Or does one has to has a mobile website m.website.com etc. in order to be considered mobile friendly by Google? Can somebody please clarify?
You don't require a separate m.xyz. subdomain to be mobile friendly. Yes, a responsive website should ideally be mobile friends, but to be on the safe side, use the Google Mobile-Friendly Test tool: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/
Google specifically says the following about responsive design in their Developers Mobile Guide. "Serves the same HTML code on the same URL regardless of the users’ device (desktop, tablet, mobile, non-visual browser), but can render the display differently (i.e., “respond”) based on the screen size. Responsive design is Google’s recommended design pattern."
If your website template or whole website is responsive than it should be ok. It will consider as mobile friendly website.
Hi, As per the new google algorithm the website must have to responsive or mobile friendly. The SERP of the website depends on that the website is mobile friendly or not. For testing the website is mobile friendly or not the google mobile friendly testing tool. with Thanks,