Realtors and Mobilegeddon: Does Your Site Pass Muster?

We all know that the Tennessee Real Estate Commission is about to change their real estate advertising guidelines, but are you keeping up with what the search engines are doing? **Mobilegeddon: Googles Newest Algorithm Update** Google recently unleashed an algorithm update that could negatively affect your website. Search engine optimization experts have dubbed it Mobilegeddon, and its targeting websites that arent compatible with mobile devices. The update doesnt affect searches on personal computers, but it does affect searches conducted on tablets and smartphones. Even if you think that doesnt apply to you, it probably does (unless, of course, you dont have a website at all). Thats because [half of all home shoppers use a mobile device](http://www.realtor.org/reports/highlights-from-the-2014-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers) during their searches. Mobilegeddon takes aim at non-mobile-friendly websites. If youre not sure whether your site is in good shape, you can use [Googles Mobile-Friendly Test](https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/) to find out. Unfortunately, sites that dont pass Googles test wont show up in mobile search results (and if youve been paying attention to your analytics, you may have noticed a drastic decline in the number of visitors you receive). **What Happens if Mobilegeddon Affected Your Real Estate Website?** If your website isnt coming up on mobile searches, youre losing visibility. More than half of your potential clients wont even see your site when they search and that can be a disaster, particularly because most home shoppers call only one Realtor®. Your first move should be to talk to your web developer about making your website compatible with mobile devices. (If youre still not sure what mobile-friendly means, view the Benchmark Realty website on your smartphone or tablet; you can also change the size of your browsers window and watch how the website responds.)