Winning “Near Me” Searches: A Mobile-First Indexing Fix
Client: A multi-location plumbing company.
Challenges We Faced
The client’s older, custom website was not “mobile-friendly,” and they were invisible in local search:
Failing Mobile-First Indexing
Google was indexing their site based on its broken mobile view, causing them to lose rankings.
Tiny Touch Targets
Links and buttons were too small to tap on a phone.
Slow Server Response
Their custom server had a high TTFB (Time to First Byte).
No “Click-to-Call”
Mobile users couldn’t easily call them for emergency service.
Poor Mobile UX & High Bounce Rate
Users were leaving immediately because the site was difficult to navigate on smartphones, further hurting rankings and conversions.
Fix Your Mobile Indexing
“Is Google ignoring your site? Our Mobile-First Indexing Audits ensure your mobile site is ready to rank.”
Our Approach – How We Solved These Challenges
Mobile-First Indexing Audits
We identified that the mobile version of the site was hiding critical content that was visible on desktop. We redesigned the mobile view to show all content.
Technical Server Optimization
We moved the site to a modern, cloud-based host and implemented server-side caching to fix the TTFB.
Mobile Redirect Reduction
We fixed a chain of mobile redirects that was adding 1-2 seconds to the load time for users on 4G networks.
UI/UX Analysis
We increased the size of all buttons and added a sticky “Call Now” button for mobile users.
Results
| Metric | Before | After | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile “Near Me” Rankings | Page 3 (#25) | Page 1 (#4) | +21 spots |
| Mobile “Click-to-Call” Leads | 5/mo | 65/mo | +1200% |
| Mobile Usability Errors (GSC) | 50+ | 0 | -100% |
Free Mobile Usability Audit
“Not sure if your site is mobile-friendly? Request a Free Mobile Usability Analysis from our mobile page speed optimization company!”
Advice for Marketers & Brand Owners
- Google is mobile-first. If your mobile site has less content than your desktop site, your rankings will drop.
- Server response time matters. A slow server (TTFB) hurts every single user. Upgrade your hosting.
- Design for thumbs. Make sure your buttons are large enough to tap easily.
- Fix your redirects. Redirect chains are a common, invisible speed killer on mobile networks.
Extra Factors That Made It Work
- Fixing the Mobile-First Indexing issues (content parity) was the key to regaining their rankings.
- The server upgrade provided an instant speed boost for all users.
- The sticky “Call Now” button directly improved lead generation.
