In a recent LinkedIn exchange, an SEO professional questioned the relevance of Google's recommendations for mobile and desktop website versions, given Google's shift to mobile-first indexing.

The Question

Moshe, an SEO professional, asked John Mueller about the current relevance of Google's bidirectional reference recommendation for websites with separate mobile (m.) versions, given that Google now primarily uses a mobile crawler. Specifically, he inquired about:

1. The necessity of current bidirectional reference recommendations
2. Potential changes to canonical tags on mobile versions
3. Implications of redirecting desktop to mobile versions

Google's Response

John Mueller from Google provided a clear stance:

1. Stick to Google's documented best practices.
2. These practices are regularly reviewed and updated
3. For those wanting changes, moving to a responsive design is recommended
4. Deviating from documented best practices is discouraged

Mueller emphasized that changes conflicting with Google's guidelines would be "a step in the wrong direction."

Key Takeaway

Despite the shift to mobile-first indexing, Google continues to recommend following its established guidelines for managing separate mobile and desktop versions of websites.