How to Improve Your Website for the Google Core Web Vitals Update?

Beginning in the middle of July, Google will start using Google Page Experience as an essential signal when ranking websites in its search index. The Google Core Web Vitals Update is a testament to the search engine giant’s continued commitment to deliver the best experience to its user whilst rewarding websites that offer incredible user experience to visitors. 

So What is Google Page Experience? 

This is a new ranking factor in Google’s algorithm, and it will directly impact how websites are ranked. Google Page Experience looks at the user experience that a page offers its users. 

Why is Google Page Experience Important? 

Google will use this signal to rank websites in the search index. This means that the better your website’s user experience, the higher the chances of it showing up at the top of the search engines. 

How to Improve Your Website’s User Experience?

There’s nothing new about the ranking factors covered in Google Page Experience. Four of the five elements of Google User Experience are the factors that Google has been emphasising for some time:

• Mobile Usability 
• HTTPS 
• Website security 
• Ad experience 

The fifth aspect is a new metric that Google has developed as part of Google Page Experience. 

What are Google Core Web Vitals? 

These are a set of best practice benchmarks that measure the speed and performance of the page from the point of view of the visitors. Focusing on technical aspects, Core Web Vitals covers three primary parameters:

• Load time
• Visual stability 
• Interactivity

How to Prepare for Cover Web Vitals and Google Page Experience?

• Test your website load speed – Your website should take no more than 3 seconds to load. The slower your site, the higher the bounce rates and the lower the chances of your website scoring a higher ranking in the search results. Test your load speed and make the necessary adjustments to speed it up. 
• Optimise for mobile – If your website is not mobile responsive, invest in a mobile responsive website. If it is responsive and yet has some issues, test your site improvements to improve the mobile usability of your website. 
• Upgrade to HTTPS – Since 2014, Google has been advising businesses to upgrade to HTTPS. With the Page Experience update, HTTPS becomes mandatory if you want your site to have a ‘good’ rating. 
• Optimise the images – Images can slow down a website immensely. So ensure that your images are optimised for mobile experience as well as load speed. Optimise background images, reduce image file sizes and use alt text descriptions.