Google Botches Up Blogger/Bogspot Mobile Format

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   paradigmsearchposted 5 years ago

   Anyone know of a single-column theme selection that still works? Help!

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   Glenn Stokposted 5 years ago

   I use the Picture Window theme. It reverts to one column on mobile, but still has two columns on desktops. Not sure if that’s what you are looking for.

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      paradigmsearchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks. That's what mine used to do, but Google is suddenly now having hissy fits about it. Here's the messages I keep getting: "New Mobile Usability issues detected...". I'v'e switched to other templates to no avail. I'll try yours and hope it works. If it doesn't, I'm giving up on the two-column format altogether; that particular format has been causing me SEO problems for years anyway.

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         Glenn Stokposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Let me know how it works when you switch to the Picture Window theme. I just tested it and have no problems. Probably the theme you were using is broken.
         
         One column is extremely important fir mobile. That’s why HubPages gave us advance warning over three years ago to remove right floating capsules from our hubs. I still see old hubs that the Hubbers never updated and left it to the auto update that occurred last year. You can tell because the images are all in the wrong place. I’m sure you know about all that, but I’m just saying.
         
         I have another site, not blogger, that I do my own html coding. I made that auto-switch to one column when it detects mobile screen size. I did that a long time ago, but noticed an increased Google traffic after I did it.

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   paradigmsearchposted 5 years ago

   Google is now complaining about website pages that don't even exist. I've given up. Am sick and tired of spending more time doing SEO/HTML fixes than doing actual writing. All good things come to an end.

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   paradigmsearchposted 5 years ago

   Picture Window theme didn't work for me either. The new Google Console probably just hasn't gotten around to messing with you yet.
   
   If this latest fiasco starts messing with my visitor traffic, am closing the site.

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      Glenn Stokposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Why would the Google Console have anything to do with the way themes are handled by end-user's browsers?

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         paradigmsearchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Quote from email:
         
         "Google Search Console Team"
         
         "Search Console has identified that your site is affected by 3 new Mobile Usability related issues. This means that Mobile Usability may be negatively affected in Google Search results. We encourage you to fix these issues.
         
         Top new issues found, ordered by number of affected pages:
         
         Text too small to read
         
         Clickable elements too close together
         
         Viewport not set to "device-width"
         
         -----
         
         Mr Magoo could read the size of my texts and separate the clickable elements.
         
         As for the Viewport complaint, Blogger/Blogspot is supposed to do that.
         
         And last, but not least, Google is complaining about pages that do not even exist on my site.

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            Glenn Stokposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            I have no usability issues reported on mine. You’re right that the viewport should be preset in the code by blogger. Text size and line-height, that might be affecting clickable items being to close, can be changed in the theme. Try playing with that to see if you can make Google happy. Although mine is left at the defaults with no issues. Weird.

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               paradigmsearchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               Yep. Text size and line-height was the first thing I changed to Mr. Magoo size; I did that for the entire site, excepting of course for the pages that didn't even exist. Google was unimpressed. There's no more I can do. Whatever happens, happens.

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   paradigmsearchposted 5 years ago

   It has occurred to me that folks should check their spam/trash/unmoderated folders for anything over the last week. Just thinking out loud.

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      paradigmsearchposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Update: and all those little message "bells" we see at the top of various google applications.

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      Glenn Stokposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      And admin approved folder too. I always check all of them. And I also complained to staff about admins approving comments AFTER I already did, and even after I answered them. They say they stopped doing that as of this month.

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