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New trends in Google’s algorithm change! Yes. Those that he announced in mid-2020 and that is starting to play right now, June 2021, are of good importance because we are talking about the new elements of the official classification of Google’s algorithm, the “Core Web Vitals”, which are added to the most out of 200 from the individual list you already have. They are new factors that we must take into account, to stand out in the most important search engine on the web.
As all of us who are in the virtual world know well, whether for work or as users, the Google algorithm marks the direction in the evolution of the internet. This search engine, which gathers 90% of searches on the web, is constantly being refined to generate a more attractive experience for users.
The “Core Web Vitals”, new metrics for the Google algorithm
Google makes hundreds of minor changes a year and makes ads when it deems them to be of great importance. In this case, Google’s algorithm changes to add important ranking elements that will vary the browser response ranking ( SERP ) and, therefore, the position of our website in the list.
They do this particularly when they want to encourage all users, especially owners, webmasters, developers, and marketing agencies, to make the necessary changes. They will need to take note of the user-centric approach and metrics that will start to play a bigger role in Google’s ranking systems.
This is one of the updates that the company has highlighted the most in recent times, and here we are going to analyze its meaning and what we have to do to benefit our website. It is what we must work on, together with our digital marketing agency or webmasters, to generate the events we want.
So let’s start by knowing what the “Core Web Vitals” are.
What are the “Core Web Vitals” of the Google algorithm?
Google has set itself the main objective of guaranteeing the user a quality browsing experience that leads them to find on the web what they are looking for and are interested in. Google’s algorithm incorporates the concept of “Web Vitals”, which seeks to help website owners and their designers to better understand the quality of experience they offer, as explained by Jeffrey, Google’s search product director:
“At Google Search, our mission is to help users find the most relevant and quality sites on the Web. The goal of these updates is to highlight the best experiences and ensure that users can find the information they are looking for. Our work is ongoing, so we plan to incorporate more page experience signals into the Google algorithm in the future and update them annually. We hope that the tools and resources we provide will make it easy for you to create great websites and therefore create a web ecosystem that users love. “
The “Core Web Vitals” are real-world metrics that arise, basically, in the use of a web page with mobile or desktop devices and that evaluate this practice in terms of speed and quality of interaction. They are intended to measure experience in terms of speed, responsiveness, and visual stability.
What are the “Core Web Vitals” looking to measure?
The “Core Web Vitals” join a group of metrics from Google’s algorithm that they call “user experience (UX) signals.”
It is not so much about the text on the page, which are traditional classification signals, but more about the user experience in how useful and pleasant the navigation is. They arise from data information such as compatibility with mobile devices, HTTPS, intrusive interstitials, which are those pop-up windows that light up and appear, etc.
The crusade for the UX of the Google algorithm includes a great variety of digital variables, which developers and marketing agencies must control, and the “Core Web Vitals” act on 3 specific aspects of analysis:
1.LCP (Largest Contentful Paint).
This asks how fast does the page load in real-time ?; and it is when a user opens a web page, the time it takes for the content to load from the first point.
It is a simple concept, about load performance, which is highly influenced by rendering time, images, videos, and text from the graphic. It is also affected by server response times, your CSS, JavaScript, etc.
The LCP is an indicator that is measured in seconds and the optimal speed should not exceed 2.52 seconds of load. The Google algorithm classifies web pages into three levels: “fast”, “in need of improvement” and “slow”. Time to time.
2.FID (First Input Delay)
Another aspect within the “Core Web Vitals”, which the Google algorithm wants to give importance, is the “delay of the first entry”.
It is the time that elapses from the moment the user takes action within the page and the response from the web. The type of interaction can be anything, from clicking a button, opening a menu, or submitting a form. The FID is an interactivity metric and the response time should not exceed 0.1 seconds.
3.CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
Lastly, Google measures how quickly a page becomes stable. Surely we have noticed, at some time, that when opening a page on the mobile, the contents change location as it loads. This is not a good user experience.
This cumulative design change analyzes visual stability and is recommended not to exceed 0.1 seconds.
The new “Core Web Vitals” metrics can already be measured using many of Google’s web development tools, including Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights, or the Chrome User Experience Report. We must make sure that we are seeing the results with the mobile since those are the ones that the Google algorithm uses for classification purposes.
How important are they to Google’s algorithm?
