Understanding Google’s Page Experience Algorithm
It comes as no surprise whenever Google implements changes to its core algorithm as the search engine is constantly refining the way that it ranks pages in the SERPs. As page experience becomes hotter on Google’s radar, we’ve been anticipating an algorithm dedicated specifically to its implementation for some time, and the Number One search engine certainly doesn’t like to disappoint! Read on as we go over everything you need to know…
Announced back in the summer of 2020, this new page experience factor forms a part of the Google algorithm we’ve come to know quite well. Fast forward a year and the change was implemented in May 2021 so it’s been just over a month since the marketing world was rocked by yet another campaign-changing algorithm from everybody’s favourite search engine. Despite the lack of enthusiasm, every SEO technician recognises the impact that this new algorithm can have on rankings and why it is crucial that it is taken into consideration.
In a nutshell, page experience addresses how well users are able to interact with a web page and how easy the browsing experience is, or perhaps the opposite if your website could do with some touching up.
As it stands, the algorithm addresses three important metrics in Google’s Web Vitals:
- Loading, in particular how long it takes a page to load for the user
- Interactivity, such as how much time passes from when the user first interacts with a web page until the browser begins to process it
- Visual Stability, or the avoidance of annoying pop-ups and random movement of content
Not only are all of these factors important in order to stay on Google’s good side, page experience as an algorithm will help ensure that your bounce rate remains in a favourable position. After all, users that are having a poor experience are far more likely to abandon ship and look for their information elsewhere. This means that ranking isn’t always the be all and end all of an SEO campaign as there are many layers to consider.
Page experience is now considered a ranking factor, and the mere fact that it has its own algorithm means that this is not an aspect of SEO that you’ll want to ignore or neglect anytime soon. After all, the way that the user is able to interact with your website will say a lot about its quality and helps the search engine determine whether or not users should trust the information that it displays.