{"id":12432,"date":"2018-05-28T06:00:18","date_gmt":"2018-05-28T06:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/?p=12432"},"modified":"2019-11-12T10:12:53","modified_gmt":"2019-11-12T15:12:53","slug":"why-google-hates-your-forms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/why-google-hates-your-forms\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Google Hates Your Forms and What to Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Google<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s algorithm updates are shaping web design in new and unexpected ways.<\/p>\n

According to Moz<\/a>, Google releases minor updates roughly 500-600 times each year, but it\u2019s the major updates that have the most impact for web designers and developers.<\/p>\n

Last year, for example, Google warned that any sites without HTTPS would be marked as \u201cnot secure,\u201d which would inevitably lead to a lowered search engine results page (SERP) ranking. This left many devs scrambling to make their sites secure after the announcement.<\/p>\n

Their latest update may have an even bigger impact for developers and designers, however, as it impacts every aspect of design, from layouts and images all the way to form design.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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How Google\u2019s Algorithm Update Impacts Form Design<\/h2>\n

In March of 2018, Google announced<\/a> that their new algorithm update would include mobile-first indexing, which gives preference to sites that are mobile-friendly.<\/p>\n

They said of the update:<\/p>\n

\u201cTo recap, our crawling, indexing, and ranking systems have typically used the desktop version of a page\u2019s content, which may cause issues for mobile searchers when that version is vastly different from the mobile version. Mobile-first indexing means that we\u2019ll use the mobile version of the page for indexing and ranking, to better help our \u2014 primarily mobile \u2014 users find what they\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Statista reveals that mobile Internet usage has increased in 2018<\/a>, with 52.2% of all website traffic coming from mobile devices compared to desktop.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

Over 60% of all Google searches come from mobile devices<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But this large percentage of mobile use isn\u2019t always reflected in web design. Bad practices in mobile form design are still around, with preference still being given to desktop users over mobile users.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s aim in releasing mobile-first indexing is to change all that by helping users experience the web on their mobile devices the same way (or better than) they do on a desktop.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, here\u2019s how to ensure that your forms are mobile-friendly so Google\u2019s algorithm can rank your sites accordingly.<\/p>\n

Test Your Current Mobile-Friendliness<\/h2>\n

You may already have a mobile-friendly theme on your website, or you may not. In either case, your forms may still be underperforming on mobile devices without you knowing it.<\/p>\n

To know where your forms stand, it\u2019s important to run mobile-friendly tests on any landing pages that have forms, including pop-up forms.<\/p>\n

You can use Google\u2019s own Mobile-Friendly Test<\/a> to see how your site measures up.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

It will tell you whether or not your site is mobile-friendly (according to Google\u2019s standards) as well as show you any page loading issues and give recommendations for changes that could improve your site.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

You can use this to assess both your entire site and specific landing pages (form pages).<\/p>\n

For pop-up forms, Google has some very specific rules<\/a> for which pop-up forms count as mobile-friendly and which will receive a penalty under the new algorithm update.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

According to Google\u2019s Webmaster Central Blog<\/a>, pop-ups that cover \u201cmain content\u201d too soon after user arrival and\/or standalone interstitial pop-ups (that users have to dismiss manually) will be penalized.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using pop-ups on your mobile site, testing those pages will be essential, as well as making any necessary adjustments based on Google\u2019s guidelines so you can improve your chances of ranking in the SERPs.<\/p>\n

Pay Attention to Form Fields and Layout<\/h2>\n

Unlike desktop users, mobile users have a much more finite space to interact with a web page\u2019s content.<\/p>\n

This is especially true for multi-step checkout forms or opt-in forms that include things like drop downs, radio buttons and other less-than-mobile-friendly elements.<\/p>\n

Adobe points out five key elements<\/a> of any form that can affect mobile-friendliness:<\/p>\n