Are you ready for Google’s Mobilegeddon?

You may have heard that Google has unleashed its latest algorithm update; and this one’s a biggie with predictions that the effects could have wide reaching ramifications on the mobile / search engine landscape. The question for marketing directors and website managers is “will my website fall down Google’s rankings?”

LOSING RANK

Websites that are deemed not mobile friendly; failing any or all of Google’s tests for size of text, spacing of links, width of content, or the setting of a mobile viewport, will see their Google ranking demoted on mobile search result pages – which now account for 50% of all searches.

As with previous updates by Google, the web development industry will go into a bit of a spin highlighting websites at risk of demotion – whilst marketing directors will see their twitter timelines fill up with scare stories and offers of support in equal measure (swiftly followed by a tasty quote for services rendered).

FINANCIAL SERVICES NOT READY

At AML we have spent the last few weeks reviewing our clients websites in preparation for this change. With the help of Google’s handy tool for measuring mobile friendliness our research into the Financial Services industry has found that the overwhelming majority of major UK Financial Services companies fail some of the most basic tests.

18 out the 27 major financial firms we tested, all of which appear on the FTSE 100 or 250 indices, failed the test, and many on multiple counts. What was perhaps more surprising was that several of the major players, including Aberdeen Asset Management, Standard Chartered and Legal & General were responsible for several sites deemed unacceptable by Google’s standards. Asset Management websites appear to be particularly poor in this area and many will find themselves stranded in the void of mobile un-friendly websites unless they act to address the issue.

DON’T PANIC

This update may not bring the anticipated Mobilegeddon that many are predictingand the extent of the effects that the algorithm change will have will not be immediately apparent.

AML’s Digital Director Jonathan Hirshler suggests a little restraint: “Businesses that respond quickly are likely to benefit from some short term wins but companies would be wise to adopt a long-term approach towards better accessibility and responsive web design. Reacting to these changes from Google with quick fixes and unplanned design updates is likely to cause more harm than good.”

 

FTSE Company Google Mobile
Friendly Test
Reason for Failure
3I GROUP PLC
www.3i.com/
Passed Passed
ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT PLC
www.aberdeen-asset.com/
Failed Mobile viewport not set
ADMIRAL GROUP
www.admiralgroup.co.uk/
Failed Text too small to read
ALLIED MINDS PLC
www.alliedminds.com/
Failed Content wider than screen
ASHMORE GROUP PLC
www.ashmoregroup.com/
Failed Content wider than screen
AVIVA
www.aviva.co.uk/
Passed Passed
AVIVA (advisers)
www.aviva-for-advisers.co.uk/adviser/site/public/
Failed Content wider than screen.
Links too close together
AVIVA (investors)
www.avivainvestors.co.uk/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Links too close together
BARCLAYS
www.barclays.com/
Passed Passed
BARCLAYS (wealth)
wealth.barclays.com/
Failed Content wider than screen.
Links too close together
BREWIN DOLPHIN
www.brewin.co.uk/
Passed Passed
HARGREAVES LANSDOWN PLC
www.hl.co.uk/
Failed Text too small to read
HENDERSON
www.henderson.com/henderson
Passed Passed
HSBC
www.hsbc.co.uk
Passed Passed
HSBC (am)
www.assetmanagement.hsbc.com/uk
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Links too close together.
Content wider than screen.
INVESTEC
www.investec.co.uk/
Failed Content wider than screen.
Links too close together.
Text too small to read
INVESTEC (am)
www.investecassetmanagement.com/
Failed Content wider than screen
INVESCO (POWERSHARES)
www.invescopowershares.co.uk/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Content wider than screen.
JUPITER
www.jupiteram.com/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Content wider than screen.
LEGAL & GENERAL
www.legalandgeneral.com/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Links too close together.
Content wider than screen.
LEGAL & GENERAL (investment management)
www.lgim.com/global/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Links too close together
LLOYDS GROUP
www.lloydsbank.com/
Passed Passed
LLOYDS GROUP (TSB)
www.tsb.co.uk/
Passed Passed
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE
www.lseg.com/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Links too close together
M & G
www.mandg.co.uk/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
MAN GROUP
www.man.com/GB/home
Passed Passed
OLD MUTUAL PLC
www.oldmutual.com/
Failed Text too small to read
NEPTUNE (general site)
www.neptunefunds.com/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
PRUDENTIAL (pru)
www.pru.co.uk/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Content wider than screen.
PRUDENTIAL (adviser)
www.pruadviser.co.uk
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Content wider than screen.
RATHBONES
www.rathbones.com/
Passed Passed
ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND
www.rbs.com/
Passed Passed
ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (am)
am.rbs.com/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Links too close together
RUSSELL INVESMENTS
www.russell.com/
Passed Passed
SCHRODERS
www.schroders.co.uk/en/uk/
Passed Passed
ST. JAMES’S PLACE PLC
www1.sjp.co.uk/
Failed Text too small to read
STANDARD CHARTERED
www.sc.com/en/
Failed Text too small to read.
Mobile viewport not set.
Links too close together.
Content wider than screen.
STANDARD LIFE PLC
www.standardlife.com/
Failed Text too small to read.
WINTON
www.wintoncapital.com/
Passed Passed

A selection of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 Banks, Financial Services firms and Life Insurance Companies