Are you ready for the 2021 Google Algorithm update?
With website design, there’s a lot going on beneath the surface that makes a good user experience (UX). For the most part, there are many pieces to UX — simple pleasing design, engaging and well-written content, seamless navigation and overall speed and functionality.
People know immediately when they visit a website if it’s a good experience or not. We make a subconscious assessment within the first few seconds in fact.
This month (July) Google is rolling out the second and final phase of their long-awaited 2021 Page Experience Core update that started in June. What’s interesting is that Google is now doubling down on UX.
Sounds important, should I be concerned?
Not really, Google’s search algorithms are updated thousands of times per year. Most of these changes are minor. However, “core” updates are sometimes announced well ahead of the rollout to give webmasters the chance to prepare and optimise accordingly. Here’s a brief history of Google’s Core updates.
Google also says websites shouldn’t see drastic drops in results because it will be mitigated by the gradual rollout process which will be completed by the end of August.
The easiest way to prepare for and benefit from any Google algorithm update is simply to review Google’s documentation on search engine optimisation. Broadly speaking, if you optimise your site from the outset and ensure you create high-quality content that provides great experiences for users and robots, you will not have much to worry about.
If you own a business or run a website then you’ll want to make sure that you’re ready for when the new algorithm properly lands and assess any impact based on a review of your website and take all necessary actions over the next couple of months.
What is Search Engine Optimisation?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website from search engines. So if you are growing your brand to reach new customers, you need to be seen.
There are 200+ SEO ranking factors that help search engines determine which sites should show in search results and how they should rank. If you want your site to be seen in one of the top spots in SERPs (search engine results pages), you need to optimise your online presence to match these search signals.
But always remember that SEO without content marketing is like a body without a soul since every website needs words, articles, images, substance, keywords, etc. So always concentrate on creating unique, well-written high-value content that is of value to users because this will always perform better and rank higher than low-value content. But, as there are numerous other SEO elements that you need to check and address to build your visibility and position in search results. Its also good to speak to an SEO expert.
Key features of the 2021 Google algorithm update
The new algorithm will focus on a factor called Page Experience. This includes existing Google Search signals such as mobile-friendliness, safe-browsing, HTTPS (SSL certificate), and ‘intrusive interstitial guidelines’ (those annoying ads and pop-ups).
It also includes metrics in Google’s Web Vitals to do with a site’s loading speed, interactivity and visual stability.
The 2021 update aims to force website owners to consider the mobile experience because mobile is the growth market and the largest 'user device' accessing the Internet.
What can I do to my website now?
For site owners, understanding these signals and making the necessary changes should be the main focus. Among the steps to take are optimising for mobile, improving page speeds, call to actions/CTAs, and alt-text for images.
The three main technical factors to note are:
1. Largest content panes (LCP)
Essentially a metric for site speed. How long does the biggest block of content on your website take to load? Are your image files optimised and saved for web? If you have large image files of animated gifs these will slow your website down, but using software like Lottie files or Wordpress plug-ins can help to compress images.
2. First input delay (FID)
FID is the time it takes between a user clicking on a link and the website loading to the point where they can interact with the site. Beware the intrusive popup penalty. Google wants to make sure that ads and popups do not interfere with the user experience on a mobile screen.
3. Cumulative layout shift (CLS)
CLS is how much your layout changes while the website is being loaded.
If you have lots of unnecessary code and tracking tags then this will slow your site down. Make sure you remove any unused Javascript.
Mobile experience is more important than ever
There are online tools that can help you determine whether or not you are going to be hit by this. Google Page Speed Insights tool will test the speed factors on your pages.
There are many elements of SEO so you might want to talk to an SEO specialist who can carry out a free website health check to test your website and review its performance, especially on mobile, and compare your site to your competitors.
How to pick a good SEO expert.
Be aware that SEO is a technical skill but it’s also a skill that many people claim to be experts in when the reality is they probably aren’t or they’re only specialists in certain areas such as PR, keyword copywriting or optimising your local Google My Business Listing. Their technical on-page SEO knowledge may be limited.
Larking uses industry-standard SEO software to perform free website health checks and we are Moz certified in technical SEO. We’ll scan your website and provide a detailed list of recommended improvements. We can also carry out the improvements for peace of mind.
Websites that comply and have SEO best practices can expect a nice bump to their rankings and visibility when the algorithm hits. But regardless of the algorithm, it’s always good to run a quarterly health check to keep on top of SEO.