The time has come: Google’s Page Experience update is weeks away from arriving on desktop. The update will have all the current ranking signals of the mobile version, minus the mobile-friendliness metric.
We briefly touched on the subject in November, when Google dropped the announcement three months ahead of the rollout. And it appears we’re getting the same message we did back then.
“Do not expect drastic changes.” Just like the mobile version of the Page Experience update, which many SEO specialists have deemed anti-climatic at best, the desktop update will not have a dramatic impact on search results.
But regardless of how the page experience update has played out for you or how you feel about it, Google still wants you to optimize within its parameters. As we’ve said in the past, the search engine giant believes that prioritizing page experience ranking signals contributes to your overall ranking efforts, despite its seemingly minor effects.
The desktop update will start rolling out in February and should be complete sometime in March. Before that time comes, SEO expert Barry Schwartz advises those who have been working on their mobile pages to redirect their focus to their desktop pages.
So as a reminder, the same three Core Web Vitals metrics and their associated thresholds will apply to the desktop version. Other aspects of page experience signals will also remain.
Factors influencing desktop page experience:
1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – Measures the time it takes for the largest content element to load on the screen
2. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – Measures the visual stability of the page
3. First Input Delay (FID) – Measures the time it takes for the site to react to the first visitor interaction
4. HTTPS Security – Safeguarding the integrity and confidentiality of data between websites and browsers
5. No Intrusive Interstitials – Involves the accessibility of content to the user
The first three factors (the Core Web Vitals) make up the pillars of page experience. To get a ranking boost, all three qualities must be met:
- Responsiveness – How fast do the visual elements on the page appear on screen?
- Loading performance – How fast does the page react to user input?
- Visual Stability – Is the layout stable? Do elements move around on the page while loading?
Since page experience was first introduced, Google has pushed the same big idea to marketers: Do not optimize to get ranked; optimize to offer users a better experience. The increase in rankings should follow.
While we believe this reminder is important in the grand scheme of things, the consensus is that the upcoming rollout is nothing to worry about. So keep following best practices, stay on top of your Core Web Vitals, and you should be ready for February.
More SEO News You Can Use
Yoast SEO Users Now Have the Option To Track Their Keyphrase Performance: Good news to those using the Yoast SEO add-on! The tech company is partnering with Wincher, an SEO tool provider, to give users better insights into their keyword performance on Google Search. The integration is available on both free and paid versions of Yoast SEO. The free option allows you to track up to five keywords for your entire website; the premium version lets you track anywhere between 500 and 10,000 keywords, depending on your Wincher account tier. This new capability is great for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of how their posts are performing and ranking over time and how far they are from the number one position (and hopefully, how they can climb to the top spot).
Google Business Profile Imposes Waiting Time for New Managers: If you’ve been recently added as a new owner or manager to a Google Business Profile, and you can’t manage all the features of that listing, it might be because of Google’s newly imposed seven-day waiting period. New profile managers or owners now have to wait for seven days before they can manage all the features on their profile. During this weeklong period, they won’t be able to delete or undelete the profile, transfer primary ownership of the profile or remove other managers or owners from the profile. This new limitation is believed to be Google’s way of enhancing security and preventing hack attempts across its business listings.
It’s Now Easier To Delete Policy-Violating Ads on Google Ads: Google Ads advertisers now have the ability to view all their disapproved ads at scale, thanks to Google’s new disapproved ads auditor tool. The tool helps you flag and delete ads that violate Google Ads policies and ensure compliance across all your accounts. By being able to review all disapproved ads, you can audit your accounts proactively, evaluate disapprovals, identify rooms for improvement and stay compliant. If you’re managing many accounts or ads at once, the tool makes it easier to stay on top of all your projects. Integrating the tool into your software requires skills in Google Ads API, OAuth 2.0., BigQuery API and Python 3.9+.
Is Keyword Density a Ranking Factor?: In case you were still wondering, the answer remains: Keyword density does not affect your ranking performance. Google’s John Mueller has had the same position on keyword density since 2013, but somehow, the debate persists to this day. Just before the end of the year, someone started a Reddit thread with the question, “In your opinion, is keyword density still a seo factor in 2021?” (sic) Muller jumped in with a solid “no.” You are likely already aware of this, but we think the topic is worth revisiting every now and again. The SEO community sure loves to.
Fluff Content Could Be Hurting Your Ranking: Unlike keyword density (or lack thereof), fluff in your content could be affecting your rankings. Mueller recently implied in a tweet that fluff makes it “hard for search engines to figure out what you’re trying to say,” which prevents Google from recommending your pages for whatever topic you’re writing about. Schwartz agrees, saying “There should be something about getting to your point . . . in the least amount of words so that users can convert faster or get whatever they need in a more efficient matter.” Brief, concise, to the point – keep these in mind for your future content writing efforts.
Editor’s Note: “SEO News You Can Use” is a weekly blog post posted every Monday morning only on SEOblog.com, rounding up all the top SEO news from around the world. Our goal is to make SEOblog.com a one-stop-shop for everyone looking for SEO news, education and for hiring an SEO expert with our comprehensive SEO agency directory.
