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Google Page Experience Algorithm Update for Desktops is Now Rolling Out

2 min read

On 22 February 2022, Google announced via tweet that the page experience update is now slowly rolling out for desktops and will be completed by the end of March 2022. This update is but an extension of the page experience update for mobiles that was rolled out last year between June and August. It was duly announced in November 2021 that the page experience update for mobiles will carry forward to the desktop search results in February 2022 and will finish rolling out by the end of March 2022. And so has been the case.

Here’s what Google Search Central Blog states o the same.

“Today we’re announcing more details, including the timeline for these changes. This work builds on top of the page experience update we rolled out on mobile between June and August 2021. We’ll begin using page experience as part of our desktop ranking systems beginning in February 2022. The rollout will be complete by the end of March 2022. This ranking launch will be based on the same page experience signals that we rolled out for mobile earlier this year. We are also planning to help site owners understand how their desktop pages are performing with regards to page experience using a Search Console report which will launch before desktop becomes a ranking signal.”

How is different from Page Experience Update for Mobiles?

Except the mobile-friendliness factor, there is no different between the Page Experience Update for Mobile that was rolled out last year and the one for desktops which has just started rolling out. The mobile-friendliness factor, understandably, does not apply to desktop search results.

“This means the same three Core Web Vitals metrics: LCP, FID, and CLS, and their associated thresholds will apply for desktop ranking. Other aspects of page experience signals, such as HTTPS security and absence of intrusive interstitials, will remain the same as well.” continues Google Search Central in its blog.

google page experience update

How to prep up for Google Page Experience Update for Desktops?

If your website is already optimized for mobile results, based on the parameters from last year’s page experience update for mobiles, there is absolutely nothing for you to worry about or do except just casually run through to ensure everything is in place. In general, you should not expect any drastic or dramatic changes during or following this long, slow update.

As Google Search Central said last year, we expect the same to hold true this time around too.

“As we have said before, while this update is designed to highlight pages that offer great user experiences, page experience remains one of many factors our systems take into account. Given this, sites generally should not expect drastic changes. In addition, because we’re doing this as a gradual rollout, we will be able to monitor for any unexpected or unintended issues.”

But still, if you feel you have not been able to adhere to ranking factors of the page experience update or have a new website in place, here’s what you can do to ensure your website sails through from amidst the update.

  • Secure your site’s connection with the SSL certificate and move from HTTP to HTTPS.
  • Review your Core Web Vitals and optimize wherever necessary.
  • Learn how Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and First Input Delay (FID) can help you stay optimized when it comes to Core Web Vitals.
  • Ensure you’re not making the content less accessible by using interstitials in a way they shouldn’t be.

 Still, if you see any drastic changes in terms of traffic or rankings between now and the completion of the update, chances are, it may not be due it at all. Still, vigilance is advised on all fronts.