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Searchmetrics research suggests 96% of sites in desktop searches and over 90% of those in mobile searches currently fail to meet Google’s three Core Web Vitals usability thresholds
San Mateo/London April 20, 2021 – New research suggests most websites that rank in Google’s top 20 search results do not currently pass the minimum requirements for a good page experience set out in the search engine’s new Core Web Vitals update which officially rolls out from mid-June [1]. 96% of sites tested in US desktop searches and more than 90% of those in mobile searches fail to meet Google’s three Core Web Vitals thresholds for good website performance and usability and risk their rankings being negatively impacted from June. Currently only the top 2 or 3 ranking websites in search results achieve the required “good” score in most of the Core Web Vitals metrics according to the analysis by Searchmetrics.
The study which analyzed over 2 million web pages appearing in the top 20 Google results in the US, UK and Germany, reveals that there is already a positive relationship [2] between pages that rank higher and those that perform well on Core Web Vitals metrics (suggesting Google already rewards sites that offer better usability). Once the update officially rolls out, the Core Web Vitals are likely to have even more influence on page rankings according to Searchmetrics.
One notable exception to the general trend of the early findings was Google-owned YouTube, which was currently found to rank high in searches despite performing poorly for the Core Web Vitals related to speed of loading and responsiveness. This may change when the update officially rolls out in June, but YouTube might possibly be gaining an advantage from its strong brand recognition which is helping it overcome individual negative usability issues. On the other hand, online encyclopaedia, Wikipedia, currently performs well for all the Core Web Vitals metrics – it might be a good example of the type of user experience others should be aiming for. Its good scores are related to its lightweight approach to web design, using mainly text and optimized images and the fact that it avoids using too much dynamic content such as ads which can jump around on the page and create a negative experience.
What are Core Web Vitals?
Google is introducing Core Web Vitals to assess real-world web user experience in three areas: how quickly the content on a page loads, its responsiveness (the time taken to respond to a visitor’s first interaction, such as clicking on a button or a link) and its visual stability (does the layout or content jump around). These signals will be included in Google’s search algorithm with the search engine aiming to deliver a ranking boost to web pages that are delivering a good experience.
“The Google Core Web Vitals update is in many ways a response to websites not really living up to user expectations. It’s a clear message to website owners that not putting users first may have a negative effect on rankings,” said Marcus Tober, Founder and Chief Evangelist at Searchmetrics. “Our initial findings suggest that there’s a lot of work to do for most websites to get their usability up to par. And, of course, ecommerce and other enterprises need to be aware that a good user experience will not just influence their Google rankings but have a positive business impact, it can help to drive conversions and encourage visitors to stay onsite longer, engage and keep returning.”
According to Searchmetrics among the reasons behind the poor user experience highlighted by the study is the rise of “Code Bloat” or unnecessary code on webpages built using templates included within website builders such as WordPress and Wix, as well additional code in web plugins, all of which slows pages down and creates optimization challenges. Another issue is dynamic content such as ads and newsletter opt-in boxes which can cause the layout of pages to shift if they are not implemented properly.
The comprehensive study by Searchmetrics aims to offers a snapshot of how websites are performing ahead of the Core Web Vitals update. Five key findings based on the US findings of the research include:
Searchmetrics’ full whitepaper, ‘CORE WEB VITALS Study – April 2021‘ includes detailed explanations, data, insights and advice ahead of the Core Web Vitals update. In addition to the new Core Web Vitals, it includes an analysis of the impact on rankings of a broader set of page experience metrics that Google considers important. Download the study here: https://www.searchmetrics.com/knowledge-hub/studies/core-web-vitals-study-april-2021/?utm_source=public-relations&utm_medium=external-media&utm_campaign=2021-04-en-study-core-web-vitals-april-2021
[1] Google originally announced that Core Web Vitals would roll out in May but has since delayed the roll out until mid-June 2021 https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2021/04/more-details-page-experience
[2] CWV metrics have positive correlation coefficients, ranging from 0.04 to 0.20.
About the study
Searchmetrics crawled over 2 million URLs, crunched the numbers, and performed correlation analysis across the top 20 organic Google search positions. in three countries: the USA, UK and Germany. The keywords were filtered based on relevance and the regional keyword sets were kept as distinct as possible. Core Web Vitals and other performance metrics for the search results were measured by accessing the PageSpeed and Lighthouse APIs. Once the data had been gathered, Searchmetrics performed a correlation analysis to calculate a correlation coefficient for each performance metric – this value gives an impression of whether a good score in the selected metric is associated with good page rankings. Simple averages for the top 20 and top 5 positions were calculated per metric, as well as how close these values are to Google’s benchmarks.
About Searchmetrics
Data-driven Marketers value Searchmetrics for its ability to deliver the predictable success that enables them to reach their search and content goals. Searchmetrics, its partners and clients are united by a belief in the power of insight and an understanding that data makes decisions better.
Founded in 2005 as a boutique digital agency, Searchmetrics has grown into a global provider of data, software platforms and expertise that deliver insights, brand awareness and consideration for enterprises and agencies.
A bias towards innovation has helped Searchmetrics support the growth of household names like eBay, Zendesk and Siemens, giving them the power to navigate the hyper-competitive digital commerce landscape. Worldwide, thousands of businesses have already benefited from working with Searchmetrics and its comprehensive portfolio of data, software and services.
As a company, Searchmetrics fosters an environment where executives and employees alike are encouraged to develop long-term solutions that simplify digital commerce. The company does this by delivering customer-focused products, a results-driven digital consultancy and market research subscription services.
Find more info here: www.searchmetrics.com.
Press Contact:
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Source: RealWire
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