Google is rolling out a new update to its algorithm that will prioritize websites that provide a superior page experience, especially when it comes to responsive design and mobile usability. Keep reading to learn more about the update and how it might affect your site.
When Will Google Roll Out The Page Experience Update?
The update is now officially rolling out in June, but the changes will happen slowly. The update should be complete by the end of August 2021 across all Google platforms and indexes.
Is Google’s Page Experience Update Relevant to My Site?
If your website is lagging behind in terms of responsive design or lack of mobile usability, then it’s possible that this update could further hurt your rankings. But for the most part, modern sites with responsive design probably won’t be affected much by this update because these elements are already technically ranking factors, what is changing is how the algorithm tracks and ranks them.
Will Google’s Page Experience Update Change My Rankings?
If you are a website owner or manager, this isn’t the time to panic. Chances are the changes won’t make much of a difference to your traffic. Google updates their algorithm all the time, this is just a specific update that will further prioritize websites that provide a superior page experience. Not only is the update happening slowly, but in their official statement, Google basically said that the update is more concerned with highlighting pages that offer great user experiences, than penalizing those that don’t.
What Will Google Prioritize in the Update?
Experts suggest that sites that utilize HTTPS, have mobile-friendly layouts, and don’t include intrusive elements will benefit most from the update. Sites will see a small change if any, as Google already lists these as ranking factors. Of course Google keeps their algorithms extremely private, and even they couldn’t tell you exactly how it would affect a specific website for better or worse.
What Other Changes Does it Include?
One big element of the update revolves around accelerated mobile pages, also known as AMPs. Google will actually begin to phase out AMPs, and no longer require top news stories to utilize this technology. With this, AMP badges will go away, and could potentially be replaced with a new page experience badge. For now, Google’s carousel of top stories on news.google.com or their news app will include all articles that meet their new content guidelines and policies.
How Can I Prepare My Website For Google’s Page Experience Update?
If your website design and layout is looking out of date and isn’t mobile-friendly, we are here to help. Boston Web Marketing offers modern web design services as well as a wide range of SEO services, including content creation. Give us a call at 857-526-0096 or contact us here.