What Does this Google Algo Update Mean?
For a few months now, Google has had the Core Web Vitals algorithm update looming over us. Originally set to launch in May, now pushed back to mid-June, this update is going to change the Google ranking algorithm to factor in a website’s core web vitals. What are core web vitals, you ask? These are metrics defined by Google that identify on-page experience for users.
Photo: Developers.Google.com
The three aspects of core web vitals are load time (LCP), interactivity (FID), and visual stability (CLS). Core web vitals are broken down into Mobile and Desktop experience so rankings for both desktop and mobile could be affected.
Who Does The Update Affect?
The best way to think of the core web vitals on your site is to ask yourself: is my website loading slowly? If you answered yes, then the update could affect your site. That is not to say that all of the other ranking factors are no longer valuable in the Google Algorithm. If your site has amazing content, high-quality backlinks, but loads slowly then it’s likely that you won’t see drastic drops in rankings overnight. Core web vitals is just going to be yet another factor in the cog that is the Google Algorithm. Google stated:
“A good page experience doesn’t override having great, relevant content. However, in cases where there are multiple pages that have similar content, page experience becomes much more important for visibility in Search.”
How to Prepare for Core Web Vitals
Once you’ve identified that your website is loading a bit slow, the next question to ask yourself is: what is slowing down my site? Google Search Console has a core web vitals tool that shows you if there are any glaring page experience offenders.
“Pages that receive a score of “good” on Core Web Vitals are achieving an aspirational level of user experience, and might get a boost in the page experience component of ranking, provided other components of the page experience signal (HTTPS, mobile-friendliness, etc) are deemed OK.”
If you have some pages that receive the grade of ‘needs improvement’ and ‘poor’ then there are improvements you can work towards. None of these issues can be fixed overnight, but more so worked towards. In the meantime of improving your page experience, it’s a great idea to look at what other ways your site can improve. SEO fundamentals are always going to be important when getting your website to rank.
Still have questions? The experts at Mason Interactive can help answer any questions. Contact us to get started.