Are you ready for Google’s Page Experience update?
10 March 2021
It’s been over a month since Google released the largest search algorithm update since 2012, however, it is only just coming to light the severity of the changes and the nature of its knock-on effect.
Nicknamed ‘Medic’ by many amongst the SEO community, this broad core algorithm update has had mixed results for a number of industries. Some saw huge surges in traffic whilst others dropped vital places in ranking on Google.
According to Google, ‘there’s no “fix” for pages that may perform less well other than to remain focused on building great content. Over time, it may be that your content may rise relative to other pages.’ In a bid to help understand these latest changes, we have outlined below our key takeaways.
An Improvement for Commercial Websites
Whilst it’s impossible to put an exact number or relate any kind of science to the updates, one thing the industry has noticed, is that commercial sites are now performing extremely well compared to before the update took place.
Sites such as eBay are reaping the benefits of this latest algorithm update, which is ideal for consumers looking for their next purchase. It isn’t, however, beneficial for those looking for content-based sites related to the products in question.
Similarly, the industry has seen that many site comparison websites have fallen in their rankings, as Google aims to deliver the exact product to the customer rather than offer alternatives.
A Change in Brand Searches
For bigger brands, such as Nike, McDonalds and more, Google has adopted a different approach in how it displays their listings. You may have noticed that there are a lot more ‘jobs at’ style listings, rather than blogs and content sites around these brands.
Whilst this has helped increase the listings of these larger brands, it has also resulted in a correlated increase in rankings for larger job sites who are linked to the ‘jobs at’ keyword.
Google, What Are Your Intentions?
Previously, Google displayed results that met its exact requirements higher in the search rankings than those that didn’t. Things like backlinking, on-site SEO and other factors were huge ranking factors. Whilst these are still extremely valued, Google now places emphasis on something different: the customer and their search intent.
This means that instead of matching the users search to the most ‘technically’ appropriate website, users will instead see the website that is most relevant to them which is calculated using a number of customer metrics. Factors such as CTR, time spent on your website and bounce rate all come into play, meaning the better customer experience your website can offer, the more likely you are to rank on Google.
Another way Google is aiming to make searches more relevant is by scoring websites on the beneficial purpose of a page. This again means that instead of matching exactly what the user searched for, the complex algorithms show customers what Google feels is more relevant to their searches.
What to do Next?
Our first, and best, advice for tackling the Google Medic search algorithm update is to create a website with rich content that people want to visit. We also advise allocating resources to your wider content marketing strategy to ensure an integrated approach as it isn’t just what you do on your website alone that can impact your search rankings!
For more information on how our team in Knutsford can work alongside you and reach your full search engine ranking potential, call us today on 01565 632 112.