If you're a contractor, then the constant updates that Google makes to its algorithms are probably a major thorn in your side. The next algorithm change is Page Experience, and it might cause your website's ranking to go up or down.
The good news is that there are several things you can do to make sure your website performs well with this change and continues to show up on top for homeowners looking for home services.
This blog post will discuss what the new page experience algorithm means, when it goes into effect, and how contractors can continue getting visibility on their websites.
What Is Google's Page Experience Algorithm?
Google's new Page Experience algorithm is a change to how it uses search quality raters to evaluate website pages. Basically, Google's algorithms look at your website and give it a score based on over 200 different factors like keywords, accurate business details, quality backlinks, domain history, etc.
Those things are all still important, but with Page Experience, Google will use different indicators to measure the interactive experience of each of your web pages.
According to Google, "It includes Core Web Vitals, which is a set of metrics that measure real-world user experience for loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability of the page."
This means that Google's goal for this change is to give higher rankings on results based on how easily users can engage with your website's content.
This can be anything from the ease of clicking through articles or how fast an on-page video loads, to how safe it is for customers to schedule an appointment online using their personal data.
To have good Page Experience, Google will be looking at your website for signals like:
Does each page load quickly?
When someone clicks a button or menu item, does the website respond quickly?
As someone is scrolling, does the page shift unexpectedly?
Is your website easy to see and use on a cell phone or tablet?
Does your site have security problems?
The idea behind this is that if users are engaged with what they see, then there must be something worth seeing and the site is easy to use. And so those sites should rank higher than others which don't have as good of a user experience.
The key for you is making sure your website is well designed and quick to respond, and that your website content is engaging enough so users will spend as much time on it as possible.
If not, any progress you've made in ranking your website will drop you down below your competitors'.
Why Is Page Experience Important?
There are way too many home service websites online for you to ignore this latest change.
A quick Google search of your trade will show you countless results right in your city. Scroll through those results — are you ranking on page one?
If you're not, its likely because of how your website is (or isn't) optimized to please the Google algorithms. So it's important to keep up with the frequent algorithm changes.
And truthfully, you're doing your customers and potential customers a disservice if their experience with your website is subpar.
The experience a customer has when they visit your site is crucial to converting them into a booked job, with or without this new Page Experience update.
If they're not wowed by your content and your site performance, you don't have a chance of converting them.
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When Does The New Algorithm Go Into Effect?
Google will make algorithm changes for Page Experience in mid-June 2021. Because Page Experience will look at a number of factors, it will roll out over time gradually. But by the end of August, the roll out will be complete. Google also states they will continue to improve and ammend Page Experience annually.
This means if your site isn't optimized for mobile use or doesn't have fast interactive speed, you won't be ranked as highly in searches.
The good news? You're not alone; many other businesses are scrambling to find out how they can improve their website's performance so they're still able to rank following these big updates from Google.
And other good news, Google states that they will continue to rank quality content higher, regardless of these factors.
See why content marketing is so important?
How To Prepare Your Home Services Website
To optimize your website for these changes, you should try to create the best experience possible for homeowners. This means having a mobile-friendly website with interactive speed that doesn't lag or freeze.
The best way to test your site's performance is to use either Google PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom Tools, or GTmetrix.
You should also think about how you can make your site easier to use; make sure you have easy navigation for people coming from search engines so they can find what they're looking for quickly without getting frustrated.
Lastly, make sure the content on your website is engaging!
Like I mentioned above, Google gives preferential treatment to websites that have quality content. This means content that provides value, is well-written, and is interesting to readers.
Whether it's on your home page, a service page, or a blog post, your content should:
Address customer pain points
Provide answers to their questions
Offer solutions
Use appropriate formatting (headers, bullet points, white space, etc.)
Have keyword rich titles and headlines
Include high-quality images
Link to other relevant content on your site
All of these things serve your website visitors and the Google algorithms — making you one step closer to being the top website in your industry and the top choice for homeowners in your area.
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Don't be caught off guard by a fast decline in your website ranking. This isn't the time to cut corners on website design or marketing strategy.
Instead, this is an opportunity for contractors and small business owners alike to invest in their digital presence and customer experience.
I'm curious; have the Google algorithms caused a problem for your business in the past? Are you worried about this next round of changes? Tell me below!