Google does not index sites that are inaccessible from mobile devices, but prioritizes mobile bot accessibility regardless of mobile friendliness.
Starting July 5th, Google will index websites using the Googlebot Mobile user agent. If a site blocks this agent, it will not be indexed.
Ensure mobile accessibility to maintain visibility in Google search results and continue building mobile-friendly sites to enhance user experience.
There's a lot of confusion lately about Google's recent indexing policy changes. Many people are falling for the misconception that 'Google doesn't index sites that aren't mobile-friendly'.However, this is not true.Google does index sites that are not mobile-friendly. The key point is when a site is completely inaccessible from mobile devices.
Starting July 5th, Google will use the Googlebot Mobile user agent for indexing. This agent behaves like an Android mobile phone. If a site blocks this mobile user agent, Google won't be able to see it at all and will not index it. The important thing is that the site must be accessible from mobile devices.
Google's Gary Illyes recently posted on LinkedIn that "websites that are not mobile-friendly can still be indexed in Google Search after July 5th." He also emphasized that "if the googlebot can't access a site at all, for example, because of network or HTTP errors, then that site won't be indexed in Google Search." The change after July 5th is that the site needs to be accessible to googlebot's smartphone user agent. It doesn't matter whether the site is mobile-friendly or not. However, it's better if it's mobile-friendly.
Google's John Mueller also posted on LinkedIn that "mobile indexing is not related to mobile-friendliness. Even non-mobile-friendly sites can be fully indexed." He added that "the number of sites that are not indexable by the smartphone googlebot is very small." If Search Console is working for your site and you can use the URL inspection tool, it means there's no problem.
John also explained in Redditthat "this issue is unrelated to mobile-friendliness." He said that "older table-based sites are fine, and only sites that block all mobile users to a page saying 'you need to use a real computer' will be affected." He added that he has rarely seen such sites in recent years. He also emphasized that this is an indexing issue unrelated to ranking.
Through the above explanations, we can clearly understand the difference between mobile-friendliness and indexing. Google's policy change is simply about whether or not a site is accessible from mobile devices. While mobile-friendliness remains important, it's not related to indexing itself. Since Google continues to improve its indexing criteria, it's crucial for site owners to understand and adapt to these changes.
If you're running an older site, it's important to ensure that it's accessible from mobile devices. If you're having trouble using your existing CMS (Content Management System), copying and pasting into a new CMS is one option. The measures taken in response to Google's indexing policy change are relatively simple. It's crucial to check mobile accessibility and make any necessary modifications to maintain your visibility in Google search results.
Google's indexing policy change emphasizes the importance of mobile accessibility. Ultimately, this is to improve user experience and provide better search results. Site owners can positively embrace these changes and, through necessary actions, maintain or improve their position in Google search results.