Steps to Get Maximum Benefit from Google’s Upgrade
In May 2020, Google announced that it would go live with a new ranking algorithm at some point in 2021, with new rankings based on a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals. That data will measure how users perceive the experience of interacting with your webpages. The overall update, known as the “Google Page Experience,” will consider a wide range of factors, including:
- how quickly your page loads,
- whether your page runs on HTTPS,
- the extent to which your website/page is mobile-accessible,
- whether you have a number of advertisements on your page, and
- whether your content jumps around when your page is loading.
Many elements of the Google Page Experience rely on existing Google ranking tools, such as the HTTPS ranking boost, the safe-browsing penalty, and the mobile-friendly update. Google says the new-and-improved metrics will focus primarily on speed and user experience. While each of the factors is scored, Google notes that the Page Experience is not a ranking score but that each element of the Core Web Vitals will have its own weight and rankings as part of the overall algorithm.
What Are the Core Web Vitals?
According to Google, the Core Web Vitals are intended to measure real-world, user-focused data. Among the tools that will be part of the Core Web Vitals are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which assesses the speed at which pages load. For maximum usability and ranking, a page should fully load within 2.5 seconds.
- First Input Delay (FID), an indication of the time it takes for your browser to react to any input from a website visitor. For maximum usability, the FID should be less than 100 milliseconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which measures how much your visual image shifts around on the screen.
- Safe Browsing, an evaluation of whether your site contains deceptive or malicious content, including malware.
- Intrusive interstitials, a measurement of the extent to which advertisements appear while the page is loading.
- Mobile-friendliness, a determination of the degree to which your site is usable on a mobile device.
- HTTPS, a determination of whether your connection is through HTTPS (secure) or HTTP (non-secure).
Steps to Get Ready for the New Google Page Experience
To best prepare your website for the new Google Page Experience, you want to do the following:
- Enhance your speed—There are a number of ways to do this, from compressing the images on your site to creating accelerated mobile pages (AMPs).
- Maximize mobile accessibility and user experience—Keep menus short and make the search box highly visible.
- Heighten your website security—Implement the appropriate SSL certificate.
- Give priority to content—Content will still be king under the new Google Page Experience.
- Evaluate your current usability—Take time to learn how easily people currently move around your website.
- Minimize bounce rates—Bounce rate measures the number of web visitors who come to your site but leave without further engagement. Limiting click-through advertisements is one key component of lowering bounce rates. Videos also can be a good way to minimize bounce rate.
- Avoid pop-ups that block your content—Referred to as “interstitials,” pop-ups interfere with a web visitor’s access to your content and can drive them away.
Let GetLegal Prepare You for the Update
For more than two decades GetLegal has offered a broad array of digital marketing services and products to attorney and law firms across the United States, including website development, search engine optimization, social media campaigns, reputation management, directory listings, video capabilities, and customized content. To learn about Google’s new Page Experience and how you can best prepare your website to take advantage of it, visit GetLegalPracticeBuilder.Com or call 1-817-359-7077
