Google is changing the way it ranks websites for search results. The largest search engine in the world is turning its attention toward user experience by making Core Web Vitals official ranking factors. What are Core Web Vitals and how will they impact your search engine marketing? Let’s dive into the changes.
Core Web Vitals Are Now Official Google Ranking Factors
Over the last few years, Google has heavily focused on page experience. How does a person feel when they interact with the page? Do they leave feeling satisfied or frustrated? The search engine aims to promote sites with positive page experience while simultaneously docking sites with negative page experience.
Back in 2009, Google ran an experiment to see how much load times influenced user experience. They found that users were less likely to engage with the same website if there was a 200 millisecond or 400 ms delay. Less than half a second made a significant difference over a decade ago. Imagine the difference it makes in the high-speed world of today!
In more recent years, mobile-friendliness has become a threshold for page experience, along with many other ranking factors. Google has expanded its efforts to quantify page experience by adding Core Web Vitals as official ranking factors in 2021.
What Is an Official Ranking Factor?
Google changes elements of its ranking algorithm all the time. They make hundreds of small tweaks every year, usually with minimal affect on a site’s overall ranking. Occasionally, Google decides to announce a major upcoming change to allow webmasters to prepare in advance. Such is the case with Core Web Vitals.
Google announced this transition in 2020, and the team at Detroit Internet Marketing laid the framework for the change. We consistently remain at the forefront of algorithm updates to deliver top-quality, high-return digital marketing campaigns. Thankfully, much of the work we already do perfectly aligns with Core Web Vitals.
What Are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals measure user experience. Load times, page stability, interactivity – all the elements that dictate how pleasant a user’s experience is. Google already uses Page Experience within its ranking algorithm. The Core Web Vitals are simply adding to a group of existing metrics, such as mobile compatibility, HTTPS security, and intrusive interstitials (pop-up ads).
Continue to Part 2 of this guide to learn What Are Google Core Web Vitals?
How This May Impact Your Website
If you’re one of our clients, you may not notice much of a difference in your website. Detroit Internet Marketing has always focused on creating a positive user experience. From custom-written content to data-driven PPC ads, our digital marketing services are personalized for your target audience.
If your existing website has slow load times, layout shifts, and delayed inputs, your ranking might go down. Luckily, you can get professional website repair from Detroit Internet Marketing to correct these issues and keep you on Google’s good side. Your clients will appreciate the improvements, and you’ll enjoy better visibility online. Reach out to (248) 234-4830 to schedule a consultation with an experienced SEO web designer.