Google Webmaster Tools Adds Mobile Usability Errors

Oct 29, 2014 - 7:52 am 6 by

Google Webmaster ToolsThis should come to you as no surprise... Google has added a new Google Webmaster Tools report for showing webmasters mobile usability issues that they pick up.

Google has been warning and showing hints that mobile UX may be a ranking factor for some time now, and the next step is to show webmasters what usability issues they have with their mobile sites. Now that this is done, Google may soon announce a ranking signal around this.

The new feature in Webmaster Tools is named Mobile Usability and can be accessed at google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-usability.

Here are screen shots of two sites of mine from here.

Search Engine Roundtable needs help:

click for full size

RustyBrick seems pretty good:

click for full size

Which errors will Google currently show? The help document lists them all:

  • Flash not supported
  • A defined viewing area (or viewport) that adjusts to the device’s screen size.
  • Content that flows in the viewport, so that users don’t have to scroll horizontally or pinch the screen in order to see the entire page.
  • Fonts that scale for easier reading on small screens.
  • Easy-to-touch elements (e.g., buttons) that are well-spaced from other touch elements.
  • Visual design and motion driven by mobile-friendly technology.

John Mueller from Google announced this on Google+ just saying this will help people, but no mention of ranking signals. He wrote:

I know lots of you are running mobile-friendly sites, so I hope this new feature in Webmaster Tools makes it easier to find those few remaining issues that you might have missed. 

Forum discussion at Google+.

 

Popular Categories

The Pulse of the search community

Search Video Recaps

 
- YouTube
Video Details More Videos Subscribe to Videos

Most Recent Articles

Bing SEO

Bing Webmaster Tools Down Has Been Down Hours

Mar 19, 2025 - 1:10 pm
Search Forum Recap

Daily Search Forum Recap: March 19, 2025

Mar 19, 2025 - 10:00 am
Google Updates

Google Confirms Volatility Prior To March 2025 Core Update Was Not That Core Update

Mar 19, 2025 - 8:01 am
Google

Google Tests AI Overviews In Middle Of Search Results Page

Mar 19, 2025 - 7:51 am
Google

Google Expands Health Overviews & Adds What People Suggest In Search

Mar 19, 2025 - 7:41 am
Bing SEO

Bing Webmaster Tools Copilot Feature Opens Up To All

Mar 19, 2025 - 7:31 am
Previous Story: The Google Penguin Office