Google is currently implementing the page experience update, with the rollout occurring slowly and expected to extend through the end of August 2021.
The Announcement: Google made an announcement on Twitter stating, "The page experience update is now slowly rolling out (Top Stories will begin using this new signal by Thursday). It will be complete by the end of August 2021."
Top Stories: Starting Thursday, June 17, Google will incorporate the page experience signals for eligibility into the top stories carousel and section.
Don’t Expect Huge Ranking Changes: This update is designed to highlight pages offering great user experiences but remains one of many factors Google’s systems consider. Thus, significant ranking shifts are not anticipated. Google emphasized, “While this update is designed to highlight pages that offer great user experiences, page experience remains one of many factors our systems take into account… Given this, sites generally should not expect drastic changes.”
Timeline: Although the original launch was delayed, the rollout is now happening. Here’s the timeline:
Mid-June Rollout:
- The ranking change will begin gradually rolling out.
- AMP badge will start to disappear.
- A page experience badge may continue to be tested; Google has not finalized plans for this badge.
- The Top Stories carousel on Google Search will include all news content that meets Google News content policies and guidelines, irrespective of AMP presence. This rollout will begin in mid-June and be completed by the end of August.
- AMP is no longer required for the Google News app or news.google.com.
- It’s suspected that HTTPS, mobile-friendliness, safe browsing, and the absence of intrusive interstitials will be part of this rollout, as these are already ranking signals.
End of August Rollout: The full rollout, including all core web vital metrics like LCP, FID, and CLS (including Chrome’s recent fix to CLS), will be completed by the end of August. This update was originally announced to go live in May 2021 but is instead rolling out between mid-June and the end of August.
Do Not Confuse with Core Updates: It’s important to differentiate the page experience update, which uses core web vitals as signals, from core updates. These updates are unrelated and do not influence each other. The June 2021 core update just finished rolling out on June 12, and core updates typically result in more noticeable ranking changes than the page experience update.
Why It Matters: This update has been anticipated for over a year. With its rollout now in progress, it’s crucial to not expect significant ranking changes and to distinguish it from the effects of recent core updates.
While SEO is both an art and a science, understanding its elements can lead to a successful strategy. This information is crucial for those waiting for this update to ensure they know what to expect and how to adjust their strategies accordingly.
