Responsive design (and search engine optimization)

Responsive web design is no longer a dream of the future. Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of everyday life. After the establishment of a responsive web design, websites automatically adapt to the screen size of end devices. In terms of Search engine optimization can benefit from significant advantages. These advantages will increase significantly in the future, as purchases and visits via mobile devices become more and more important. We explain the advantages and disadvantages of a Responsive Web Design and show you how it affects the search engine ranking of your website. website ...is having an effect!

Basics of Responsive Webdesign

Responsive Web design, also known as "responsive web design", refers to a technology that can be used to create web pages. Once a Responsive Web Design is established, there is no need to create separate Web pages for PCs, tablets and smartphones. Responsive Web pages automatically adjust to the size of a screen so that the user of the device can access the entire content of a Web page. For example, there is no web page for smartphones that simply displays "slimmed-down" content. In online marketing, Responsive Web Design has long been considered standard. The history of Responsive Webdesign began in 2010 when Ethan Marcotte published an article entitled "Responsive Webdesign". In the article it was described that the design of individual, separate web pages should be replaced by responsive web pages. Placement, shape and size of web pages should be individually adapted to the end device. The Responsive Design is intelligent: After all, the end user does not have to zoom in and out. Mobile devices can benefit from a much easier and faster display of page content. Maintenance work is reduced to a minimum and the production of text content is simplified.

Responsive web design and search engine optimization

The Responsive Web Design leads to a noticeable revaluation of web pages in search engine rankings. The internet giant Google is anxious to present its users only those websites that have valuable content. When users click on a web page and return to the Google search results list after a short time, a signal is sent that the web page does not necessarily match the keyword. If mobile devices use their own web pages with limited information, visitors will no longer use the mobile service. If a mobile website is not available at all, more than half of the users will return to Google and search for other websites. In terms of duplicate content, Google does not penalise websites with identical content: after all, they are displayed under the same URL. Those who establish a Responsive Web Design can benefit from synergy effects. Whoever operates a mobile website in Responsive Webdesign will be enhanced by the main website, since the links on the main page also apply to the mobile website. In comparison to other competitors, an enormous competitive advantage can be enjoyed with regard to the mobile website. Non-mobile optimized websites trigger a negative effect on the desktop main page.

The disadvantages of a Responsive Webdesign

If you want to establish a Responsive Webdesign, you have to accept some disadvantages. The development of a website in Responsive Webdesign is much more complex than with a conventional website. Designers and programmers have to invest much more time in the various adjustments. Inexperienced teams will have to overcome initial difficulties when implementing new concepts. Mobile websites in Responsive Design always display exactly the same content as conventional websites, which is why the user experience may be severely limited. Mobile users always want to see the same content as on desktop websites. However, desktop Web pages can be searched on a large screen with a mouse. However, smaller devices only allow finger gestures, which makes the content look completely different. Interactive websites with complicated click paths can create a completely different impression when displayed on a mobile device. Responsive web design should therefore only be used for manageable websites without complicated structure. With huge websites it may be worthwhile to continue to use a separate structure.

The need for Responsive Web Design

The Responsive Webdesign is essential in many situations. The mobile search engine optimization differs from the classical search engine optimization in that the margin is much smaller than it already is. The problem lies primarily in the minimal size of smartphone displays. Responsive web design will become increasingly important in the future. The use of mobile devices has increased so much in recent years that parts of the online business have moved from the desktop to the smartphone. Goods and services worth billions are now booked via mobile devices. This trend is set to increase significantly in the future. Small user interfaces must be controlled with a movement and zoom function. A mobile website can only be successful in the field of search engine optimization if it is tailored to the characteristics of mobile devices. Responsive web design has long since ceased to be seen as mere dreams of the future. Tablets and smartphones are no longer to be ignored in everyday life. Today, more than 30 percent of Internet access is already attributable to smartphones. The Responsive Webdesign, where texts, pictures and individual control elements are adapted to the requirements of the respective end device, is a decisive factor in the success or failure of websites.

Current articles