On 15 June, 2021, Google’s Page Experience update started rolling out with a completion date set for sometime in August. If you want to find out exactly how to optimize your website for this key Google algorithm update, you’re in the right place!
The Google Page Experience update sets the bar high for what makes a great website user experience on mobile and desktop. Technical metrics called Core Web Vitals and four other Google page ranking signals provide a clear roadmap for website owners to improve their sites and search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
This blog and accompanying checklist will help you understand the basics of Google’s Core Web Vitals and the other Google page ranking signals. We have included tools to measure the Core Web Vitals and advice on how to improve these new ranking signals on your website.
Be 100 percent ready for this Google algorithm update by using our expert Google Page Experience checklist.
Overview: Google Page Experience
Google Page Experience combines Core Web Vitals with existing Google user experience signals – Mobile Friendly, Safe Browsing, HTTPS and No Intrusive Interstitials. The Google Page Experience update is expected to reward websites that provide a great user experience by giving them a rankings boost over their competitors.
What Is User Experience?
Website user experience is a term that refers to all the ways your visitor or user interacts with your site. There’s one question more important than what is user experience? And that’s what makes a good website user experience?
Great user experience design provides seamless and delightful browsing experiences for your target audience. You can measure the quality of your site’s user experience using Google Core Web Vitals and Core Web Vitals report.
How Does the Google Search Algorithm Update Affect Me?
If you aren’t ready for this Google update, then you could see the ranking of every unoptimized web page drop. You can best manage the impact of this Google update with responsive website design and technical SEO services on your side. But the Page Experience ranking signals are not the only elements to consider if you want your website to be considered UX-oriented and to retain or improve your ranking position. Existing ranking signals, such as page load speed, keyword relevance, strong links and quality content, are still in the mix.
Google Page Experience and Core Web Vitals Checklist
Google will often roll out algorithm updates with little to no warning, leaving SEO professionals reeling with little guidance. In this case, Google gave the SEO world more than a year warning that this update was coming, possibly signaling just how big of an impact this could make. Also, it tells you just how time consuming this process can be to get your pages ready for this update.
There is a Google performance test or status report for virtually every aspect on your website that you need to optimize and measure. In the case of the Page Experience update, Google’s Page Experience report combines the existing Core Web Vitals report with status updates on the other Google user experience signals.
Google also provides guidance on how to improve Core Web Vitals and tools to measure Core Web Vitals. You can even find a Google Page Experience Guide from leading technical SEO and responsive website design agencies based on actual experiences to speed up the optimization process.
But before we get into all that, make sure you’ve taken a look at the comprehensive checklist below:
Tick Off All the Boxes On This Google Page Experience Checklist:
Main page content loads in 2.5 seconds or less
Page input delay is 100 milliseconds or less
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) score is 0.1 or less
Zero failing URLs on the Google Core Web Vitals report
Zero failing URLs on the Mobile Usability report
URLs pass the Mobile Friendly Test tool
URL Page Speed Insights scores are 90 or higher
No issues detected on the Security Issues report
Website passes the Safe Browsing site status checker
HTTPS implemented and no mixed content errors
No intrusive interstitials or pop-ups
Website content is relevant, useful and readable
It’s Best If You:
Prioritize the quality of your website content
Use responsive web design
Upgrade your website hosting
Keep your website up to date
Minimize the number of requests your page makes
Compress your large files
Optimize your media elements
Fix all broken internal links and redirects
Experts Recommend:
Using third-party tools to minimize your website load time
Monitoring your Page Experience report daily
Contracting technical SEO services to run a full audit on your website
The Google Search algorithm update gives us an answer to two very important questions: What is user experience? and what does it look like in 2021? We can place Page Experience among the most significant changes to SEO, such as the Google page speed update in 2018, when page speed became a ranking factor on mobile Search.
Even if adapting to this new Google algorithm update can be intimidating, you have everything to gain in improving your technical SEO strategy. And, just as website owners came to learn when the Google page speed update was first rolled out – all your efforts will be worth it.
Which Google Ranking Factor To Prioritize
A technical SEO agency reported that the entire optimization process could take 15 to 40 days. You can’t effectively do it all at once, so you need to prioritize. Generally, you should focus on the Google page ranking signals that your website currently needs to improve on. Otherwise, you can focus on aspects of page experience that matter most to an individual user.
UX Design Experts Recommend Prioritizing These 3 Website Elements:
1. Responsive Website Design
Your site visitor should be able to view your pages properly before you worry about your Google mobile ranking. Google recommends using responsive web design instead of maintaining and optimizing a separate mobile site.
2. Page Load Speed
Every millisecond of delay in your page load speed or website load time negatively affects the user. You can rely on Page Speed Insights as a straightforward Google performance test tool for website load time.
3. User Experience Design
Having a mobile-friendly site and keeping your Page Speed Insights score up are quick solutions. You need to develop short- and long-term plans to comply with ever-changing standards of user experience, Google page speed requirements and more.
Get the Help of Technical SEO Experts
Remember this: Google ranking signals and guidelines will continually change. The Google page speed update, for example, significantly affected websites when it was first rolled out back in 2018. But it’s clear today how important Google page speed standards have become – they’re an inextricable part of SEO. The same is likely to come from the Page Experience update because Google will continue to evolve according to what is best for the user.
An experienced technical SEO agency would best help you assess your website, utilize tools to measure Core Web Vitals and create a plan on how to improve Core Web Vitals and other Page Experience ranking signals.
Check out our exhaustive Google Page Experience and Core Web Vitals Guide to learn everything you need to know about optimizing for Page Experience. We deepdive into the details of this update and give you all the information you need to improve your website.
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency is a technical SEO agency helping businesses of all sizes and industries grow since 2005. We are a full-service digital marketing company offering professional technical SEO services and responsive web design and development to place your website in the best position for the Google Page Experience update.
Contact us today to get started on optimizing your website and begin ticking off items from your Google Page Experience checklist.
