Goran's layout changes slightly to make sure important content comes first, regardless of the type of device you use to view the site.

Goran's layout changes slightly to make sure important content comes first, regardless of the type of device you use to view the site.

Ensuring Your Site is Mobile-Friendly

Here’s how to make sure your site is ready for Google’s algorithm changes.

April 22, 2015

Krista Stevens

Today, Google released a change to its algorithm that gives higher search scores to sites it deems “mobile-friendly.” Curious WordPressers might be asking:

  1. How can I be sure my site is mobile-friendly?
  2. What can I do if my site is not mobile-friendly?

1. See if your site is mobile-friendly

Visit Google’s mobile-friendly test link and enter your site’s address (e.g., https://wordpress.com/dailypost or https://automattic.com). Google will then analyze your site and declare it mobile-friendly or not.

Did your site pass? YAY! Pass GO and collect $200 from the Community Chest.

2. What can I do if my site is not mobile-friendly?

If your site failed Google’s test, you might be using an older theme that’s not responsive. Responsive themes change their layout slightly when someone visits via tablet or mobile phone to ensure that important content like the site title, post titles, and post content can be read on smaller screens.

Goran is one example of a responsive theme. Here’s a sample of what it looks like on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones:

Goran's layout changes slightly to make sure important content comes first, regardless of the type of device you use to view the site.

Goran’s layout changes slightly to make sure important content comes first, regardless of the type of device you use to view the site.

There are two things you can do to make your site mobile-friendly:

  1. Switch your theme to a responsive theme. Here’s a search on the Theme Showcase returning all our responsive themes to help you choose.
  2. If you’d prefer not to switch to a responsive theme, you can enable an option that will show a mobile-friendly, responsive theme to your mobile visitors only. Go to My Site(s) → WP Admin → Appearance → Mobile in your dashboard. Click on the Yes radio button to enable a mobile-friendly theme, and click on the Update button. You’re set.

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39 Comments

Comments are closed.

  1. arernil Apr 22nd at 6:03 pm

    Yeah, my page is mobile friendly !!! 😀

    Liked by 4 people

  2. andyc37 Apr 22nd at 6:04 pm

    Thank you so much for such a useful article. Definitely something I’m going to have to look into for my web presence!

    Liked by 7 people

  3. pegoleg Apr 22nd at 6:44 pm

    This was really useful, thanks! I’m mobile-friendly. Also pet-friendly, kid-friendly and friend-friendly.

    Liked by 11 people

  4. Paul Bowler Apr 22nd at 6:45 pm

    Didn’t know this, thanks, will have to check this out.

    Liked by 6 people

  5. vocabulary|in|chunks Apr 22nd at 6:53 pm

    Thanks for letting us know.

    Liked by 4 people

  6. Bill Hayes Apr 22nd at 7:47 pm

    I passed the test, yay! Not much else worked that well today.

    Liked by 5 people

  7. suesconsideredtrifles Apr 22nd at 8:15 pm

    Yay, Wu Wei, Pachyderm and Penscratch all pass. Thanks, WordPress.

    Liked by 3 people

  8. Ben Browton Apr 22nd at 8:42 pm

    Many thanks for this. I’m Google awesome, which is reassuring. Glad I did not have to change my theme. Love you WordPress!

    Liked by 5 people

  9. Ray Laskowitz Apr 22nd at 9:38 pm

    Storyteller (www.laskowitzpictures.org) is not mobile friendly according to Google. They want me to change my text size, the space between my links, open mobile view port (whatever that is) and my content is too wide for the page.

    Wow. I use a WordPress template, The text is how WordPress created it. The links are how WordPress set them, I have no idea what a mobile view port is and again, my content width is whatever WordPress said it should be.

    I’m a photographer, not a coder. I trusted that WordPress would provide the proper templates and coding. Apparently not.

