Google To Divide Its Index, Giving Mobile Users Better and Fresher Content (searchengineland.com)

Desktop Google searches could soon feel slightly out of touch compared to those done via smartphones as the company begins to push mobile search. Google has said it is fully splitting its search index into two versions: a rapid updated mobile one, and a secondary search index for the desktop web. SearchEngineLand reports: The news came today during a keynote address from Gary Illyes, a webmaster trends analyst with Google, at Pubcon. Illyes didn't give a timeline in his talk, but in a follow-up with Search Engine Land, he confirmed that it would happen within "months." Google first announced that it was experimenting with the idea of a mobile index last year at SMX East. Since that time, Google's clearly decided that a mobile index makes sense and is moving ahead with the idea. It's unclear exactly how the mobile index will work. For example, since the mobile index is the "primary" index, will it really not be used for any desktop queries? Will it only contain "mobile-friendly" content? How out-of-date will the desktop index be? Desktop usage is now a minority of Google queries but still generates substantial usage. The most substantial change will likely be that by having a mobile index, Google can run its ranking algorithm in a different fashion across "pure" mobile content rather than the current system that extracts data from desktop content to determine mobile rankings.

Comments

What's the point?

[phresno]

Won't this simply push desktop users to use the mobile site, and if needs be, spoof their browser identifier?

Re:What's the point?

[geekmux]

Won't this simply push desktop users to use the mobile site, and if needs be, spoof their browser identifier?

Speaking of the point, let's be clear here. Users won't get "pushed" in any direction that isn't set up as the default anyway, because we all know that users are too damn lazy to put forth an effort otherwise.

Spoof the browser? Yeah right. Unless that additional effort is going to unlock more Netflix content, users won't be doing that shit either.

Re:What's the point?

[hodet]

"... If the content and experience is better on the mobile version."

That will be a cold day in hell.

They've created search anxiety!!

[Anonymous Coward]

What a daft idea. I'm sat at a £3000 computer but need to use my £100 phone to get the best results? Plus I'll have look twice as search anxiety will mean I'll worry about missing a result.
After they dropped classic maps It's like they want people to use bing!

Remove restrictions

[Actually, I do RTFA]

Right now Google lower-ranks your site for a variety of reasons relating to "but it doesn't work on a phone [crying sound]." While it makes sense to optimize for a phone normally (if trying to reach the largest audience), there are many cases where it actually hurts the site. I wonder if this means that the desktop index will remove those prioritization, allowing some of the old, but gold, content to bubble back up.

Also, I think Google using their monopoly power to decide how "popular" or "relevant" your site is to a search by if it cottons to their favored development styles is a pretty clear anti-trust violation.

Fuck mobile

[Anonymous Coward]

First it ruined web "design" by giving us huge fonts, mystery navigation and full width text. Now it's going to ruin search too? I'm gonna make my own internet, and none of you millenial shitsters are invited.