The ongoing deployment of 5G wireless technology around the world offers mobile users much faster data speeds, highly reliable connectivity and wider mobile coverage.
By 2028, the number of 5G subscriptions in North America is expected to reach 406 million.
But what does the rapid expansion of 5G mean for mobile SEO?
And what changes should you make to your SEO strategy to keep up with this latest generation of mobile network technology?
Let’s find out.
A quick tour of 5G technology
5G is the latest advancement in mobile internet and communication, significantly improving the speed, capacity and efficiency of wireless networks.
The technology lets you download movies, games and other large files in seconds, far surpassing its 4G predecessor with blazing speeds of up to 1GB per second.
But 5G isn’t just about raw speed. It also allows multiple devices to connect to the network simultaneously without affecting performance.
This advance is especially important as we move into an era where more and more devices will be connected to the Internet, from smart home appliances to self-driving cars.
5G technology also dramatically reduces network latency to one millisecond (compared to 4G’s 200 milliseconds).
In other words, there is virtually no lag when you send or receive data.
Thanks to this reduction in lag, 5G enables a smoother and more responsive user experience within real-time applications such as online video games and video calls.
In short, 5G is poised to make the online world faster, smoother and more connected than ever before.
So what will this mean for mobile SEO in the future?
5G and the future of mobile SEO
Here are the five most important implications of 5G technology for SEO.
1. The need for speed
Page speed improves user experience and has been a Google ranking factor for mobile searches since 2018.
And since Google completed the switch to mobile indexing in October 2023, the mobile version of your site is essentially all that matters for rankings.
The arrival of 5G does not change the competitive advantages of optimizing the speed of your mobile site.
While 5G means faster load times for websites in general, the relative speed of individual websites still makes a difference. Other things being equal, the fastest page will always win.
It’s also important to appreciate that people’s expectations of page speed will likely increase with 5G. Users will soon get used to very fast speeds and have little patience for slower loading sites.
This means that pages that do not load quickly, even with 5G, will likely experience poor user interaction and therefore worse search engine visibility.
2. Location, location, location
5G networks offer better geolocation accuracy than 4G due to their higher frequency bands, denser network infrastructure and advanced beamforming techniques.
As a result, 5G users can more easily access accurate information based on their location. This means that local SEO will become an even bigger priority for local businesses.
Local search optimization includes maintaining a complete and up-to-date Google Business Profile, targeting relevant location-based keywords, and ensuring your business contact details are consistent across the web.
3. More emphasis on Rich Media
One of the most prominent features of 5G technology is its ability to handle bandwidth content seamlessly.
This means websites will be able to incorporate more video content, high-resolution images and interactive elements without encountering the performance issues that often arise on 4G networks.
Of course, using richer content formats opens the door to greater user engagement, thus increasing your website’s ranking potential.
For example, if you’re an online retailer, you can incorporate 360 views of all your products or even interactive living rooms, allowing customers to try on clothes with virtual avatars.
Similarly, if you have a science education website, you could use augmented reality to bring complex biological processes to life.
As businesses update their SEO strategies to incorporate more immersive media formats, they will need to continue to adhere to on-page optimization best practices to ensure search engines can interpret and index content correctly.
For example, this means optimizing videos with accurate titles, relevant tags and clear descriptions, as well as providing video transcripts.
4. Increased use of voice search
The rise of 5G is expected to significantly increase the use of voice search thanks to its faster speeds and reduced latency.
Indeed, there was 142 million voice search users in the US in 2022. And that number is expected to reach 157 million by 2026.
As more people opt for the convenience of mobile voice search, the type of search queries they use will likely change. After all, voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational than typed searches.
SEO strategies will need to adapt to this change in user behavior by prioritizing long-tail keywords and creating more question-based content that reflects how people use voice assistants.
Remember that many voice search answers are taken directly from featured snippets, which provide a direct answer to the user’s query in the search results.
Therefore, making sure your pages contain comprehensive FAQ sections written in a natural, conversational tone will likely maximize your chances of being featured or chosen for voice search answers.
5. Technical SEO considerations in a 5G world
Server response time
The arrival of 5G technology sets a new benchmark for website performance.
Users accustomed to fast 5G speeds will have little tolerance for slow-loading websites, making server response times a critical factor in user experience and SEO.
A slow server response can become a major bottleneck, undermining the speed benefits offered by 5G.
Optimization strategies
To take advantage of the potential of 5G, it is essential to optimize server configurations.
Using content delivery networks (CDNs) can dramatically reduce latency by serving content from locations closer to the user.
Efficient background processing, including simplified database queries and optimized server-side scripting, can improve response times.
In addition, leveraging cloud-based solutions can provide scalability and reliability, ensuring consistent performance even during traffic peaks.
Image optimization
In the 5G era, while the temptation to use high-resolution images is understandable, striking a balance between image quality and website performance is crucial.
Overloading a site with large image files can still affect load times and user experience.
Optimization strategies
Using responsive images that adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions is key.
Adopting next-generation image formats like WebP and AVIF, which offer higher compression and quality than traditional formats like JPEG and PNG, can significantly reduce file sizes without compromising visual fidelity.
Progressive web applications
PWAs will play a pivotal role in the 5G era, providing an app-like experience with the added benefits of faster load times and enhanced functionality.
This aligns perfectly with 5G capabilities, resulting in improved mobile user experiences and indirectly better SEO.
Optimization strategies
Ensuring that search engines can discover and index PWAs is crucial.
This includes making the PWA content crawlable and equipping the PWA with SEO-friendly features such as meta tags, structured data, and accessible URLs.
Final thoughts
5G technology looks set to revolutionize the way businesses approach their mobile SEO strategies.
We’ve seen how faster upload and download speeds, greater connection capacity and minimal latency will create new opportunities for more dynamic and interactive online experiences.
The best news is that you can gain an edge over the competition by proactively adapting your mobile SEO strategy to this inevitable change.
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Featured Image: Lekhawattana/Shutterstock
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