Google’s Latest Update: Link Inclusion on Mobile Pages for Large Websites

What’s New?

Google recently added a best practice in its crawl budget documentation for large websites that use separate HTML for mobile and desktop pages. This update emphasizes the importance of making sure all links are available on the mobile version, just as they are on the desktop version.

Why is This Important?

For large websites, Google’s mobile-first indexing approach means it primarily crawls the mobile version of your site. If the mobile version doesn’t have all the links that appear on the desktop version, Google may struggle to discover new or updated pages. This can slow down the indexing process, impacting how quickly your new content shows up in search results.

Key Takeaways

• Link Consistency: Ensure all links on the desktop version are also available on the mobile version.
• Faster Discovery: Consistent linking helps Google discover new or updated pages more efficiently, which is crucial for large websites with frequent content updates.
• Impact on Crawl Budget: For large websites, inefficient linking on mobile pages can waste Google’s crawl budget. This can lead to delays in content indexing, meaning users might not see your latest updates as quickly.

Practical Steps

1. Audit Links on Mobile vs. Desktop: Compare your mobile and desktop pages to confirm all essential links are consistent across both versions.
2. Update Your Mobile Templates: If any links are missing on mobile, update your templates to include them.
3. Monitor in Search Console: Use Google Search Console to see which pages Google is indexing and to identify any potential crawl issues.

Following this update will help your site’s visibility in search results, especially if you manage a large website with frequent updates.