Google’s Page Experience – Core Web Vitals – due to launch in May 2021

In May 2020, Google announced that its latest update, which integrates a new set of metrics known as Core Web Vitals (page experience to you and me), would be launched in May 2021.

This update was originally planned for late 2020, but as with most things last year, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why are search engines (Google!) so important?

Clients and customers today rely on Google (does anyone use Bing?!) to help them find everything, from recommendations for the best local takeaway, to the best local divorce lawyer. So, whoever your target market it, it’s likely they are searching for your service or product online, and if you want them to see your site, it needs to be optimised.

Optimisation will build your brand and move your site up the Google rankings (think page 1 as opposed to buried in page 5 of a Google search!). And a better ranking means you will be more visible online and attract more traffic, that could then convert into clients or leads.

Technical factors such as usability, mobile-friendliness and site speed have always served to improve the user experience and been on every digital marketers and web developers’ radar, and now, thanks to the latest update, these really will have an impact on how your site ranks online.

As we get closer to the update, we look at the 3 key metrics being introduced, what it means to have a user-friendly website and some of the ways you can optimise your website, to ensure a Google, and most importantly, a user-friendly site[NR1] .

Core Web Vitals

It has long been suggested that a page’s performance can impact a sites Google ranking, and from May 2021, that really will be the case.

The new core web vitals that will influence overall search rankings are:

• Loading/Speed - Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
  How long it takes for the main content page to load.
• Interactivity – First Input Delay (FID)
  How quickly can a user interact with the page.
• Visual Stability – Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
  Measures how web page elements (images, videos, CTA buttons) shift around the page whilst it is downloading.

These new signals will be combined with Google’s existing search signals, which are:

• Mobile friendly
• Safe browsing
• HTTPS security
• Intrusive interstitial (a popup or modal window that blocks most or all the content on a page) guidelines[NR2] 

Collectively, these signals will monitor a page’s overall performance, ensuring users are getting the relevant information quickly, can interact with your page, and how well your page design copes when a user is scrolling (think clicking on a button, only to discover it has moved and you have inadvertently clicked on something else).

Have you got a user-friendly website?

The user experience has always been a fundamental factor when designing and building a website and is the art of making your website simple, easy to use and user-friendly.

Below are some of the common characteristics of a user-friendly site include:

• Mobile compatibility - an absolute necessity as mobile traffic now accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide. In the third quarter of 2020, it generated 50.8% of global website traffic.*
• Well formatted content - which includes only the relevant information and is easy to skim read, with the correct use of subheadings, paragraphs, and bullet points.
• Fast load times - to prevent users getting frustrated on waiting and leaving.
• Usable forms – allowing your visitors to interact with your site and in turn, generate leads.
• HTTPS - the secure version of HTTP which provides privacy for web browsing and encryption when sending sensitive information.

Is your website ready for the latest Google Update?

Ahead of the new update launching, Google has added a Core Web Vitals report in Search Console, which gives an insight into how the pages on your website are performing. A review of this is the obvious place to start. We would recommend prioritising your homepage, most popular pages, new services or products pages and the landing pages for your Google Ads.

Check your loading speed, if it is slow (longer than 2.5 seconds) people will get bored of waiting and ‘bounce’ off your website. This can be checked using Google PageSpeed Insights, which shows the performance of your website on both a mobile and desktop device. Large pages, with lots of features, such as high-res images and videos may fall short here, so worth reviewing your pages and deciding what content is needed.

Make sure any forms on your website work (!), load quickly, and can be easily completed by your website visitors, with a guarantee that information will be stored securely through HTTPS.

Content is Key!

As always, content is key and remains the most important part of your website. Make it good and make it relevant.

Improving and optimising your website should not just be about ticking boxes for Google’s latest update, its about delivering the best possible web experience for your users every time they land on your site.

For help and advice with your website, contact: office@scala.uk.com, 0114 4070159.

*Statista.com