Search engine giant Google is rolling out the desktop version for its page experience update, which should be fully completed by the end of March this year.
The page experience update – a ranking algorithm that shifts focus onto how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page using the Core Web Vitals measuring metrics – was first introduced in late 2021, with the initial focus on mobile versions of websites.
What is page experience?
Page experience is a combination of existing Google search ranking factors including the mobile-friendly update, Page Speed Update, the HTTPS ranking boost, the intrusive interstitials penalty, safe browsing penalty, as well as refinement metrics around speed and usability known as the Core Web Vitals. This means that improving your page experience is a key part of your search engine optimisation campaign.
When it comes to ranking a page, Google has indicated that page experience specifically is not a ranking score, but rather, each element within has its own weights and rankings in the overall Google ranking algorithm.
What is different about the desktop version of this update?
This update will include all the current signals of the mobile version of the page experience update, excluding the need for the page to be mobile-friendly.
How can you check and measure your website’s page experience score?
The easiest way to keep track of your website’s page experience score is to use Search Console tools which has specific reports.
Whilst this is an important update, you shouldn’t expect vast or immediate changes, as the algorithm will take time to crawl site pages and develop a set of metrics.
Google says, “While this update is designed to highlight pages that offer great user experiences, page experience remains one of many factors our systems take into account… Given this, sites generally should not expect drastic changes.”
Find out more about optimising your website for Google and Bing’s ranking factors to ensure you achieve the best experience for your website visitors.
Contact Realnet, a Cambridge-based digital agency today on 01223 550800 or info@realnet.co.uk to see how we can improve the user-experience of your website.