Unboxing Google’s Page Experience Update
Introduction
Google’s Next New Algorithm Update: Page Experience – All You Need To Know
Google recently announced a new ranking algorithm for all the websites that will lay a huge emphasis on “Page Experience”. The update is expected to come live by 2021.
The ranking will be allotted to pages based on users’ experience i.e. how they perceive your web pages. If the users have a poor experience with your webpages, Google may give high rank to those pages as they are now.
What is Page Experience?
According to Google, Page Experience is how useful users find your page beyond informational value. It depends on core web vitals such as
# Loading Speed
# Interactivity
# Visual stability of page
# Mobile-friendliness
# Safe browsing
# Intrusive interstitials
What are Core Web Vitals?
Google has identified certain core web vitals that need to be improved to increase the user experience.
# Largest Contentful Plaint
It is a metric to measure the loading speed of your site. It is the render time of the largest content element of your website to viewers.
To give users a good loading experience, your website should strive to have LCP occur within the first 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
# First Input Delay
A website should be interactive and responsive to render a good user experience. First Input Delay measures the time from when a user interacts with your website to the time taken to respond to those interactions.
As prescribed by Gooogle, the website should have a First Input Delay of fewer than 100 milliseconds.
(Source:https://cdn1.link-assistant.com/images/news/core-web-vitals-guide/screen-02.png)
# Cumulative Layout Shift
Cumulative Layout Shift helps you to reduce unexpected movement of a page by measuring the sum total of layout shifts that appear to real users.
For a good user-experience, websites should have a Cumulative Layout Shift of less than 0.1.
All these elements when used properly enhance user experience. Each element has its own ranking score and importance in Google’s ranking factor.
These new web vitals are not the only factors that will be considered while ranking of pages. Google will use these new metrics along with the old ones, to rank pages that give a good user experience.
Various other elements that you can keep in mind in order to enhance user experience.
#1. Optimize the Speed of Website and Eliminate 404 Errors
It is the loading speed of your website that defines the user experience. The faster, the better.
Also, you need to make sure that there are no broken pages. Reduce 404 errors by constantly monitoring your website.
If your website contains many backlinks, constantly monitor that all those links are working and are not broken.
#2. Compare your Website to Competitors’ Website
While enhancing the user experience, it is also important to take note of the competitors and top websites from an SEO perspective. These websites are driving traffic due to certain reasons and it is important to analyze it.
What are the techniques adopted by them to get such traffic?
What keywords are they using?
Answer to all these questions will give you an idea of what changes or enhancements are required on your website.
#3. Content is Still Supreme
All these metrics are designed to enhance user experience but let us not forget the primary thing that will drive traffic to your Site – Content. Good quality content will help to set your website apart from the masses.
High-quality content is crucial for the success and ranking of your website and will help to retain more visitors.
#4. Your Website Should be Mobile-Friendly
Mobile users continue to be a large proportion of users worldwide and it is crucial for a website to be mobile-friendly.
This will enhance user experience and it will encourage them to see you as a credible resource.
Check if your website is mobile-friendly from here.
#5. Users Should have Safe Browsing Experience
Safe browsing was launched by Google to protect users from phishing attacks, harmful downloads, and malware. Google blacklists sites that have such malicious malware and phishing content.
Safe browsing will not only improve the ranking of your page but also enhance user experience and credibility of your website. It protects users from any unauthorized third-party activities.
#6. Make Your Connection Secure with HTTPs
HTTPs will protect the integrity and confidentiality of data exchanged between you and your visitors. It gives users a secure and private online experience.
It encrypts the data that is being transferred. It also ensures that the data is not modified or corrupted.
Final Word
User experience is becoming one of the most important metrics. With the help of these metrics, Google has made page experience measurable and one of the most important factors to allot page rankings.
Remember the update rolls out in 2021, so you still have a lot of time to optimize your website, test, and improve.
