After Google’s latest search algorithm release that threatened to punish non-mobile-friendly websites’ search rankings began roll out on April 21st, how are websites’ Google ranking affected?

Over the two months leading up to the date when Google were to alter their search algorithm¹, the number of mobile-friendly sites increased by 4.7%². Most organisations were already well-aware of the importance of a mobile-friendly site; with mobile traffic overtaking desktop visits last year³. However, there are some surprises, high-profile losers from Google’s “sea change”. Among the 3,000 websites most visited in the UK, these underwent the biggest gains and losses in Google search rank⁴:

Websites whose search ranking changed the most since latest Google algorithm change⁴. Arrow length proportional to gain/loss.

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Endnotes
1. Finding more mobile-friendly search results, 26.02.15 Google – Webmaster Central Blog
2. Google Says There Are 4.7% More Mobile-Friendly Websites Today Than Two Months Ago, 21.04.15, Search Engine Land
3. [UK] Mobile overtakes desktop traffic, 09.06.2015, ecommerce week. See also Mobile Marketing Statistics 2015, 15.01.15, Smart Insights (based on data from comScore, with some good infographics). According to comScore (Mobile commerce growth ‘on fire’ , www.comscore.com 16.03.15) 60% of online sales in Q4-2014 in US came from mobile according to comScore. For the US, mobile overtook PC in early 2014 according to Mobile Now Exceeds PC: The Biggest Shift Since the Internet Began, Search Engine Watch.
4. Data from Sourcemetrics (change over from 21.06.15 to 11.06.15). UK site popularity ranking found with Alexa.