In a recent question-and-answer session, Luke Weil, the CEO & Co-Founder at Andina Acquisition Corp., addressed a number of issues relating to SEO but focused primarily on discussing the importance of optimizing for Google’s new mobile-based algorithm. The following is a brief excerpt of the questions asked of Weil and the responses that were provided by the SEO expert.

How important is it to utilize a mobile-optimized site?

It is of the utmost importance. It is really hard to overstate the value of optimizing for mobile, as an increasing number of searches are being performed on mobile devices and tablets rather than through the other traditional methods. Since Google and other search engines have a specific algorithm for mobile devices, a site that is not optimized for mobile might as well be invisible.

When someone refers to a site as mobile-friendly or mobile-optimized, is there a difference between the terms or is it two different ways of saying the same thing?

There is a massive difference between the term “mobile-friendly” and “mobile-optimized.” Ideally, a website should be both mobile-friendly and mobile-optimized for the best SEO results. The former term refers to how the site appears on a mobile device and how easy it is for a mobile user to navigate. The latter term, mobile-optimized, means that the site includes specific content and coding meant to increase its ranking on mobile searches. This optimization also refers to other strategies beyond the site itself to increase the site’s visibility in mobile searches.