Anytime Google launches a new update to their algorithm, it makes marketers sit up and take notice. Coming up in June, Google is launching an update that will focus on Page Experience. As this rollout happens it’s a great time to make sure that your website is optimized for the new Google focus.
What is Page Experience?
The key to any website is user experience. If your website isn’t user-friendly or doesn’t meet security standards, many potential customers will drop off, and may not return. These are the features that Google is focusing on in this latest update.
Core Web Vitals – Your website needs to load quickly and links need to work. Google will label the pages on your website as Good, Needs Improvement or Poor.
Mobile Usability – Google has made mobile responsiveness a key ranking factor for several years now so it’s no surprise that this is part of the Page Experience update. Most people now access the internet on their mobile devices so it’s vital that your website appear and function well on those smaller screens. Errors for mobile usability can include content that is wider than the screen, or text that is too small to read. Enabling Google Search Console can help determine these issues so they can be fixed.
Security Issues – Google doesn’t want to send users to websites that could have security issues. This includes having Hyper Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) on your website. You may notice when you click on a website if it doesn’t have a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate because, in the address bar, the site may say, “Not Secure”. If you own a website that collects any kind of information—from contact information to e-commerce, having an SSL is vital. If you don’t have it, Google will determine it’s a Poor page experience.
Ad Experience – If your website serves up ads in addition to your content, Google wants to ensure that your users are having a positive experience. If your ads are distracting, interrupting, or creating a poor user experience, Google will fail your website in Page Experience.
Ensuring a Good User Experience
Sometimes it’s easy to think that once a website is built, you’re done. Building a site that is user-friendly and is secure is important. However, maintaining the website with security updates and monitoring the Page Experience reports is also important. If you would like to see how your website stands up, contact us!