Google Web Light has been around for years, yet many SEOs are still unaware of its existence. When search marketers first learn about Web Light, their initial reaction is often concern over the impact it has on their websites.
Web Light raises at least five important questions regarding its effects on publishers, site audit professionals, and site visitors.
- Is concern about how Web Light alters websites justified?
- Are 2G users entitled to good navigation and functioning web forms?
- Is it sufficient to simply provide content to 2G users?
- If 2G users are important to you, should you adopt AMP to avoid Web Light?
- Should Google improve the conversion of websites for 2G users?
Description of Google Web Light
Web Light is a service offered by Google that provides a simplified version of web pages for users on slow Internet connections. It specifically impacts users on mobile devices.
Web Light is similar to AMP in that it removes many scripts and CSS formatting. However, Web Light is even lighter than AMP, offering a faster web experience for visitors on very slow mobile devices who might otherwise abandon the page.
Google’s Web Light support page notes that Web Light displays a limited amount of advertising, potentially increasing ad visibility for publishers, particularly AdSense Publishers.
Our experiments show that transcoded sites get 50% more traffic than non-transcoded sites, and we expect that this will help monetize your site.
Web Light is Beneficial for Publishers
The goal of Web Light is to make more of the web accessible to people on slow connections. Eric Enge from the SEO agency Stone Temple explains:
“The existence of this program further emphasizes Google’s focus on speed. Pages that take 10 seconds or more on a device are often unusable and don’t convert, so Web Light helps simplify pages to their essential content. The transcoding technology has been used for content delivery to older phones (2G phones) for many years. While most phones in North America and Europe are 3G or better, delivering content remains crucial in markets where many phones are 2G, such as India and parts of Africa. Web Light serves a significant market need.”
Web Light Struggles with Conversions
Although Web Light is well-intentioned, it often struggles with converting web pages effectively. To see this for yourself, use a mobile device and navigate to the Web Light version of any URL.
After reviewing his own blog in Web Light, Eric Enge noted:
The technology does not always do a great job converting today’s web pages. For instance, it handles social media icons poorly, making them appear unsightly. The main menu is positioned at the bottom, which, from a Web Light perspective, prioritizes user-sought content over navigation, but this might impact usability. Overall, Web Light does an adequate job with our pages. However, I suspect many don’t check how their site appears in Web Light, potentially affecting conversions.
Site audit expert Alan Bleiweiss expressed reservations about Web Light’s impact on page conversion and usability.
If a small percentage of my visitors receive an automated, stripped down version of my site, what if crucial features for brand conversion or CTA value are compromised? I don’t care about increased traffic if it doesn’t convert.
Web Light Involves Trade-Offs
Web Lighted pages often feature poorly rendered navigation elements, complicating site navigation for users on 2G networks. In the short term, this allows page content to be read but at the expense of overall site usability.
Does Poor Rendering Matter?
Some might argue that poor rendering impacts only users in regions like Africa and India. However, providing a subpar user interface and navigation isn’t justified, even for users on slower connections in these areas.
“Even if only a small percentage of traffic is affected, addressing it might not be difficult, and it could make a difference,” states Eric Enge.
I agree with Eric Enge that while Web Light effectively prioritizes content, Google could enhance its service by improving navigation display.
Default Web Light Implementation
Some publishers are concerned that Web Light activates by default. Despite its longevity, web publishers need to be aware of Web Light in order to explicitly opt-out of it.
Opting Out is Complex
Opting out of Google Web Light isn’t straightforward for an average publisher:
To prevent your pages from being transcoded, set the HTTP header “Cache-Control: no-transform” in your response. If Googlebot sees this header, your page will not be transcoded.
Setting an HTTP header cache-control typically involves editing the htaccess file. While experienced publishers can do this easily, it may pose a challenge for average publishers and bloggers.
Web Light is an Imperfect Solution
Both Alan Bleiweiss and Eric Enge acknowledged that Web Light could improve the way it transcodes pages, especially in terms of navigation. Web Forms can also break on Web Lighted sites, and restoring this functionality would be beneficial.
