User Experience Will Affect Your Google Rankings Starting in 2021

User Experience Will Affect Your Google Rankings Starting in 2021
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Google announced in May that the stage was almost set to introduce a new ranking factor into the algorithm.

This on its own would be no news, given that the search engine giant regularly changes its algorithms daily.

But eyebrows got raised by the fact that this update takes user experience into account.

Long story short, after this update if Google determines by their algorithm that visitors to your website are having a poor user experience then your website’s rankings will take a hit.

This new update is called the Google Page Experience, and luckily, it doesn’t go into effect until 2021, leaving you enough time to prepare your website—provided you begin now.

What Does Google Mean By User Experience?

A lot can be said about user experience, and given that it is such a subjective quality, opinions vary from person to person and from industry to industry.

However, Google has cut through that noise and presented a detailed document centered on its ideas and criteria for user experience.

As a website owner, these criteria from Google are what you should concern yourself with:

  • Is your website user-friendly?
  • Does it load fast?
  • Does it run on HTTPS
  • Do you use intrusive ads?
  • Does the content layout jump around as the page loads?

All these factors come together to define what Google’s algorithm understands as a good user experience.

What This Means for You As a Website Owner

If you run a website for your business, you can already see how by emphasizing user experience, Google could potentially affect your bottom line before prospects even arrive on your homepage.

There is no need to feel slighted or peeved at the search engine giant though. This falls in line with their ultimate goal as a company which is to “make the web more delightful” for their users.

Furthermore, the better the experience which users have on the internet the more they are likely to stay engaged, which in turn translates to better business for all parties involved, including you.

Consider this a first step out of a possible many that will be geared heavily towards promoting enjoyable user experience online. As Google’s commitment to user experience becomes more concrete, so should yours as a business owner or website owner.

How to Prepare for the Google Page Experience Update

You’ve still got time to prepare for this update that is set to reshape the web as we know it. Here are a few things you could do:

  • Leverage Tools: There are a number of tools available which can help you gain insight on areas on your website that have a potential for poor user experience. You could reach out to your developer for more insight on how to leverage these third party software packages.
  • Know Your Audience: Knowing why people come to your site, as well as what they do and how will go a long way towards informing you on what needs to be prioritized in order to give a good user experience.
  • Prioritize Design and Content: Intuitive navigation, clear, optimized copy, clean design, and other user experience basics need to leave the back burner and enjoy more consideration.
  • Refine Your Message: A clear message on your website will give target visitors the feeling of being in the right place at the right time, which is crucial for user experience.
  • Test Test Test: The only way to know whether or not your website offers a satisfactory user experience is to test it. Have real people get on your site and offer their honest feedback.

You don’t have to navigate this trip towards a better user experience alone. We can help you. Eternity prides itself on our commitment towards making your website your biggest ROI. And that mission includes ensuring you offer website visitors the best user experience possible.

Reach out today so we can talk about your website and what needs to be done.