In the past, website creation had been geared specifically towards computers. But with the rise in website access via mobile devices and tablets, companies are having to reevaluate and modify their web design strategies.
For the average business, 60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices — not desktops. With a dedicated mobile SEO strategy, you can stay ahead of the curve, tap into a growing customer base, and increase your business by optimizing your website for tablet and Smartphone users.
To optimize your website for major platforms, there are 3 main strategies:
•Responsive design is recommended by Google as the best mobile SEO strategy (embed source http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2253965/3-Reasons-Why-Responsive-Web-Design-is-the-Best-Option-For-Your-Mobile-SEO-Strategy). RD uses same URL and HTML codes for both desktop and mobile versions. The content automatically moves into a mobile format when accessed from a mobile device. Therefore if website is visited on a smaller platform like a phone, the website will look exactly the same… just smaller.
•Dynamic Serving uses one URL and adapts to whichever device you are using. However, depending upon what type of device you are using, the HTML code will change. Unlike responsive design where you are seeing the same website on both mobile and computer devices, with dynamic serving you will see the content change on mobile devices. Dynamic can be more expensive and potentially causes problems with mobile searches when incorrectly set up, but when done correctly can give a more pleasing experience to the user
•Sepearte sites, an alternative to the other two methods, uses corresponding URL’s for both desktop and mobile devices. The mobile site will often be setup as “m.website.com.” Where as the desktop site would read “www.website.com”
RECOMMNEDATION
We at St8 recommend using responsive design when setting up a mobile site. Google search bots are designed to find a URL and all content that lies within that website. This is how Google ranks the site in search engine results. Because this is how it is set up, when the HTML changes (as it does in Dynamic Serving) the bots will not recognize the mobile site. In Responsive Design The HTML is consistent throughout both platforms, thus will gain a higher search ranking and will give your website more traffic.
Although all three are viable options, responsive design provides the user a consistent experience across many different platforms, making SEO strategic management simpler.