I believe you are right, there are still discrepancies between, "mobile friendly", "mobile Responsive" and "mobile First" that Google is still working out.
I use Thrive Themes (which is great), and all of my pages and posts are mobile responsive AND mobile friendly - meaning after I write the post, I check them all in 3 views (Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile), and ALL are loading fast and show EVERTHING in all 3 views.
This is why I was asking why does GSC show me I only have 21 Mobile Friendly Pages, when I actually have over 100+ pages and posts that are all mobile friendly and mobile responsive.
There MUST be a more detailed definition between both that GSC considers.
Kaju
Hi Kaju, thank you for the share. It sure is nice to see all greens. May I ask which plugin you are using.
All the best,
Michael
Thank You Micheal, I suppose compared to many people I really can't complain.
Send me a PM, and I will give you the plugin.
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Thanks for the thought provoking post Kaju, Alan
Always a pleasure Alan, some have even said "brain'numbing" (lol!)
Thanks so much again Alan:) Check out our great Tokyo story as well as the Efren match video play by play:)
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