Webmasters everywhere are working tirelessly to make sure they have a good looking website for mobile devices. After all, more people than ever are using mobile devices for everyday activities. Having a site developed just for a smartphone allows anyone viewing the site to have a better user experience. One thing these webmasters have realized is a decrease in their Page Rank due to improper linking to the main website. In an effort to always provide a better user experience, Google insists that all links need to be to a corresponding section of the main site. Those improperly linking to the main page of the website are going to drop in ranking and miss out on a lot of traffic. Here are some things to keep in mind.
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Confused Users Are Unhappy Users
The biggest reason why Google wants to make sure webmasters are linking to the right sections of sites is because users get confused when following a link only to find out they have to go through the process of finding the section they were at all over again. In some instances, the main site automatically switches to the mobile version when moving from one section to the next. Those who are trying to get to the section of the main site they were on through the mobile site become extremely frustrated and may completely give up on what they wanted to do. By linking directly to the section, users are happy and can get more done in a shorter period of time.
Proper Linking Is Better for Your Business
When creating links to your main site from mobile websites, keep in mind it is about more than just your ranking with Google at risk. If you upset or frustrate your users, they will simply go to the competition. If the competition has made it easy to link to the main site, you will have no chance to get them back. Building the links is simple. Just make sure every link is directed at the subsection of the website that corresponds with the mobile site. You will maintain the interest of your clients and increase the likelihood of bringing in new business.
Cross-Linking is Different from Link Building
Linking of any kind has become scary for webmasters. The changes in the Google algorithm have many scared to create any link that may be considered to be a bad link. Keep in mind the focus of Google lies in link building. Link building involves links between outside links and your own website. The links from your mobile site are cross-links. These are different from inbound and outbound links associated with link building. There is no concern about being penalized as long as you are linking to the right subsection of the site.
As long as you are making sure to link to the appropriate subsection of your main site from your mobile site, you will stay in the good graces of Google. Proper linking helps to keep your users happy and to keep growing online.
