Google Page Experience Signals for Ranking Apply Only to Mobile

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Core Web Vitals & Page Experience FAQs - Google Search Central Community

Google: Page experience signals for ranking apply only to mobile

A new FAQ page answers questions about ranking, various site architectures, AMP and more.

searchengineland.com

Google has published a list of frequently asked questions regarding Core Web Vitals, the company’s set of performance metrics pertaining to user experience, and the upcoming Page Experience update, which will roll out in May 2021.

Page experience signals for ranking apply only to mobile search. In the answers to the questions “Why are there differences in scores between mobile and desktop?” and “Is there a difference between desktop and mobile ranking?” Google states, “At this time, using page experience as a signal for ranking will apply only to mobile Search.”

Follow Core Web Vitals guidance for progressive web and single page apps. “Core Web Vitals measure the end-user experience of a particular web page and don’t take into account the technologies and architectures involved in delivering that experience,” Google said. This means that, with respect to the Page Experience update, Google prioritizes the observed user experience above all else.

Of course, the relevance and quality of the content will continue to be more important than page experience.

If you’re on AMP, you’re probably prepared for the update. “There is a high likelihood that AMP pages will meet the thresholds,” Google said, noting that AMP’s evergreen release enables performance improvements without site owners having to invest more resources or change their codebases.

However, sites can also meet, or exceed, these thresholds without AMP, which may be a more suitable option for businesses that rely on display ads for revenue, or do not wish to maintain AMP versions of their pages. Google lifting the AMP restriction on its Top Stories section may also push publishers away from the framework.