Google tries to offer the most helpful content to users. After a search query, the websites they recommend provide the information and experience the searchers are after with minimum or no disruptions.
Google continues to emphasize the importance of on-page optimization. They prioritize sites offering a pleasant experience in their rankings. In recent months, they stressed the importance of page experience and its worth in the upcoming Google update.
Google’s Page Experience Update
Google will launch the Page Experience update this May (2021). It is their next step towards offering the best search engine experience to users.
According to Google, the Page Experience update comprises signals that measure users’ perceived experience in a webpage. It prioritizes the noninformative value of websites and adds three metrics to Google algorithms. The additions will improve websites’ rankings for sites that are easy to use, fast, and designed well.
The three updates will add to Google’s existing page experience metrics, such as safe browsing, mobile-friendliness, no intrusive interstitials, and HTTPS.
The company has hinted at adding visual indicators to web pages offering a pleasant page experience. This step will affect your click-through rates and rankings.
Businesses Are Prioritizing Page Experience
On-page optimization has been a crucial focus for businesses. Companies are hiring SEO service providers to make their sites easy to use and safe to improve their SERP rankings. They are taking advantage of Google’s decision to make user experience a critical ranking factor to rank higher.
Firms are also prioritizing page experience to keep users. Sites that don’t offer a pleasant experience are losing clients to competitors with better websites. For example, many prospects abandon web pages that take longer than 3 seconds to load. They also leave those that aren’t mobile-friendly. Companies are prioritizing page experience to avoid losing clients because of poor experiences.
Knowing the page experience signals and improving them puts you better when the Google update will take effect.
Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals will be the new signals measuring page experience.
- First input delay: This signal measures interactivity. Google will use it to determine the time it takes when a person engages a website to when it responds. The difference between the two actions can be because of the web browser working on various tasks. Websites need a first input delay of under 100 milliseconds to offer a pleasant page experience.
- Largest contentful paint (LCP)/loading performance: This signal refers to the most prominent text block or image visible on a webpage. It determines when the content’s central part renders on the screen. It is best to have an LCP that happens under 2.5 seconds when the page loads.
- Cumulative layout shift (CLS)/visual stability: This signal measures the extent that the viewport’s elements move when the webpage loads. A score of under 0.1 is advisable to offer a pleasant page experience.
What Will Stay
Various signals for ranking websites will remain.
- No intrusive interstitials: Sites get ranking points if they don’t have pop-ups or other items that block the content that visitors want. These websites will offer a pleasant experience to users, as they don’t have to deal with irrelevant distractions to their search.
- Mobile-friendliness: Webpages should be mobile-friendly. Users should be able to access information from various devices and screens. Mobile-friendly sites get ranking points, while Google penalizes those that aren’t mobile-friendly.
- HTTPS: Webpages served over HTTPS get ranking points.
- Safe browsing: Google algorithms rank sites with no malware or deceptive practices higher. These websites should also have no cracks in their security that cyberattackers can use to attack visitors.
When the Page Experience update comes into effect, you’ll have seven signals to monitor. Your performance with each metric will affect your search rankings, traffic, and revenue.
Preparing for the Page Experience Update
Given Google’s history with updates and emphasis on websites’ page experience over the last 12 months, it may be safe to assume the update will significantly affect rankings. Businesses that won’t keep up with these developments are likely to drop in their search ranking positions.
If you haven’t prioritized page experience, it may be time to do it now. You’ll provide a pleasant experience to your visitors. Google algorithms will also rank you higher among search results. Improved rankings will increase your traffic and revenue. You’ll lose out on these gains to your competitors if you don’t improve your page experience.
Use Google’s Search Console to monitor your page experience. They have a report called “Core Web Vitals” that will help you. The platform will flag any issue on your mobile or desktop website, simplifying your optimization effort.
You may need professional help to deal with problems with the Core Web Vitals. They have the skills to interpret the recommendations and take the proper steps. If you have coding issues, they will help you deal with them. They will also improve other SEO aspects to ensure you enjoy on-page optimization, as it won’t help pages with poor content.
Prioritize sites that have a significant effect on your traffic. The Google update is likely to have the most impact on these websites. Lower rankings and traffic will reduce your revenue. You may also prioritize the pages that you score below your competitors.
Dealing With Poor Page Experience
If an audit reveals issues with the ranking factors, make plans for dealing with them. You may seek professional help if you can’t pinpoint or fix the problems. Consider all the seven signals that Google will use to rank websites. Before you even start building links for your site, it’s important to make sure your on-page is solid.
The Page Experience update coming into effect this May will affect Google’s ranking. Your business will need to keep up with these developments to maintain or improve your position. The update adds three signals to the page experience ranking criteria. These three metrics will be in use with the four existing ones. Improving your page experience will improve your SERP rankings. You’ll excel in an area that Google considers vital to search rankings. Your business will also offer a pleasant experience to prospects, increasing your revenue as they find what they are after on your site.
