As a company, how can I prepare for Core Web Vitals?
Published on:
February 25, 2021
Reading time:
minutes
As a wrap-up to Core Web Vitals, this article explains how to prepare for it as a business.
Why should companies prepare for the Core Web Vitals?
Unlike many a surprise Google has been good for in the past, this time the search engine giant is giving plenty of advance warning when introducing the new Core Web Vitals. Website owners still have plenty of time until the go live in May 2020 to prepare their website(s) as best as possible for the upcoming changes. Those who ignore them run the risk of losing crucial spots in Google search results next year. At worst, slipping in Google rankings can even put an entire company's business model at risk.
What tools are available to prepare?
Fortunately, website operators are not in the dark when it comes to preparing for the new Google User Experience Factors, as there are numerous web tools available to them in this regard. Website owners are generally advised to use these tools to the fullest extent possible in order to test all aspects of the Core Web Vitals.
For most site operators, Google Search Console is the most straightforward tool to prepare for the expansion of Page Experience metrics. The core Google Webmaster tool already includes a report on the new Core Web Vitals based on real site usage data. Taking a look at the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console is definitely a must for site owners.
In addition to Google Search Console, site owners can also use other tools, such as Page Speed Insights or Google Lighthouse, to get their sites ready for the Page Experience Update. Page Speed Insights provides an overview of how users experience a website and generates a report on page performance on mobile and desktop devices. In addition, the tool provides site owners with a set of recommendations on how to improve their users' page experience. Lighthouse is also an automated website audit tool that helps site owners diagnose problems on websites and improve the user experience. The new Core Web Vitals are also part of Lighthouse's feature set.
Conclusion
To what extent the new Google metrics for assessing user experience will influence search results is something no one can say yet. In any case, they should be taken seriously. When the search engine giant announces a change to its algorithm in such a big way in the media and with so much lead time, website operators can assume that it is not an air act. They should use the time until May next year to make their pages fit for the Core Web Vitals. In many cases, this will only be possible through trial and error. Anyone who receives poor or improvable values for the three metrics via the tools discussed should go through all elements of their website point by point and check them for usability.
You can find the entire blog article series "The Google Update 2021" here.
- Google's Rating System
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- First Input Delay (FID)
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
- How can I prepare for this as a business?
Challenges and opportunities in working with AI
November 26, 2024
Automatic content creation
November 19, 2024
