Many Internet marketers remember February 2011 very clearly. It was when Google rolled out its Panda update, which instantly changed the way websites were ranked by the Internet search engine giant\u2019s algorithm.<\/p>\n

Will Googles latest update \u2013 that rolled out starting on April 21 \u2013 cause the same amount of angst and teeth-gnashing? Possibly.<\/p>\n

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Mobile-Friendly Algorithm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Google is finally acknowledging that most people are accessing the web via their mobile devices \u2013 such as their phones, tablets and new iWatches \u2013 rather than on old-school laptops or (gasp!) PCs. It\u2019s new algorithm, which doesn\u2019t yet have a deceptively cute animal name the way Panda and Penguin did, is expected to radically change the way marketers search results by being more mobile-friendly.<\/p>\n

A recent survey by the consulting group gShift found that a majority of marketers expect Google\u2019s new algorithm to change their site\u2019s page rankings. And about two-thirds of the online marketers polled said they already have taken steps to make their websites more mobile-friendly in anticipation of the update\u2019s roll out.<\/p>\n

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The Rise of Mobile Web Access<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a testament to how quickly technologies can improve that the majority of web users now use mobile devices to access their favorite web pages and apps. Increased bandwidth, exponential expansion of memory and data processing, and near-universal WiFi has made mobile the way to go for most Internet users.<\/p>\n

Only a few years ago \u2013 perhaps not coincidentally when Google was rolling out its Panda update \u2013 it was unthinkable for most people to stream their favorite TV shows or play multi-player games from their phones while on the go. But today, it\u2019s as common as having a cup of coffee in the morning or chatting about \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d over the water cooler.<\/p>\n

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Who the Update Will Effect<\/strong><\/p>\n

About a third of website owners polled by gShift said they get between 11% and 50% of their traffic from mobile devices, and that\u2019s probably on the low site. Another study conducted by the mobile commerce platform Branding Brand found that 43% of all traffic to major retailers comes from smart phones and tablets.<\/p>\n

If you have taken steps to make your web page more mobile-friendly in recent months, you\u2019re not alone. An estimated 68% of marketers surveyed by gShift said they have made the move to mobile-centric web pages.<\/p>\n

And it makes perfect sense. Digital marketers understand how important it is to provide page visitors with websites that are optimized for the devices they are using to land on them. Having a well-defined mobile strategy today is as important as SEO and link-building were prior to Panda and Penguin: It was simply something that you had to do in order to be successful. Not doing it was unthinkable.<\/p>\n