As SEO professionals, we're at the mercy of Google. Even minor changes to their platforms and algorithm
can mean huge differences in how our websites rank and perform. Google makes these changes like clockwork,
and like clockwork, SEOs get caught off guard.
Remember these?
Hey everyone!
It's Chiara from Semrush here.
And in this video, we're going to see simple ways to get ready for the algorithm
updates that are waiting for us in 2021.
And what's in store for Core Web Vitals.
Okay.
So we know what's coming, Google already announced that the Core Web Vitals will become
ranking signal starting in May, 2021.
That's right around the corner.
Remember when yesterday was, like, March?
With this update, we know that Google will combine Core Web Vitals and previous user experience-related signals.
If we all take a step back and look at this objectively, these goals should be really pretty familiar to SEOs.
So why is Core Web Vitals so important?
Now we can measure sites based on a new standard of the "real world" experience users have while visiting your site.
This view is made up of mainly three pieces.
Let's see what they are.
The first is the Largest Contentful Paint also called LCP... because we all needed more acronyms!
Right?
It basically answers this question.
How fast does the page load in the viewport, otherwise known as the screen
you're looking at your phone, tablet or desktop?
The second is Cumulative Layout Shift.
Also known as CLS.
This one measures visual stability.
Visual stability is all about weather elements on the page
shift in ways that users might not expect and maybe even mess up their interaction with the site.
And the third one is the First Input Delay also known as FID.
This one measures the time from when a user first interacts with a page such as clicking a like
or a button to when the browser is actually able to begin processing responses to interactions.
We've all been there.
You know, like when you click on a button and nothing happens?
And then finally, eventually the page starts to load and the button works.
That's what FID measures. With Cumulative Layout Shift
Google provided this anxiety inducing flake.
We've all had something like this happen.
It's pretty clear.
This is not an ideal user experience.
It all comes down to making sure that if two sites have similar results for the same query, you have
to win the tie breaker with better user experience.
It's really that simple.
Let's look at how to tell if your site measures up to these new standards.
Google has a handful of easy to use tools to analyze your site.
First, Search Console can rate
your mobile and desktop URL as "poor", "needs
improvement", and "good".
Digging in a little deeper, you can click "open report" to see where CLS, LCP and FID come into
play for either your desktop or mobile site, along with a list of adjustments you need to make.
If you don't have a Google Search Console set up for your website,
that's okay.
You can get these insights also from tools like lighthouse, Chrome Dev Tools and PageSpeed Insights tool.
Hey look, an A minus! Not bad, but it looks like we need to make some adjustments for mobile viewers of our site.
See, you're not alone.
Even the best need to iron some things out with Core Web Vitals.
And that's why Google has given us a six month headstart.
I would rather fix problems now before they actually are problems.
Wouldn't you?
Also, Google's John Mueller said that come March, 2021
Google will switch to the new mobile index and that desktop only sites will be dumped from their index.
And here's another very good reason to hit that subscribe button and that notification bell,
because we're having some hot topics coming in 2021.
So, timing is really important because all these changes that you want to make for 2021
will require a developer and let's be serious.
And most of all, let's be real.
You won't be able to tackle all of these in one session.
It's going to require a lot of time and a lot of work.
And having your developers do all of this in one session is just going to make them angry and you don't
want to make developers angry. But let's pretend even if you could make all these changes in just one time,
Google will need to check your work and validate it.
Google is reporting at the time of making this video, that the validation will be completed within 28 days.
And like with any deadline, we suspect that the timeframe could get longer as their queue fills up with other
sites trying to make the grade. With six months to go,
we're looking at just a handful of validation requests to get it right before the actual deadline.
So use the winter months at your advantage.
Get your team working at this right now, so that you have time to make the changes.
And also wait for Google's response.
I know what you're thinking.
You're afraid of being even more overwhelmed with one more task for the beginning of the new year.
So how do you start?
Where do you start?
I'm glad you asked.
Start in the Semrush Site Audit.
Many of the items Google will report in the tools we discussed are at your disposal
and are laid out really clearly in Semrush.
We ran site through page speed insights and through our tool. Do we cover absolutely
everything in the new Core Web Vitals?
Not yet, but we're thinking about it.
So stay tuned.
The Semrush Site Audit can help uncover potential gaps right now by addressing items such as uncompressed
JavaScript and CSS files or issues with unminified JavaScript and CSS files, or even uncached files or
uncompressed pages, you can drive improvements to First Input Delay and Largest Contentful Paint for your site.
Here's an example of a site that wasn't doing so hot on Google's Core Web Vitals.
It didn't look so well on the Semrush tool side of things either, but as the client has worked through
each recommendation in the Site Audit, they are now down to just a handful of errors, warnings, and notices.
Their Semrush Site Health is now what 70, and it's still improving. Like that client, as you
improve your site, you'll see the progress of your site's health and the reduction of site issues.
By following the tool to solve for basic SEO errors and warnings, you can move the needle to a
higher evaluation with Google's Core Web Vitals.
So where does that leave our client? Out of the red!
They are now in fact at an 88, as you see in the Semrush tool and here in the Core Web Vitals, the
client still has work to do both for their desktop and mobile site, but they still have come a long way.
Today, let us add this small addition,
we really encourage you, you and all your team,
to start working on this immediately to win Google's favor.
And power-up your ranking potential before May, 2021.
So that was it.
I really hope that this was helpful for you and
for your team.
And I really hope that you'll manage to fix all the mistakes before the deadline is at the door.
Thanks again for listening to me.
And if you liked what you saw in this video, please subscribe to this channel, hit the like
button and activate the notification bell.
I'll catch you guys in the next video.
Bye.