With every Google update usually follows a flurry of panic between SEO experts as the results can sometimes cause a drop in rankings.
Preparation is key with Google Core Vitals update which was scheduled for a May release, but has since been postponed to mid-June.
We're announcing an updated timeframe for introducing the page experience ranking signal for Google Search. A gradual rollout will begin in mid-June.
Learn more about the timeframe, new tools, and details about the page experience update https://t.co/kDwhhOYklK pic.twitter.com/K3WHrJcfpS
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) April 19, 2021
So what is the Google Core Vital update?
Google's mission is to provide the most relevant and highest quality of websites in their search results. If their search results produced poor websites, users will quickly start using other search engines.
For a while Google has made mobile and speed and HTTPs a ranking factor and websites quickly undertook the task to switch to a HTTPS protocol and I suspect a similar shift with the new Core Vitals update.
There are some signals that Google will be using when looking at your Core Vitals, and we will go through those and what those mean. Also, how you can find out how your website scores.
Core Vitals were release earlier this year as a way of measuring website speed, responsiveness as well as the visual stability.
In technical terms they are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - Which is the time it takes for a pages main content to load, this ideally should be around 2.5 seconds and under
- First Input Delay (FID) - This is the time it takes for a page to become interactive. Aim for 100ms and below
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) - This is the amount of unexpected layout shift on your page, an ideal measurement of this is around 0.1
Will my rank dramatically drop because of this update?
It is not known exactly how the update will effect your overall rank, this will depend on how well your website is optimised.
Although, the word on the street is that it will not have a massive affect straight away, especially if the update will slowly roll out as from mid-June, but it never hurts to ensure that your website content is up to standards and that you're making your website as user friendly as possible.
How do I find out if my website is following Google's Core Vital Standards?
Fortunately, Google has included Core Vitals as part of their Page Speed Insight which let where the issue is and where to find the problems.
If you're unsure on how to make these improvements its a good idea to speak with a web developer to fix these items.
Feel free to contact me to today to discuss this update and how to prepare your website to the latest Google algorithm changes.
