Does google index the mobile version or the desktop version?

[Postable]

We use different headlines and text on our mobile site vs. the desktop. Our desktop headlines and text is highly optimized for SEO purposes, but because of user experience and space limitations the headlines and text on the mobile version isn't great for SEO.

I'm wondering, what will google look at and will it make a difference?

Thanks!

[David-Kley]

This is based upon personal research, so take this with a grain of salt.

From what I have seen, they will use the desktop version as the basis for rankings and placement. If your desktop site placement is great, the mobile will be great as well.

For mobile, it seems like the only time this will change the ranking placement is dependent upon location, as mobile plays a big part of "where are you?" and serves up the most relevant results based upon where a user is physically located.

Most of what goes into making a site do great in search (for local biz) is relevant content and a strong citation profile. The desktop content authority should carry over into the domain/page authority of your mobile version, and you should not see much (if any) ranking fluctuation between the two.

Hope this helps!

[seanginnaw]

David's comment is pretty much bang on the money. As an addition to this, if you're using a separate mobile site, make sure it's tagged up correctly so as not to directly compete with the desktop version.

Make sure you're using 'rel=canonical' from the mobile version of the page to the desktop version of the page and 'rel=alternate' from the desktop version of the page pointing to the mobile version.

Full Google documentation can be found here: https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile-sites/mobile-seo/separate-urls

[Maayboli]

From what I understand (and experienced) There are two separate indices one for desktop and one for mobile.

So the changes you make for each version of the site will go to respective indices and query on each platform will be shown accordingly.  Inside Google Webmaster tool, when you ask google bot to "fetch" there are two separate options. There used to be a time when one of my site used to rank higher on Desktop search but lower on mobile search for same keyword.

So  even though some of the signals may be common, there is a good flexibility is their system to rank sites differently if the format signals are way diverge.

[bridget.randolph]

All of the above are good answers, but ultimately my advice would be:

• make sure that the relationship between the two page versions is clear (using switchboard tags, as Sean mentioned above), and
• optimize the mobile version for mobile search, and the desktop version for desktop search.

As others have noted already, Google has some flexibility in which signals it chooses to look at - the goal is to provide the best user experience by device.