How to Optimize a Mobile Website (Mobile Site) for SEO

The mobile internet has been around for several years now. Discussing this topic might seem a bit late, especially since Robin Li has already declared that the war for mobile internet dominance has ended. It appears that the mobile internet era is about to pass. In the traditional website realm, many sites have only made the adaptations emphasized by search engines to meet the mobile internet environment. Some have not even implemented Baidu's MIP (Mobile Instant Pages), and are still hesitating.

The value of SEO was primarily reflected in the PC internet era, where search engines had a dominant entry point. As we transitioned into the mobile internet, there was a shift from a traffic-oriented mindset to a product-oriented mindset.

Luopan used to record a weekly episode of the Luojisiwei video on Youku, which is an example of a traffic-oriented mindset. He relied on content to draw traffic from a major platform (Youku) and then converted it through the WeChat public account community. Later, he abandoned the Luojisiwei video program and focused on developing the App "DeDao." This shift from a traffic-oriented mindset to a product-oriented mindset is a clear example.

Traditional websites, apart from merely adapting to the requirements of search engines and creating corresponding mobile sites, have not done much new thinking specifically for mobile. How many have considered user needs in the mobile environment based on their existing content? How many new products have been developed with a greater emphasis on mobile? It seems that the mobile adaptation of websites is mainly for search engine compatibility, rather than addressing the entire mobile internet environment and the changing user needs in this context.

For example, Luopan's product entry shifted from Youku to his own product App "DeDao," which is essentially a transition from video programs to audio programs. Audio is the most frequent and effective form of content in the mobile internet environment, as it meets user needs well. However, very few websites have considered how to transform textual content into audio content. Or, more importantly, how to plan new columns or products based on user needs. Many websites still operate in the same way as they did in the last century.

Website strategy is, of course, a broader issue for a company. However, SEO is directly related to user needs and traffic. Therefore, the first step should be to conduct small-scale testing and adjustments at the content level. SEO is not essentially a technical field; it is more about marketing. It starts with technology and ends with marketing. So, SEO professionals should not just compete over technical skills.

Recently, I listened to an audio lecture by Professor Zeng Ming from Alibaba, and it was truly enlightening. For us outsiders, Taobao is a website. However, describing Taobao as just a website is no longer accurate. The real Taobao is supported by two systems: a search engine system and a recommendation engine system. These two systems determine the content display of various modules. The recommendation engine system is the real solution to user needs in the mobile internet environment, as it can provide personalized content for each user.

While Alibaba's case is impressive, it may not offer much practical reference for ordinary medium-sized websites. It can only provide some inspiration in terms of strategy.

Instead of setting unattainable goals, you can seriously consider whether some of the core user needs on your website can be innovatively changed in the mobile internet environment. Can the content form of some columns be altered? Do not underestimate the innovation of content forms. Encyclopedias and experience-sharing sites are examples of innovations in traditional text content.

Search engines favor new forms of content that can effectively meet user needs. If you can introduce new content forms that satisfy user demands, it will be highly appreciated by search engines.