How to navigate the latest Google May 2021 update
I know how important Google Rankings are to small business owners, because I am a small business owner myself.

I also know that while the web development world has been in an uproar over Google’s anticipated algorithm update, most of the small business owners I deal with have no idea what’s coming next.

And in the world of Google and online marketing, what you don’t know is going down the pipeline can ruin your business. Or at the very least, it can kill your search engine rankings, which can be the same for small businesses.

It may sound like technical language, but if you’re a small business, keep reading. If you want to stay competitive, you need to understand Google’s Core Web Vitals and what they mean for your website.

What are vital web principals?

Core Web Vitals are metrics that Google can use to evaluate your website when deciding whether or not to show it in search results. Starting May 1, 2021, there will be an update to Google’s algorithm that will begin to include Core Web Vitals in Page Ranking.

Google’s Core Web Vitals measure how user-friendly a website is. Specifically, Google will now measure these three critical aspects of your site:

1. Website speed

Google has never liked slow websites, but with the new user experience of 2021, it has upped the ante. Load speed is a new Core Web Vital that measures how long it takes to load the main content of your website.

Google calls its main content the “Larger Content Painting” and recommends that it load in 2.5 seconds or faster on both mobile and desktop.

2. Website responsiveness

Do you have forms on your website, maybe a contact form or email signup? When someone clicks submit, do they have to sit back and wait, watching that little spinning wheel spin?

The second Core Web Vital is called ‘First Entry Lag’, which refers to how fast these types of interactions take on your site.

Ideally, interactions on your website should be less than 100 microseconds. That’s basically the blink of an eye, so your website really needs to perform well to rank well.

3. Website stability

Have you ever been to a website that is just edgy? So when you scroll and try to click a link, the layout suddenly moves, maybe because of an ad?

You probably hate this, and so does Google. In technology terms, this is called ‘Cumulative Design Change’ and is another metric that Google will track on your website. The ideal measurement is less than 0.1.

At the end of the day, these three Core Web Vitals track how easy it is for a user to interact with your website. As Google gets smarter, it uses these metrics to help determine not just what is us your website, but your own website.

READ: Is it time to renew the website?

Websites need to be updated from time to time. That doesn’t mean you have to go through everything completely, but many business owners don’t spend enough time keeping their most important marketing tool up to date.

Read about 8 reasons why you may want to consider a website makeover.

Read more in our blog.

What the latest Google update means for small business websites
Google will be tracking Core Web Vitals for all websites starting in May 2021. So in the future, small business owners will need to pay much more attention to the user-friendliness of their websites.

Many small business owners try to create and manage their own sites. If that’s the case for you, then you need to check your page stats, along with how mobile-friendly your site is. Make sure your site is also set up in Google Search Console and Google Analytics.

Google is only getting more competitive and demanding, so you really need to do your homework if you’re going to run your website yourself. You should be comfortable handling the ins and outs of how it’s set up so you can make any adjustments you need.

It’s also important to note that websites built with pre-made WordPress themes and drag-and-drop builders tend to be over-coded, which can slow things down.

Ultimately, Google’s 2021 update further illustrates that if you want your website to work (that is, if you want people to be able to find you and your offers), then you need to have all your technical ducks lined up in a row. .

It’s not okay for your website to be just pretty.

It has to work well at the front and at the rear. If you don’t have the time to not only create an efficient website, but also update it as needed, it may not work the way you want it to.

Google is constantly updating its algorithm and web design best practices are constantly changing. This latest update is just one more reminder that web design and functionality are complex and multifaceted. In fact, proper web development requires continuous learning and continuous adjustments.

Remember the main objective of Google
Finally, this update is also a good reminder for small businesses. If you want to reach the people who are surfing the internet, you need to keep your website up to date and follow all the best practices, all the time.

So is your website mobile friendly? It is safe? Do you have a privacy policy? These are all the metrics that Google has already been using to evaluate you.

And remember that Google is also a business. The people who use it for their Internet searches are your customers. And your goal is to keep your customers happy by offering pleasant user experiences.

Content is still king.
Google says: “A good on-page experience doesn’t cancel out having great, relevant content. However, in cases where there are multiple pages that have similar content, the on-page experience becomes much more important for search visibility.” .

So this is a great opportunity for small businesses, especially startups that are having a hard time moving up the ranks. If you have a competitor who has more authority on Google than you, you might be able to beat them with the right content and a good Core Web Vitals.

Ultimately, Google’s main goal should align with yours. You want to delight your potential customers. The best way to do this is to have and maintain an efficient and user friendly website with lots of great and rich content.

My team helps small businesses create search engine optimized websites that their customers (and Google) will love.

Start with a professional website that showcases your business beautifully and is found on search engines that generate more leads and sales for your business.

For the success of your business,

Suzanne

What Google’s New Core Web Vitals Rankings Mean for Small Businesses

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