Google Search Central announces that the Page Experience Update is now slowly rolling out for desktop. The update will end rolling by the end of March 2022.
The Page Experience update first rolled out to mobile search results last June 2021. Now, the same algorithm update is existing in desktop searches by February 2022. There will be differences between the Page Experience Update applicable to mobile search and desktop search.
Page Experience Update on Desktop
The Google Page Experience update for desktop search will serve as an extension of the algorithm. It will include the same ranking signals as the mobile update. This means that the update will put the three Core Web Vitals metrics as top factors for desktop ranking.
Here are the three metrics below:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) – this metric is associated with a website’s loading performance to provide a good user experience.
- FID (First Input Delay) – this metric is used with a website’s interactivity.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) – this metric is connected with visual stability.
Aside from these three Core Web Vitals metrics, there are other page experience signals that Google includes in the Page Experience Update. These other aspects include HTTPS security and also the absence of page elements that obstruct users’ view of the content.
Take note that mobile-friendliness will not be a part of the Page Experience update for desktop search.
What Should You Do?
There will be factors that Google previously doesn’t use that will now be part of its ranking signals. If your website scores high for these factors on mobile, it is highly probable that your website will perform similarly well on desktop.
Even though mobile-friendliness is not a factor for the desktop update, you might still want to consider a responsive design. This makes it easier to optimize your website for both mobile and desktop users.
Google Search Console has also added a new report which evaluates a website for its Page Experience criteria. You can use this report to get an idea of improving your website’s page experience.
You can access the Page Experience tab in Google Search Console, which is located underneath the mobile report. It will look similar to the mobile report except for the Mobile Usability section.
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