Page Experience Definition
What is Google's "Page Experience" metric?
For example:
When you go to a website and it opens up fast, without things moving around while it loads, that's what you call a "Good" Page Experience. It's the same thing when you can use the page shortly after it starts loading. This is different from a page that takes a long time to be ready for use or where stuff moves around as it loads. These issues lead to a bad user experience.
"Page Experience" is a simple way to understand how a user feels about using a web page. It's not only about what's on the page, but also how it's shown and how it works with the user. Believe it or not, Google uses this idea to make sure that websites are not just helpful but also easy and fun to use.
To be clear, if a web page loads up fast and doesn't mess things up while doing so, that's considered a top-quality Page Experience. And if you can start using the page just after it loads, that's a bonus. On the contrary, a page that allows its elements to bounce around while it loads, or that takes forever to load, gives you a bad user experience.
At the end of the day, "Page Experience" is just about how a visitor feels when interacting with a web page. It's not just about what is on the website but how the site interacts with the user. For example, Google uses this very concept to ensure that a good website is not only filled with information but is also easy and enjoyable to use.
Here's another definition of Page Experience:
"Page Experience is a combination of various factors that Google considers important for a website’s user experience, including Core Web Vitals (like Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift), mobile-friendliness, safe-browsing, HTTPS-security, and intrusive interstitial guidelines."
These elements are important for both users and search engines, as they ensure that users have a seamless and engaging interaction with websites which turn helps in maintaining their interest and reducing bounce rates. Improved Page Experience can also influence (and potentially boost) a site's ranking in search results, as Google prioritizes sites that offer a good user experience.
How Can Page Experience Impact My SEO?
The way a page feels can really change how well it does on search results because it influences how much people use your website. If your site loads quickly, is fun to use and has trustworthy, appealing information, it tends to show up higher in search results. This is all thanks to Google's rules favoring sites that do a great job at making users happy.
Now, let's get down to it: to make your site more usable and effective, focus on bettering things like Core Web Vitals, smartphone usability, and safe browsing. This kind of focus tends to pull in more users to your site. What's more, it keeps them around longer causing them to check out even more of your content. The more they interact with your site, the better the site will do in search results.
On a side note, a site that doesn't provide a good user experience can lead to less user interaction, higher bounce rates, and maybe even lower rankings on search results. Trouble-causers like long loading times, pages that don't respond, or wonky content layouts can frustrate users into leaving the site. Therefore, it's really important to always watch out for these things and correct them so you can improve your website's performance in search results.
How to Find Your Page Experience Score in Search Console
Utilizing Google Search Console is a great way to check your website's page experience.
First, you'll need to set up your account. Getting an account is as easy as heading to the Google Search Console website and signing in with your Google login. After you log in, you should verify that you're the owner of the website you want to check. You have several ways to verify your site such as uploading an HTML file or adding a DNS record. You can even use your Google Analytics account, among other methods.
Next, it's time to access the Page Experience Report. This is found by going to the Search Console dashboard. The dashboard shows various reports and tools on the left-hand side. Look for the "Experience" section in these options, and find the "Page Experience" line. This tab gives a user-focused performance overview of your site.
Following these instructions will let you use Google Search Console effectively, helping you monitor and improve your website's page experience.
What Are The Page Experience Factors?
"Page Experience" is a part of Google Search Console broken into many vital parts. Core Web Vitals are exact points that Google believes is important to the overall user experience of a webpage. They include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). The HTTPS Report part checks if your website uses a safe HTTPS link. This is very important for the security of your site and the data of its users.
The section named "Other Aspects of Page Experience" includes many features that make up the total user experience.
It may sound a bit vauge, and that seems to be the intention. Google gives these examples to give you a general idea:
- Straightforward steps towards the main content
- Easily seen difference between main content and other elements on the page
- Little usage of ads that could get in the way of the main content
- Easy-to-use mobile content.
- Keeping away from annoying interstitials
It gets interesting here because Google doesn't give a complete list of all Page Experience factors. Google's advice would be to think about features that promote a better user experience. Some other factors not mentioned might be the accessibility of your website, the contrast between colors, the size of your fonts, and where you put your ads. All unmentioned factors in the Search Console are key to make sure your website provides a nice and inclusive experience for users.
All these features combine to make your site user-friendly. As far as I'm concerned, Google aims to help you consider all these factors, even though they haven't listed everything. It's about making your site a pleasant place for all users. Believe it or not, every minor detail counts!