Changes could cause some association websites to appear lower in search results

Does your association's website automatically reformat for mobile devices? If not, then it may no longer appear at the top of the rankings whenever someone does a Google search for your industry or organization.

Starting today, Google will factor in a website's mobile friendliness as part of its algorithm for what sites appear at the top of searches, according to the New York Times. The search giant also will dock points for sites with outdated design, such as webpages forcing users to scroll horizontally to see all the information.

Businesses that haven't updated their sites are expected to see their search rankings drop as a result of Google's changes. Associations could face similar problems although many trade groups have upgraded their sites in recent years to incorporate responsive design elements, meaning the appearance of the sites automatically format to whatever device they are being viewed on.

As for the reason for Google's changes, Internet viewing habits are changing. More people now use a smartphone or other mobile device to access online content. Google has seen a decline in mobile advertising revenue, although it still gobbled up 68 percent of the market last year, the New York Times reported.

The company keeps its search algorithm a closely guarded secret, so it is hard to know how much impact a site's mobile friendliness will have on results. But Google said on its blog the change will result in a "significant impact" to search results.http://nyti.ms/1yNGfAq