Google Introduced Core Web Vitals: New Ranking Factors for 2021
As we all know, Google uses more than 200 ranking factors in their algorithm and the ranking algorithms are updated almost every day. Some of these changes are minor in nature whilst some updates may have a significant impact on SERP (Search Engine Results Pages).
In recent 2020, Google introduced three user-experience metrics — LCP, FID and CLS. These metrics will be known as Core Web Vitals and will be used in order to assess the overall experience of the users on a website. Core Web Vitals are going to have the final say with regards to a website’s Page Ranking.
New Ranking Factors Coming in 2021 — Core Web Vitals
These new Core Web Vitals (user experience metrics) will not become a part of Google’s ranking algorithm until 2021 (the exact date is yet to be released by Google). Some SEO experts have already started focusing on these changes in order to score perfect ranks, as these metrics define the user-experience needs that all types of websites are expected to fulfil according to Google. The Core Web Vitals are going to measure a website’s interactivity, visual stability and loading speed. These new signals will be used in 2021 along with other factors, such as mobile-friendliness, security, safety and number of pop-ups, when assessing the overall page experience.
The Old Page and New Page Experience
Google conducted extensive research over the years and tested the effectiveness of numerous metrics in measuring the users’ experience when interacting with a particular web page. Numerous metrics were primarily considered to be effective in measuring this factor during the research; however, most of them failed to generate the expected outcome. The Core Web Vitals are the chosen ones. Google finally found the metrics that satisfied all requirements.
According to Google, the Core Web Vitals will be able to measure the first impression of a user after visiting a web page. Google also claims that the websites capable of creating a positive first impression are 24% less likely to lose the users when a web page is loading. Therefore, Core Web Vitals are going to become important Page-ranking metrics.
The New Page Experience Ranking Factor
What is Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)?
Largest Contentful Pain (LCP) is a user experience metric that evaluates the loading performance of a web page. This determines the load speed when the main content of the page has finished rendering on the screen.
LCP is going to use the following benchmarks for user-experience.
- Good:
For web pages loading under 2.5 seconds - Need Improvement:
For web pages loading between 2.5–4 seconds - Poor:
For web pages taking more than 4 seconds to load
Google used the following metrics before LCP
- First Paint
- First Contentful Paint
- First Meaningful Paint
- Time to Interactive
- First CPU Idle
However, all these metrics had some limitations. LCP is believed to be the ultimate find. It may not be perfect. However, Google believes this is the best measurement to find out how fast does a web page feel.
The largest content element (video/image/text) that is present on the screen takes some time to render. Google times the duration of rendering in order to calculate LCP. Google will switch to the next largest element as a screen’s composition changes when it is loading. Google continues this action until a web page has been fully loaded or until a user interacts with a web page. To improve the LCP, a website needs to fulfil the following demands.
- Speedy server response times
- Speedy resource loading
- Enhanced client-side rendering
- Less render-blocking CSS/JavaScript
Explore these all User-experience metrics at Core Web Vitals: New Google Ranking Factors for 2021
