TL;DR: Google Page Experience is a set of ranking signals that assess how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page, including factors like loading speed, mobile usability, and security. Optimize key areas such as page load time, responsiveness, visual stability, and avoiding intrusive interstitials to improve your rankings, dwell time, and engagement.
What exactly helps you rank higher in Google Search?
While there’s no straightforward answer, one thing is clear—Google rewards websites that follow best practices for:
In the last four years, Google has rolled out numerous search updates aiming to constantly tweak (and improve) their search algorithms and ranking systems.
Arguably, one of the most impactful is the page experience update.
Read on to learn why it matters, how it’s evolved, and where to focus your attention to improve your SEO.
Google page experience refers to a set of ranking signals that measure whether site visitors have a good experience when browsing a web page.
This concept started as a mobile-only initiative but later came to evaluate desktop websites, too.
Let’s look at a quick timeline of Google’s priorities when ranking your web pages in search.
Site speed wasn’t always a factor in SEO.
In fact, Google went through a few iterations before cementing its intentions for the faster web:
Four years later, it is no longer enough to keep visitors waiting as little as possible; businesses today must pay special attention to real-user experiences on every web page.
Optimizing for a seamless page experience is essential for better SEO and business results. Numerous case studies and reports prove that fast, stable, responsive websites boast better user engagement and conversion rates.
Even a 0.1-second faster page load time will lead to:
According to Google’s search advocate, John Mueller:
To get a high page experience score, site owners must optimize their pages for four page experience signals:
According to Google, site owners should ask themselves some essential questions when attempting to self-evaluate page experience:
Let’s explore each page experience signal in-depth.
Core Web Vitals is a set of performance metrics designed to assess real-world user experience. Introduced by Google back in 2021, CWVs allow site owners to see exactly how users experience their websites in terms of page loading speed, responsiveness, and visual stability.
The most important Core Web Vitals metrics currently are:
Site owners who optimize for Core Web Vitals are rewarded way beyond improved search results. Once they’ve captured new visitors, they can better engage them with a seamless user experience and not lose them to competitors.
Mobile-friendliness refers to how well a website is optimized for mobile devices in terms of usability and accessibility. As part of the Page Experience signals, it plays a crucial role in determining how a page is ranked in mobile search results.
Specifically, mobile friendliness includes aspects like:
With more than 45% of global shoppers using their phones to make a purchase at least once a day, a positive mobile experience is crucial for maintaining good rankings in Google’s mobile-first index. Moreover, it’s a conversion-boosting strategy with a high success rate.
HTTPS refers to the use of Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. This ensures that a website’s connection is encrypted and secure. As part of the Page Experience signals, HTTPS plays a critical role in determining the trustworthiness and security of a webpage.
Here's how HTTPS helps you improve your site’s user experience:
Page experience status in Google Search Console
Intrusive interstitials are pop-ups or overlays that block access to primary content until the user interacts with them, such as dismissing an ad. While they might serve a purpose, like capturing leads or displaying important notices, they can frustrate visitors and disrupt their ability to engage with the page.
When used excessively or at the wrong time, intrusive interstitials contribute to a bad user experience, especially on mobile devices where layouts take up less real estate. As part of the page experience signals, it is recommended that intrusive interstitials be avoided or used in ways that don’t block the main content.
Did you know?
Intrusive interstitials include:
The Page Experience assessment is performed on a per-URL basis and is reported in Google Search Console using specific criteria, such as:
In Google Search Console, your page experience report is generated automatically based on the property and domains added to the account. However, there are several notes:
1. URLs without Core Web Vitals data will not appear in the Page Experience report. It's important to understand that the Core Web Vitals report focuses on actual URLs rather than canonical URLs to reflect real user experiences on specific pages.
In some cases, if the URL group (a set of similar URLs) appears in the Core Web Vitals, an individual URL without specific data might still be included.
2. If your site uses an HTTP URL-prefix, consider checking the Page Experience report under the corresponding Domain property or HTTPS URL-prefix property. Pages with HTTP URL-prefix will be flagged as “Failing” automatically.
For example, instead of using http://example.com, use https://example.com or simply example.com to access the appropriate reports. You can review your site's HTTPS status using the HTTPS report.
3. URLs must be properly indexed by Google and have appeared in Google Search results for them to show in your page experience report
To achieve a “Good” status in your page experience report, you must identify areas for improvement and optimize using effective techniques. Focusing on the four main signals, you can leverage a combination of the tips below for your case.
You can find specific instructions and examples in our guide on new optimization techniques for your Core Web Vitals strategy. Below, we flip through them briefly to give you ideas on where to start.
1. Optimize page load time (LCP)
2. Improve page responsiveness (INP)
3. Stabilize your page (CLS)
1. Use a responsive framework
2. Ensure adequate spacing for touch targets
3. Use responsive images
4. Use a mobile-friendly navigation menu
5. Implement sticky navigation
6. Use readable font sizes
7. Set appropriate line heights
8. Use mobile-optimized input fields
The good news is that all reputable hosting providers offer SSL certificates as part of their services or in partnership with Certificate Authorities.
