1. Why Page Experience Matters
Page experience directly impacts user satisfaction, which in turn affects search rankings. For instance, if product pages on an e-commerce site load slowly or if text appears broken on mobile devices, users are likely to leave immediately. This increases bounce rate and can lead to lower search rankings.
Case Study: A major online bookstore in Korea optimized image sizes and improved layout, resulting in a 30% reduction in page loading time. Consequently, bounce rate decreased by 15%, and their average search ranking improved by two positions.
2. Core Web Vitals: The Heart of SEO
Core Web Vitals are key metrics for measuring page experience, consisting of LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FID (First Input Delay), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift).
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Indicates page loading speed and should ideally be under 2.5 seconds. If the main image on a news article page takes 5 seconds to load, the LCP score will be low.
- FID (First Input Delay): Measures page responsiveness and should be under 100ms. If a button takes 0.5 seconds to respond after being clicked, the FID score will be low.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Represents visual stability and should be maintained below 0.1. If an ad banner suddenly appears during page loading, causing content to shift, the CLS score will be high.
Case Study: An overseas travel information site improved its JavaScript execution and font loading, resulting in a 50% improvement in FID score. Consequently, user session duration increased by 10%, and their average search ranking improved by three positions.
3. HTTPS: Building a Secure Web Environment
HTTPS enhances website security and builds user trust. Google favors websites using HTTPS in search rankings, especially for sites handling sensitive information like finance or healthcare.
Case Study: An online shopping mall switched from HTTP to HTTPS and saw an average increase of one position in search rankings, along with a 5% increase in checkout conversion rate.
4. Practical Guide to Page Experience Optimization
- Image Optimization: Reduce image sizes and use next-generation formats like WebP to improve page loading speed.
- Code Optimization: Remove unused CSS and JavaScript code, and compress remaining code to enhance loading speed and responsiveness.
- Caching: Utilize browser caching and CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) to quickly load frequently used resources.
- Mobile Optimization: Implement responsive web design and provide touch-friendly UI/UX to improve the mobile user experience.
- Web Font Optimization: Improve web font loading methods and utilize system fonts appropriately to reduce font loading time.
5. Utilizing Google Search Console's Page Experience Report
The Page Experience report in Google Search Console provides detailed insights into your website's Core Web Vitals scores, mobile usability, and HTTPS implementation. This allows you to identify areas for improvement and prioritize actions to optimize page experience systematically.
Conclusion
Page experience is not just a technical issue but an essential aspect of building a user-centric web environment. By improving Core Web Vitals, implementing HTTPS, and optimizing for mobile, you can enhance page experience and ultimately achieve higher search rankings and business growth.