It is important to note that the Google algorithm has hundreds of ranking signals and the impact that one produces is usually not decisive. Now if your website is especially poor on any of these metrics it can make a considerable difference to your page ranking.
If we are in a highly competitive environment, these factors, although they may not be significant concerning past experiences and other qualifying signals, may need to improve, especially if they are bad.
Another consideration to keep in mind is that some Google signals have a greater impact than their actual ranking factor. It may be the case of the loading speed, LCP, which as a factor of Google is one more, but the experience it generates can have a great influence. Google’s studies show that pages that meet the thresholds for “Core Web Vitals” are 24% more likely to retain visitors. Traffic, far from negligible, that even without the Google algorithm metrics we should include.
Other important user experience metrics
User experience (UX) is a factor of great importance for the Google algorithm. It concentrates on different factors and, as we see, adds new metrics that will continue to grow as announced.
The UX focuses on the pleasant design, the rich and attractive content, the smooth and efficient navigation, and the general functionality of the page. Factors that, if they perform well, are obvious; and that, if not, we also realize it. All of us do that assessment in the first 15 seconds; surfing the web or hopping in search of a new one. It is a factor that we intuitively understand.
For the Google algorithm and the company, the mission is to provide its users with the most useful and desired results.
These are some of the factors that have already been playing their role:
Speed (user experience)
For Google’s algorithm, speed and performance are two factors that improve the user experience with fast content delivery. The new look of the “Core Web Vitals” points, especially, in this direction, but there are other factors that are also important and that we detail below:
-Size of images and videos. It is one of the most important reasons for the slow loading of a website. A good practice is to choose the recommended sizes, use image and video compressors, faster formats, and use plugins and compression tools on the website.
-Quality accommodation. The response speed of hosting is a clear sign of performance for a website. Google’s algorithm has it as an important trait in ranking.
-Deferred loading. This technique ensures that images are only loaded when the user needs or scrolls over them. The effect is that only the web part that the user is viewing is read and that improves its performance.
-Avoid the inclusion of large elements such as bloated CSS / JavaScript that are widely used in websites created in WP templates, Magento, Shopify, etc. Excessive DOM and different caching protocols also delay loading. Avoiding them gives higher speed and a better score for the Google algorithm.
As we can see, many factors affect the speed and performance of a website. Here we leave you three tools that will help you to know the status of a website in this regard:
Website Responsiveness / Mobile Performance
The performance of websites on mobile devices, and the wide range of screen and browser sizes, is a signal to which the Google algorithm places great importance on rank. Now, with the latest update, it continues to become more relevant.
We leave you some considerations that help improve mobile performance and in the positioning, in the SERP, of the web.
-Use accelerated mobile pages.
-Implement marking of SCHEMA.
-Make sure you have HTML.
-Compress the images and videos.
-Don’t use flash.
-Use tiered content.
These are Google algorithm performance indicators that are not new but will be more relevant from now on.
Safe browsing / HTTPS security
HTTPS secure web browsing is a range that already has its importance and in this latest update of Google’s algorithm, it is more prominent as its lack is penalized.
Intrusive interstitial
The appearance of pop-ups and unwanted windows, the intrusive interstitial, is already a factor that has been penalized with the loss of credibility and points for positioning.
Pop-ups and ads generally cover important parts of the content of the web page and are considered a bad experience when it does not conform to the guidelines established by Google’s algorithm:
-Don’t let the interstitial cover too much web content.
-Make sure the interstitial is responsive and shows an easy and clear way of closing, especially on mobile devices.
-Make sure it is only visible when required. For example: if you activate action and not on any occasion.
Build a “perfect experience” beyond the Google algorithm.
Regardless of the immediate effect of the “Core Web Vitals”, the update of the experience on the page represents a major change in the ranking systems of Google’s algorithm. It is a broader approach that aims to improve the user experience.
This classification is a determining factor for the webs, but beyond that, the sites with fluidity and agility are today the standard of the network. Sorting is one of the benefits of this end-user vision.
From higher conversions and a high engagement of your audience to an overall SEO with better results; Core Web Vitals are a great way to get there.
With our help, this update of the Google algorithm gives you more factors for the positioning of the company in the network. Now, the challenge is to find the best way to adapt and continue in the construction of the web, the community, and the exceptional experience for the visitors.
