Deadline approaching, but you don’t want to use .Mobi — Google Mobile

Responsive design, not a separate website, is key to going mobile.

On April 21, Google’s search rankings will undergo a “significant” change on mobile devices. Websites that are mobile friendly will get a big leg up on those that aren’t.

The .Mobi domain name wants to take advantage of this, and tweeted this today:

Major Google update: mobile-friendly sites will rise in ranking! Get your .MOBI now – the mobile-specific domain. http://t.co/tdAgND00zE

— dotMobiOfficial (@dotMobiOfficial) March 12, 2015

Let me be frank: using a .mobi domain name is a bad idea.

.Mobi was an interesting idea, almost prescient when it originally came out in 2006. Mobile web browsing was regarding to take off with the iPhone coming out a year later. But the mobile web has change dramatically, primarily thanks to responsive design.

The need for a separate domain name to host mobile content has passed. Using a separate domain name, such as .mobi, is a really bad idea. Instead, your existing website — which by now has search rankings — ought to be made responsive.

One site, not two. One site to optimize for search, one site to publish all content.

.Mobi’s days are numbered.