How to prepare for Google’s algorithm update in May 2021

Table of contents

1. How to prepare for Google’s algorithm update in May

2. What is page experience?

3. Page experience visual indicator

4. Preparing for Google’s May algorithm update

5. How to improve your page experience

6. Conclusion

Page experience involves all elements related to how users interact with a web page. Generally, it measures how good or bad users find a webpage. The elements involved in page experience includes some existing Google signals like HTTPS, intrusive interstitials, mobile-friendliness, and safe browsing.

Page experience also factors in the web vitals introduced by Google include page loading time, visual stability and interactivity.

Page loading time

This factor measures the load speed of a page. It measures the time required for the main content of a page to load. Longer load times can significantly increase your page bounce rate.

Interactivity

This factor focuses on the time needed for users to interact with a page. It is the time required for the browser to process a click to when the user can interact with the page.

Visual stability

Visual stability of the page is how long it takes for the features in a page to become stable. It aims to prevent continuous page movement, which users find annoying.

The May update by Google will introduce visual indicators to rank search results and benefit sites that have all the features that enhance page experience. Google has implemented similar ranking factors in the past, negatively labelling slow sites and those that are not mobile-friendly.

With Google’s visual indicators on web pages, users are more likely to click the labelled pages for what they need. Although Google is yet to announce how they would display these visual indicators, they have taken the labelling seriously and this can significantly affect click-through rates (CTR).

Even with the focus on a better page experience, it is still important to create exceptional content on your page. This will also impact ranking because Google also prioritises giving users useful information.

For you to adequately prepare for the algorithm update, you should consider the following.

You need to understand the metrics Google will use for ranking. These metrics include first input display (FID), largest contentful paint (LCP), cumulative layout shift (CLS). Google has provided information about the measurements of these metrics.

With the understanding of these metrics, you can audit your website, then optimise your site to meet the required standard, such as mobile friendliness, responsiveness, page load speed, security and user experience. Different tools are available to audit your site, such as Google’s online mobile-friendly test.

You can also get an Experienced SEO, IT and UX team to work on your site and perform the necessary updates to improve your site’s page experience.

Optimise for mobile-friendliness

Over the past few years, mobile devices have accounted for over 50% of searches and is growing every year. This statistic shows that most people use their mobile devices for online searches, and Google now ranks the mobile version of sites, which makes your site’s mobile-friendliness an important factor.

You can make your site mobile-friendly by reducing the number of redirects and codes and taking advantage of browser caching. Ensure your webpage is attractive on smaller screens and structure the site to fit mobile devices.

Optimise your page speed

Google released an update that sites taking more than a second to load have a 70% lower conversion rate. You can optimise your site speed by reducing the HTTP request because the more components on a page, the longer it takes for it to load.

You can combine files on the page to reduce the loading time. You may also want to consider asynchronous files loading because they help speed up loading. Check the JavaScript loading, server response time, caching, compression and optimise image size.

Include alt text for images

Compressing images on your page shortens loading time, but you also need to consider using alt text. The alt text is in HTML code and describes the function of an image and its appearance. The alt text of an image can describe the image, so users can understand its purpose if the image doesn’t load. Ensure the alt text description is short and has the keyword, as this can increase organic search clicks.

Include different CTAs

Different factors, asides from load speed and improved page experience, can affect your conversion rate and interaction. Your call to actions (CTAs) also affects CTR and conversion. Your CTA encourages people to take action while getting the information they need on your page. The CTA may spur your reader to subscribe, purchase a product or even book an appointment.

It is important to realise that CTAs can come in different forms, and you have to customise yours to fit what your readers need at every point. Ensure the CTA is clear, specific and short. You should also include what they can gain by engaging the CTA properly designed and positioned in the right spot.