How to navigate Google’s latest 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 world of web development has been in an uproar over the anticipated update to Google’s algorithm, most small business owners I deal with have no idea what’s coming.

And in the world of Google and online marketing, what you don’t know is getting into 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 seem like technical language, but if you have a small business, read on. If you want to stay competitive, you need to understand Google’s Core Web Vitals and what they mean for your website.

What are the main web vitals?

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 a Google algorithm update that will start including Core Web Vitals in page ranking.

Google’s Core Web Vitals measures 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 for the main content of your website to load.

Google calls its main content the “Largest Content Paint” 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 send, do you 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 quickly these types of interactions take on your site.

Ideally, interactions on your website should be less than 100 microseconds. That’s basically a 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 plain nervous? So when you scroll and try to click on a link, the layout suddenly moves, maybe because of an ad?

You probably hate this, and Google too. In tech terms, this is called ‘Cumulative Layout Change’ and it’s another metric 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 only 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 should review everything completely, but many business owners don’t spend enough time keeping their most important marketing tool up to date.

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

Read more in our blog.

What Google’s Latest Update Means for Small Business Websites
Google will be tracking Core Web Vitals for all websites starting in May 2021. So going forward, small business owners will need to pay much more attention to the usability 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 are going to manage your website yourself. You should be comfortable handling the ins and outs of how it’s set up so you can make any necessary adjustments.

It’s also important to note that websites built with pre-made WordPress themes and drag-and-drop builders tend to have excess code, 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 offerings), then you need to have all your tech ducks lined up in a row. .

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

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

Google is constantly updating its algorithm and best practices in web design 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 continual learning and continual tweaking.

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

So is your website mobile friendly? It is safe? Do you have a privacy policy? These are all 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 their goal is to keep their customers happy by offering delightful user experiences.

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

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 may be able to beat them with the right content and good Core Web Vitals.

Ultimately, Google’s main goal should dovetail 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 build search-engine-optimized websites that their customers (and Google) will love.

Start with a professional website that showcases your business beautifully and gets found in search engines that drive more leads and sales for your business.

For the success of your business,

Suzanne