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Google regularly updates its algorithms and ranking metrics with the motive that the users get the most value from using their search engine. In continuance to this momentum, the upcoming Google update is going to shake the web rankings aggressively. The new update will impact the web rankings and our approach to search engine optimisation.
In the upcoming update, we will see three novel signals for search engine rankings;
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- First Input Delay (FID)
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
These new systems will allow Google’s algorithm to become even more intelligent and that work efficiently to judge a webpage and the websites. Particularly, they will look at the page’s experience score meant for users and enhance the SERP visibility.
The three new signals or metrics are hailed as “Core Web Vitals” due to their importance and ability to dictate the future of the websites. Plus, these three parameters, along with four others, will decide the experience score of every web page.
Three Main Signals
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): This measures the time required by a webpage to load. It is measured from the user’s perspective.
- First Input Delay (IPD): This represents the time a user takes to interact with the web page.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): This measures the stability of the page.
The new Google update will transform how the search engine evaluates a website and its web pages. So, it is imperative to prepare for this new update and correct all the anomalies. Otherwise, you will regret not doing so later.
Boost your Webpage and Website Rankings
Google’s Martin Splitt says that the webmasters who have already fixed the website’s core vitals are observing an improvement in their rankings. And this is even before the update has been rolled out.
Loren Baker asked Mr. Splitt whether the improvements in these rankings had come after the web admins had made corrections.
“Is this an indication that the Page Experience Update may be testing right now, perhaps on the weekends, and/or slowly rolling out before it officially does? Or is it a coincidence?”
To this, Mr. Splitt answered that the improvement is neither a coincidence nor an effect of the making of the fixes. Even before these vitals were planned and rolled out, page load speed was a crucial aspect in ranking the web pages.
The new vitals are essential, as well, and just so it happens that by making the website better, you get a ranking boost, and it can also go towards improving the page experience or not.
Loren reverted positively to this answer and reassured that the improvement in rankings may be because of the changes done to improve the page speed and not necessarily due to the page experience update.
Understanding the Page Speed Ranking Factors
From the beginning of the previous decade (2010), Google has started giving much importance to page speed. For the first eight years, that is, until 2018, Google only considered this important for desktop browsers. After July 2018, the search engine started giving importance to the mobile and included page speed ranking as a factor for SERP results on the mobile browser.
You can read the official statement made by Google’s representative here. Google recommended that developers working on the websites must pay attention to evaluate their performance by using the speed tools.
During the rollout back in 2018, Google asked developers to reduce JavaScript and the image sizes, as these were the two important factors deciding the page speed. At the time of the rollout, working on these two factors was enough to increase the page speed and enjoy the benefit of better rankings.
According to Google, JavaScript and images are significant contributors to the page weight. They will certainly affect the page load time and speed.
There is Time Until June 2021
There is still enough time until the rollout of Google’s update. Having said that, working to improve the webpage according to page experience is vital. If you are an SEO executive, web developer, or website owner, understanding the seven new vitals and implementing them must be on top priority.
