Google is considering displaying ‘visual indicators’ in search to highlight content that delivers a high-quality page experience and help users identify the best results for a particular query.
Google confirmed this week that its new batch of page experience signals, which include the much-talked-about Core Web Vitals, will be used in ranking from May next year.
As part of its plans to improve the speed and quality of content that is surfaced in SERPs, Google is also planning to implement a new label system.
“We believe that providing information about the quality of a web page’s experience can be helpful to users in choosing the search result that they want to visit,” Google said in a statement this week.
The search giant added that users may see new icons and labels pop up in search results in the coming weeks.
If the testing period is successful, Google expects to roll out the indicators fully in time for the launch of the new signals in spring 2021.
Webmasters and SEOs now have around six months to prepare for the new signals, which are closely linked to factors such as speed, load-in time and visual stability.
Google recommended using AMP pages to prepare for the mobile-centric change after claiming that the open-source initiative is among the “easiest” and most “cost-effective” methods for delivering good page experiences.
However, Google also announced that non-AMP pages will be able to feature in the Top Stories section of search for the first time from May.
Google says that any pages that meet its content policies will be eligible, but those able to provide excellent user experiences will likely feature higher in rankings.
With the current focus on UX and page signals, updating and optimising pages for them is now very much in the best interests of everyone.
Source:
https://searchengineland.com/google-page-experience-update-to-launch-in-may-2021-343581
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-core-web-vitals-ranking-signals/387142/
