As of early 2026, AI-powered search engines – like Google’s Gemini and emerging Australian platforms – heavily prioritise mobile-first indexing and user experience when determining search rankings. This means the mobile version of your website is the primary version used for indexing and ranking, and AI algorithms analyse mobile usability signals to assess relevance and quality.

• Core Web Vitals Focus: Current systems include a significant weighting towards Core Web Vitals (Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift) *specifically* on mobile devices.
• Mobile-First Crawling: Googlebot, and increasingly other search crawlers, now features predominantly mobile user-agent crawling, meaning they see your site as a mobile user would.
• Structured Data on Mobile: Accurate and complete structured data implementation on your mobile site is crucial for AI to understand your content and display rich results.
• Page Speed Optimisation: AI algorithms favour websites that load quickly on mobile networks, considering the slower connection speeds common in regional Australia.

In 2026, Australian businesses need to be particularly mindful of the diverse range of mobile devices and network conditions used across the country. Optimising for older devices and varying connection speeds is essential to ensure accessibility and a positive user experience for all potential customers. Failing to do so can negatively impact your visibility in AI-driven search results, especially as AI increasingly personalises results based on device capabilities.

Instead of navigating these complex technical requirements yourself, let ROI.com.au handle your mobile optimisation and AI search strategy. Contact our team today and we can take care of all this for you.