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Plastic Surgery Studios contributed an article in the Aesthetic Society News Spring 2021 edition (page 67) exploring how the upcoming Google Page Experience will affect your website’s ranking.
Google continues to evolve and grow as the internet takes on new roles. As Google is always looking to improve the user experience, updates are needed to help your website rank on Google’s search engine results page (SERP).
Last year, Google announced that their newest update would take effect in 2021 and focus on improving the page experience (particularly on mobile devices) by emphasizing a website’s Core Web Vitals.
The Page Experience update was scheduled to go into effect in May 2021; however, Google recently announced that this update would roll out gradually starting in mid-June. It is expected to be fully in effect by the end of August. By making this a gradual process, Google will be able to monitor for any unexpected issues.
What Will Google’s New Page Experience Reflect?
Google’s Page Experience update will now use a website’s Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor. Additional ranking factors will still include existing metrics, such as mobile friendliness, safety, and security.
This update will focus on a website’s loading, interactivity, and visual stability.
What Are the Core Web Vitals?
Your website’s Core Web Vitals will affect how your website ranks on Google’s SERP.
These vitals consider the following:
Loading: What Is Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)?
Google understands that one of the most frustrating user experiences is when a page — or part of the page — takes an extended period of time to load.
The LCP describes the time it takes for the largest content (usually a block, image, or video) to load. The goal is for this content to load fully in under 2.5 seconds.
Once this update goes into effect, Google will prioritize pages with quick-loading elements.
Interactivity: What Is First Input Delay (FID)?
When it comes to your website, a goal is to have as many visitors interact with it as possible. This comes in the form of visitors navigating multiple pages or clicking on elements such as videos, galleries, forms, etc.
The first input delay is the time it takes for the new page (or element) to load after that interaction (usually, a click) occurs. For instance, a video should take fewer than 100 milliseconds to start playing after the user presses the play button.
Visual Stability: What Is Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)?
At some point or another, everyone has had the experience of reading something on their mobile device only to have the page layout shift while they are mid-sentence. This occurs because of a cumulative layout shift.
The CLS is the amount of unexpected layout shift as content blocks load above the content a user is on. Since this takes the user away from their content, it contributes to a negative user experience. The goal is for a website to have a CLS score under 0.1 to help its ranking.
Is Your Website Ready for This Update?
The loading times and visual stability of your website will soon be big ranking factors for Google. Fortunately, the delay of this update allows you a bit more time to get your website in order, but improving the performance of your website takes time.
Optimize Your Website Now
Optimizing your website for user experience and the Core Web Vitals can help you maintain a good web presence and grow your practice. If you have any questions or concerns about this update, please contact us at (888) 525-6360.
We use advanced tools and strategies to help improve your user experience and ranking on Google, which can increase your online visibility and help reach more potential patients. Our highly trained team can help guide you through the process.
