Google Search News (April ‘21) - Page experience & Core Web Vitals ranking change and more

TL;DR

John Mueller discusses Google Search updates, including page experience changes.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Google Search News. I hope life is treating you reasonably well, wherever you are. I'm your host today, John Mueller, here from Google Switzerland. With this show, we want to give you a regular summary of what's been happening around Google Search, specifically for website owners, publishers, and S... Read More

Key Insights

• The page experience ranking change will start rolling out in mid-June, allowing website owners more time to make improvements.
• Core Web Vitals is a key part of the ranking factor, focusing on real user metrics for speed and responsiveness.
• Google Search will use page experience factors for the Top Stories carousel and Google News.
• Signed exchanges will be available for all web pages, enhancing user privacy and prefetching capabilities.
• Video best practices documentation has been updated to help site owners optimize videos for search results.
• Google Search Console now includes regex support in performance reports, allowing for pattern matching in search queries.
• A new page experience report in Search Console provides a comprehensive overview of a site's performance.
• Google I/O 2021 will be held virtually, featuring sessions and live Ask Me Anything slots.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the page experience ranking change?

The page experience ranking change is an upcoming update to Google's ranking algorithm that considers user experience elements on web pages. This includes technical aspects such as HTTPS and quantifiable metrics like speed and responsiveness, collectively known as Core Web Vitals. The rollout will begin in mid-June and occur gradually over two months.

Q: How can website owners prepare for the Core Web Vitals update?

Website owners should focus on improving their site's speed, responsiveness, and visual stability, which are the core components of Core Web Vitals. Google provides resources like the Cumulative Layout Shift guide to help address these areas. Improvements will be reflected in real user metrics, influencing rankings positively as they are made.

Q: What are signed exchanges, and how do they benefit users?

Signed exchanges are a setup that allows Google Search to prefetch web pages in a manner that preserves user privacy. By enabling signed exchanges, site owners can enhance the user experience by reducing load times and improving the overall browsing experience on their sites. This feature will be available for all web pages.

Q: How has Google improved video search results?

Google has enhanced how videos are displayed in search results by updating its video best practices documentation. This includes guidance on using schema markup to help Google index videos and ways to express how site owners want their videos highlighted. These updates aim to improve the visibility and reach of video content.

Q: What new features are available in Google Search Console?

Google Search Console has introduced regex support in performance reports, allowing users to input patterns for matching search queries and pages. This feature was highly requested and provides more flexibility in data analysis. Additionally, a new page experience report offers a comprehensive overview of a site's performance against the upcoming ranking change.

Q: What resources has Google provided for web creators?

Google's web creators team has developed content to assist creators, such as bloggers, in understanding complex topics like monetization and audience engagement. This includes videos and articles that cover various aspects of content creation and distribution, helping creators optimize their online presence and revenue potential.

Q: What is the purpose of the Search Central Lightning Talks series?

The Search Central Lightning Talks series consists of short videos on specific topics related to Google Search. These videos aim to educate and inform webmasters and SEOs about important search-related topics, especially in the absence of physical events. The series helps viewers stay informed about best practices and updates in the search domain.

Q: What can attendees expect from Google I/O 2021?

Google I/O 2021 will be a virtual event featuring a wide range of sessions, including live Ask Me Anything slots. Attendees can expect to learn about the latest developments and innovations from Google, with opportunities to interact with experts and gain insights into various Google products and services. Registration is required to participate.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the April 2021 episode of Google Search News, John Mueller provides updates on various aspects of Google Search, including the upcoming page experience ranking change. The rollout will begin in mid-June, giving webmasters additional time to improve their sites. Core Web Vitals will play a significant role in this update.

• Google has updated its video best practices documentation to help site owners optimize video content for search visibility. This includes guidance on schema markup and how to highlight videos in search results. Videos are becoming an increasingly important medium for reaching audiences.

• Search Console has introduced regex support for performance reports, enabling more advanced data filtering and comparison. A new report focused on the page experience update offers insights into how a site meets various performance metrics. Google I/O 2021 will be held virtually, featuring numerous sessions.