A Google spokesman has confirmed that from May 2021, the search giant will highlight pages in search results that offer users a superior user experience.
The Google Page Experience update will launch in May next year, Google confirmed in November. That is approximately one year after the company first introduced the likely pending update, which gives webmasters plenty of warning and time to prepare, unlike other important algorithm changes.
The update will evaluate the assumed user experience when the visitor clicks on a page and considers it a factor for how high the page will rank in search results.
Google plans to use a visual indicator to emphasise the pages in the search results which offer a superior page experience.
Determining Metrics
To know how a visitor will perceive the experience when landing on a specific page, the Google algorithm will assess the page using a combination of signals. These include how fast a page loads, if the page is mobile-friendly, if it runs HTTPS, if it has annoying advertisements that appear when the page is loading, among other deciding metrics related to usability.
Effect on Rankings
How much of an impression this will have on rankings is yet to be seen. Many SEO professionals suspect it will be comparatively small, since various Page Experience signals are already incorporated into the Google search algorithm. However, the visual symbol Google spoke of will give pages a helpful boost in gaining clicks, and therefore SEOs are more likely to pay attention to the user experience signals.
