Although your website’s page experience has always been important for user convenience, it has never played a large part in rankings. Recently, Google again updated its ranking systems page by completely removing several of the page experience-related ranking signals.
The ranking signals removed by Google include page experience, page speed, mobile-friendly system, and secure site system. The removal of these signals forces us to wonder what their impact on rankings really was, if anything.
Everyone understands that a user’s experience on your website is critical to them spending time on your pages. Factors such as fast loading time, mobile-friendly sites, and security all play a role in the user’s experience. However, if Google is no longer using these systems in its ranking algorithms, what does it mean for you?
Google’s blog discussing these changes states:
“The page experience update was a concept to describe a set of key page experience aspects for site owners to focus on. In particular, it introduced Core Web Vitals as a new signal that our core ranking systems considered, along with other page experience signals such as HTTPS that they’d already been considering. It was not a separate ranking system, and it did not combine all these signals into one single ‘page experience’ signal.”
In short, Google is stating that page experience, which they made a big deal over when it was launched, was never a “separate ranking system.” Further, the Google blog reveals that “Google Search always seeks to show the most relevant content, even if the page experience is sub-par.”
What this Means for You
The quick takeaway from this update is that user experience is important to drive traffic to your website and keep users interested. Thus, you still need a website that loads quickly and is friendly to mobile users. However, when it comes to Google rankings, quality content, and engagement should be your focus. If Google’s signals are related to content rather than page experience, law firms need to examine their content to ensure it has high value. Additionally, you should remove any content that has low value or is not helpful to users, which can help improve the ranking of your other content.
As a side note, as the quality of content because more important, law firms should consider the consequences of using content generated by artificial intelligence (AI). A recent investigation by NewsGuard revealed that of the almost 50 websites they reviewed that publish solely AI generated content, the articles were found to be “low quality” and “clickbait.” In fact, some of the websites were described as having a more sinister purpose including the spread of false information and conspiracy theories.
Contact The Rainmaker Institute for Legal Marketing Help
Your digital presence – particularly your website – is crucial in generating and converting leads. You have worked hard to get where you are, so learn to use technology to your advantage so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor more often while also generating new clients!
The Rainmaker Institute can help you implement a successful content strategy that will take your law firm’s online presence to the next level. We will provide content that contains top legal focus keywords, proper page titles, appropriate meta descriptions, target length of content, and images that will boost your attractiveness to Google. In short, we will make great content. Let us handle your legal marketing so you can focus on lawyering.
If you are ready to ensure your law firm’s website is the best it can be, and see your Google ranking improve, we can help. Whether you choose to attend one of our live events or you want a free, confidential consultation, we are here to help!
