Mobile-First Indexing
Google uses your mobile site version (not desktop) to determine rankings.
Mobile-first indexing means Google indexes and ranks using the mobile version of your page, not the desktop one. Anything present only on desktop effectively does not exist for ranking. Since 2024 it applies to every site, so the mobile page has to carry the full content, structured data and metadata.
Definition
Mobile-first indexing means Google predominantly uses the mobile version of your website for indexing and ranking. Since March 2024, Google has completed the switch — all websites are now crawled and indexed based on their mobile version.
Why It Matters
If your mobile site has less content than desktop, hidden tabs, or broken functionality, that is what Google sees. Content that only appears on desktop is effectively invisible to Google. Mobile experience IS the experience.
Example
A site hides product reviews behind a "Show More" button on mobile. Google cannot see those reviews, missing valuable keyword-rich content. Fix: show all content by default on mobile, using expandable sections that render in the initial HTML.
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