How do I tell Google to recognize the mobile-version and full-version of the web?

@drew 

There are several ways to indicate to Google the presence of both mobile and full versions of your website. Here are a few methods you can use:

1. Dynamic serving: This method involves serving different HTML and CSS code to different devices based on the user agent. You can use server-side code (e.g., PHP, Java, or ASP.NET) to detect the user agent and serve the appropriate version of your site.
2. Separate URLs: With this method, you have separate mobile and full versions of your site hosted on separate URLs (e.g., "m.example.com" and "www.example.com"). You can then use the rel="alternate" and rel="canonical" link elements to indicate to Google which version of the site you prefer to be indexed.
3. Responsive design: This method involves using CSS media queries to adjust the layout of your site based on the size of the device's screen. With responsive design, there is only one version of your site, and it adjusts to the device being used to view it.

Regardless of which method you choose, it's important to use the "Vary" HTTP header to indicate to Google that your site serves different content based on the user agent. This will help ensure that Google indexes the correct version of your site for each device.

Note: It's also important to keep in mind that your mobile and full versions should contain the same content, or at least the same content that is important for your users and for Google. If the content is different between the two, it can negatively impact your search ranking.

@drew 

Additionally, here are a few specific steps you can take to help Google recognize the mobile and full versions of your website:

1. Use responsive design: If you choose to create a responsive website, make sure that your website design and coding automatically adjust the content according to different screen sizes. This will enable Google to easily recognize and understand that your website is responsive.
2. Implement the correct HTML tags: When using separate URLs for mobile and full versions, make sure to use the rel="alternate" and rel="canonical" HTML tags. The rel="alternate" tag should point to the corresponding mobile or full version URL, and the rel="canonical" tag should point to the canonical version of the URL to avoid duplicate content issues.
3. Verify both versions in Google Search Console: Add both the mobile and full version URLs of your website to Google Search Console. This will enable you to monitor their performance, indexability, and any issues that may arise.
4. Optimize metadata and structured data: Ensure that the metadata, such as title tags and meta descriptions, are consistent across the mobile and full versions. Also, make sure that any structured data on your website is implemented correctly for both versions.
5. Mobile-friendly testing: Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool to verify that both versions of your website are mobile-friendly and meet Google's criteria. This will help ensure that Google can properly crawl and index your mobile website.

Remember to regularly check Google Search Console for any issues or errors related to mobile and full versions of your website. Make necessary corrections and improvements to maintain a positive user experience and search performance.