new algorithm could penalize older, slower sites.
by sandi leyva, cpa
i don’t know about you, but i would prefer to go through tax season without any interruptions, especially about marketing. but google doesn’t see it that way, and we have a significant search algorithm update hitting us in may 2021. if firms aren’t ready, they could see their search rankings, and correspondingly, prospects and future clients from website traffic, go way down.
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while google updates its search ranking algorithm on a daily basis, it generally announces big changes ahead of time. google’s may 2021 update will focus on “page experience,” which includes three metrics called core vitals as well as four additional page experience signals.
no one knows the exact algorithm that google uses to rank web pages in search results. experts say there are over 200 ranking factors to consider. the latest update is all about providing a better mobile experience for the user.
here’s what all that means in detail.
core vitals
the three metrics google will be weighting more heavily in search results are largest contentful paint (lcp), first input delay (fid), and cumulative layout shift (cls). these are all related to the speed of your website – how fast it loads for the user.
lcp looks at the largest graphic on any page and measures how long it takes to fully load. google wants this speed to be 2.5 seconds or less. things like videos, sliders, and large background graphics may need to be made more efficient.
first input delay is something google created. it measures the time it takes the browser to respond to the first user interaction on that page. google wants this measurement to be less than 100ms. fid can only be measured in real time. some digital agencies like ours will be using total blocking time to check this metric. it is slowed by excessive use of javascript and custom css, which is code that impacts the user layout, colors, sizes, spacing, and more.
cls is how much shifting has to occur as the web page is displayed in your browser. shifting happens when size parameters of the graphics on the page are not included in the code. the browser has to move things around once a graphics file fully loads if it didn’t know how big it was going to be in the first place.
other page experience signals that affect page ranking in search results
in addition to the core vitals, google mentions four signals that will be part of the may 2021 roll-out: mobile-friendly, safe browsing, https (secure protocol), and no intrusive interstitials.
the fact that your site should be mobile-friendly is not news. however, google will be getting pickier with this update. one example is button size and the white space around it. buttons must be at least 44 x 44 pixels with at least 15-20 pixels of white space around them. this is to allow for “fat thumbs” on the smartphone when clicking buttons.
safe browsing means google will prevent pages with malware, harmful downloads, uncommon downloads, or that are deceptive from ranking. unless you have questionable third-party apps installed, this should not affect your site’s ranking.
https-security is another thing that web design firms like ours have been offering for many years. but some major web site vendors that cater to the industry have many packages that do not include https. my advice is to get off of those packages and find a web design firm that doesn’t sell you something that won’t rank from the start.
interstitials are popups, including ads, opt-in boxes, chat features, and other items that may cover up content on your page. pages with intrusive interstitials will be penalized.
what you should do
your website could require changes if it:
• has never been search-engine-optimized
• has never been optimized for page speed
• has never been assessed for mobile-first usability
• does not show secure (https instead of http)
• has not been redesigned in a while
• has a slider on the home page
• has a video on the home page
• has a large background graphic on the home page
in some cases, fixing your site could be as easy as optimizing a couple of graphics or installing a caching plug-in that improves site speed. in other cases, you may need a redesign or to switch web design vendors to one that is more seo-focused.
we know it’s “all hands on deck” during tax season, but if you have an in-house marketing department, please give them time to check your site’s “page experience” vitals prior to may 2021 if website leads are an important part of your business development.
if you outsource your website maintenance or seo (search engine optimization) services, ask your vendor if they have done their homework with regard to the page experience update. (and if they don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s a good indicator you need a new web vendor.)
while you are dealing with ppp, erc, ptc, qbi, and so much more, webmasters need to deal with lcp, fid, cls, https, and more to keep your marketing generating a high roi.
you can read the announcement from google here.