    Liked by 3 people

  10. Jan Watson Apr 22nd at 9:51 pm

    My theme (that I want to keep) is not responsive and I don’t have a Mobile option under appearance. Please advise.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Carmen Lezeth Suarez Apr 22nd at 9:54 pm

    Awe…thank you for this! Never even dawned on me. I’m so glad I’m with WordPress! You guys rock!

    Liked by 3 people

  12. vbrown11 Apr 22nd at 10:15 pm

    Mine passed the test too and thank you so much for this! You are so greatly appreciated and I am very grateful for you WordPress.com. 😉

    Liked by 3 people

  13. littlebeanfarms Apr 22nd at 10:40 pm

    I am using a responsive theme (Sela) and I’m still failing the google test. My x’s are:
    Text too small to read
    Links too close together
    Mobile viewport not set
    How do I fix it?

    Liked by 3 people

  14. roseglace Apr 22nd at 11:02 pm

    it’s interesting that there is no obvious definition of what constitutes ‘mobile-friendly’. it’s hinted that it involves — but is not limited to — things like the necessity to zoom or scroll. i think far more important is “is the content and functionality of the mobile site EXACTLY THE SAME as the ‘real’ site? this criterion is never mentioned (or if it is, it’s not obvious).

    Liked by 3 people

  15. Jean Reinhardt Apr 22nd at 11:49 pm

    For once I’m compatible with something technical, yayyyy. Thanks.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. अनिरुद्ध बनहट्टी Apr 23rd at 12:44 am

    Ya.
    I have created two sites and both passed the test and are mobile friendly. The screen shot is exactly correct.

    But I didn’t understand Pass GO and collect $200 from community chest. I didn’t see any GO link or button anywhere.

    So please explain to me how I can collect my 400$.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Krista Apr 23rd at 12:49 pm

      The reference to “Pass GO and collect $200 from the Community Chest” refers to a popular board game called Monopoly. It’s a light-hearted attempt at a joke.

      Liked by 3 people

  17. borehead Apr 23rd at 12:50 am

    Hi. I have responsive theme, even seen the site on all the different devices! Says my site is not responsive! sigh.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. steveesq Apr 23rd at 1:38 am

    Thanks. I read articles yesterday about this but your post was the only one that gave me the link to check my sites.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. dhenztm Apr 23rd at 5:53 am

    The mobile-friendly theme works for old themes like what I’m using (Redoable Lite) but there’s no customization so hopefully they get some attention as well 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  20. Anand Rangpara Apr 23rd at 9:19 am

    It did not happen. I entered my wordpress blog URL but no analysis happened.

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Olivia Apr 23rd at 9:40 am

    My theme, Blogum, is not responsive, but I clicked it over to Mobile (as on your point 2) and now I’m ‘Google awesome’!! But pages are not still not showing up in searches as mobile friendly, so I’m not sure what to do now 😦

    Liked by 2 people

  22. Eunice Sanchez Apr 23rd at 12:16 pm

    Yay! Where’s my 200 bucks? 😀 Thanks for this very helpful article.

    Liked by 4 people

  23. Jan Watson Apr 23rd at 2:58 pm

    Thanks. But I inherited a site bfineartjewelry.com in which lies the problem. Minimatica is not responsive and I can’t find a Mobile radio button.

    Liked by 2 people

  24. nickvreys Apr 23rd at 7:06 pm

    Thx for such a useful article. It never even dawned on me to check my site on my mobile. Glad I passed the test!

    Liked by 4 people

  25. Haya Apr 24th at 6:14 am

    Thanks a million. (Now I never had and will most likely would never have million dollars)

    My site was not mobile friendly, by adopting ur advice got it changed. I am still looking for right theme though.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. furquanahmed13 Apr 24th at 7:08 pm

    So I am ready to face Google Mobile friendly algorithm with help from WordPress.

    Liked by 2 people

  27. Ana Rojas Apr 25th at 2:46 am

    YAY! My website passed this test..Happy to see “Awesome! This page is mobile-friendly.” THANKS for posting this article.

    Liked by 4 people

  28. nwginc Apr 27th at 8:07 am

    Thanks for the link!!!

    Liked by 2 people

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