Are you ready for SEO changes coming this April?
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If you haven’t heard, a sea change is coming to Internet rankings next month. And it could affect you, photographers. But don’t panic! Dealing with it now is best for your business anyway.

During April, Google is expected to begin dropping from its initial search results Web sites that aren’t mobile-friendly. So the question is, in Google’s opinion, does your Web site play nicely enough with mobile devices?…

You can find out easily right now! Just plug in your Web site address to this mobile-friendly assessment tool.

After the tool takes a moment to analyze your site, you should hope to see a screen like the one below. Our current Web site is actually a WordPress blogsite, using ProPhoto Theme. It’s relatively inexpensive, easily updated, and it does the trick. However, we’re in the process of upgrading to an even more responsive, highly interactive ShowIt Web site soon.

If on the other hand you receive a dreaded RED mark from Google, confirming that your site indeed is NOT mobile-friendly, don’t panic! It will look something like this, and you’ll notice (depending on how your site is built) you may even receive tips on how to update your site appropriately: “Make this page mobile-friendly.”

A lot of criticism is swirling around on the Internet right now, accusing Google of overstepping an unspoken boundary when it chose to restructure search results this way (essentially leaving behind many of us who are less tech-savvy). Deserved or not, the criticism fails to acknowledge the positive side of this upheaval. Even if your Web site currently comes up first in search results for “Altanta, photographer,” for example, you are shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t have a mobile-friendly site. Over 63% of Internet activity today takes place on mobile devices, rather than on desktop PC’s. The percentage of engaged couples looking for a wedding photographer via a mobile device may be even higher, as they are generally younger and follow the newest technology trends more closely. Before investing time or money in any of the other SEO tactics available out there, your mobile-friendly and responsive Web site should take top priority.