Google updates page experience documentation to clarify ranking signals

Core Web Vitals is a ranking signal, not another page experience signal.

Google also makes clear that pages that experience other signals cannot be used directly for classification purposes in Google Search.

What did Google write?

The updated document is in the ratings section of the document and now reads:

Key core website metrics used by our ranking system. We recommend website owners achieve good Core Web Vitals to succeed with search and ensure a great user experience overall. Remember that getting good results in reports like Search Console's Core Web Vitals report or third-party tools does not guarantee that your pages will rank at the top of Google search results; There's more to great on-page experiences than Core Web Vitals scores alone. These scores are intended to help you improve your site for general users, and trying to achieve a perfect score solely for SEO reasons may not be the best use of your time.

They previously said:

There are many aspects to the site experience, including some listed on this page. While not all aspects can be used directly to inform rankings, they are often relevant to search ranking success and deserve attention.

So you can see that Google is clearly stating again that Core Web Vitals is used in Google's search ranking system.

But Google adds, 'trying to achieve a perfect score solely for SEO reasons may not be the best use of your time'. That implies that this score for ranking purposes is super lightweight compared to other ranking signals.

Google also added:

Besides Core Web Vitals, other page experience aspects do not directly help your website rank higher in search results. However, they can make your website more satisfying to use, which is generally in line with what our rating system aims to reward. So it's still worth improving the overall experience on the site.

Google previously said:

We highly recommend that website owners achieve good Core Web Vitals to succeed with search and ensure a great user experience overall. However, a great site experience is about more than just Core Web Vitals. Good statistics in the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console or a third-party Core Web Vitals report do not guarantee good rankings.

So Google is making it clear that other page experience signals are not used in Google's ranking system, at least not directly.

Key Core Web metrics have been updated

As we have noted, today the new INP index has replaced FID as the key website metric. That being said, as noted above, these are very light signals and it's best to focus your SEO efforts on other areas before focusing on Core Web Vitals.

Why should we care?

Months ago, Google said that Google page experience was never a ranking 'system' but was still considered a 'ranking signal', said Danny Sullivan, Google Search Liaison. These statements caused a lot of confusion, so Google clarified them in updated documentation.

Additionally, Google's John Mueller posted this morning on LinkedIn about Core Web Vitals: 'It won't make your website rankings skyrocket.'

Google's March core algorithm update

Sharing with Search Engine Land, the director of Google search said this is the biggest update ever, both in terms of time and impact. Specifically, this algorithm can take up to 1 month instead of 2 weeks as usual, and up to 40% of content and websites that are considered worthless and low quality will "fade" from the tool. world number 1 search.

An expert in Google's Search Quality team further shared:

"Google has improved its core ranking systems to surface more useful results using a variety of signals and innovative approaches (more on that later).

In fact, because Google is updating multiple core systems, 'there will be large fluctuations in rankings compared to a normal core update, as different systems are fully updated and reinforced together. together"

Updates with content using artificial intelligence (AI)

ChatGPT, AI content creation tools such as videos, images, or other forms of Q&A content without real results will be dealt with strongly by Google in this update. Behaviors that completely use AI, or use a combination of AI and humans, are all behaviors that go against Google's ranking principles - Ms. Tucker (Google search product manager) added.

1. Google search will say no to AI, including AI content and content combining humans and AI.
2. Websites that use AI will not be ranked on search engines.

Google will begin taking action against large-scale content abuse through its algorithmic spam system and manual measures this week.

Update useful content algorithms, spam links, and buy and sell search rankings

Useful content

Useful content will now be part of the Core update, so there will not be a separate update for this algorithm.

The criteria of this algorithm will always remain through future updates: Write useful content for people, not to rank on search engines.

Spam links and buy and sell search rankings:

1. Buying and selling expired domain names and using them as backlinks: these website systems will be manually assessed during the March algorithm update.
2. Buying and selling "parasitic SEO" articles on high-quality websites: Spam articles on web 2.0 platforms that are poorly cared for, web comments containing backlinks or signatures. will have their rankings lowered. in this March update. However, high-quality websites are not affected.

Reddit is the new future

According to an unofficial source, Google is negotiating a content contract with Reddit to gain access to the world's leading question and answer community site. And the past few days have also seen a rapid increase in results. However, Google said the ranking changes were made before any relationship with Reddit.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 20 March 2024