Even though we are increasingly using our mobile devices to surf the web, unfortunately not a lot of the web is optimised for our mobile devices. Mobile devices are often restricted by the display size and need content to be laid out differently on screen.
Responsive web design responds to the needs of the users and the devices being used. The layout alters based on the size of the device. Screen sizes will always be changing and it is important that your site can adapt to any screen size.
Google have announced: “Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimised for their devices.”
You can get a rough idea of how the Googlebot views your pages and check if your site is mobile friendly by using the mobile-friendly testing tool set up by Google. Google has also provided a guide for mobile SEO. It’s a great resource with suggestions on how to make your site better for mobile users.
Websites without mobile content will find themselves being delisted in search engines. With that and improving the experience for those who are on mobiles should be enough to push you to make the changes soon.