Three popular types of SSL services come with your hosting:
For most hosting providers, once you select and purchase the SSL certificate, the installation is automatic. The hosting provider will handle the CSR generation, domain validation, and installation process.
Important:
After the SSL certificate is installed, ensure your site is configured to use HTTPS by default. This often involves:
Run a quick Google Search Console HTTPS report to confirm everything is set properly.
Adopting a content-first approach (especially on mobile) is the fastest way to a happy site visitor. Let’s dive right in!
1. Use top or bottom banner ads
Use less intrusive banner ads that don’t block the main content. Place them at the top or bottom of the screen, keeping them small and easily dismissible.
2. Try inline banners
Use inline banners that are part of the content flow rather than overlays that obstruct content. Ensure they are easily scrollable and do not cover the main content.
3. Leverage browser permission-based notifications
Use browser-based notifications that users opt-in to receive rather than using pop-ups. These are triggered by user interaction rather than automatically.
4. Consider timed interstitials
If you must use interstitials (e.g., for age verification or legal requirements), ensure they appear after a reasonable delay (like 10 seconds), allowing users to interact with the page first.
5. Use exit intent pop-ups
Use exit intent technology that triggers a pop-up when the user is about to leave the site rather than upon entering. This is less disruptive since it doesn't interfere with their access to content.
6. Redesign your cookie consent
If you need to implement a cookie consent pop-up due to GDPR or other regulations, make it a small banner at the bottom of the screen that does not cover the content. Ensure it’s easily dismissible.
7. Opt in for simple age verification
If required, use a simple, full-screen overlay with a straightforward "Yes/No" question, ensuring it’s dismissible after a single interaction.
8. Design clear close buttons
Ensure all interstitials have a clear and easily accessible close button. Avoid hiding the button or making it difficult to click, particularly on mobile devices.
9. Don’t use delayed dismiss
Avoid using timers or delays before the user can dismiss the interstitial. Users should have immediate control over closing the interstitial.
To effectively measure page experience, you need to monitor several key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect how users interact with your website.
Start by focusing on Core Web Vitals, which include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Interaction to Next Paint (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). These metrics are crucial for assessing loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability.
Additionally, user-centric metrics such as mobile-friendliness, HTTPS security, and the absence of intrusive interstitials should be considered for maximum SEO gains.
You can use several tools to assess and offer a high-quality user experience.
To get started, log into Google Search Console and navigate to the "Experience" section in the left-hand menu. There, you can switch between three helpful instances for measuring user experience and page quality:
The reports are designed to provide an overview and recommendations for improvement so that you can offer the best possible user experience.
Google PageSpeed Insights is a powerful tool for analyzing and optimizing your website’s performance. It’s completely free to use; simply enter your site’s URL into the tool, and it will generate a comprehensive report on both desktop and mobile performance.
The report includes scores for the Core Web Vitals, along with specific suggestions for improving your page load times, such as optimizing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript, and leveraging browser caching.
For a comprehensive breakdown of how to read your Google PSI reports, head to our Google PageSpeed Insights guide.
A web performance budget sets thresholds for various performance metrics, such as page load time, total page weight, and resource sizes (e.g., images, scripts, fonts).
This approach helps maintain a consistent and optimal user experience as your site grows. The best part is that you have full control over potential performance regressions.
To develop a custom performance budget, analyze your current site performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse. Based on these insights, define specific, measurable targets for each key metric.
For example, you might set a maximum page load time of 2 seconds or a total page weight limit of 1 MB.
Once established, continuously monitor your site against these targets and ensure new content or features do not exceed the set thresholds.
If your website doesn’t show Core Web Vitals data, it’s likely because there isn’t enough traffic to generate it. Core Web Vitals metrics are based on real user data, known as field data, collected through the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX). To start seeing this data, you’ll need to increase your site’s traffic, particularly from users on Chrome browsers. In the meantime, you can use lab data from tools like Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights to simulate and analyze your site’s performance.
A “failed Core Web Vitals” assessment indicates that one or more of your pages are not meeting the recommended thresholds for key performance metrics: LCP, INP, and CLS. This failure could be due to slow server response times, unoptimized images, render-blocking resources, excessive JavaScript execution, or unstable layout shifts during page load. Check your reports to identify areas for improvement.
To optimize ads on your website for a good page experience, focus on minimizing their impact on loading performance and layout stability. Ads should be properly sized with defined width and height attributes. Use asynchronous loading for ads to prevent them from blocking other critical resources during the page load. Limit the number of ads per page and prioritize lightweight ad formats. Avoid using intrusive interstitial ads that block content, especially on mobile devices, as these can significantly harm the user experience.
Lora has 7+ years of experience developing in-depth, specialized content for SaaS companies in the CEE region. She has sourced and collaborated with subject-matter experts on site speed optimization for WordPress, Core Web Vitals, and the future of web performance. "If you can't explain it to a 7-year-old, you've not researched it well enough" is Lora's guiding principle when publishing professional insight for complex technical topics.