Big changes expected in 2021 for how Google ranks web sites

Joshua Coffman • Mar 16, 2021

Mobile First Indexing & Core Web Vitals updates could shake up where small businesses rank on Google

If your web site drops in Google rankings in 2021, it likely will be due to one of a pair of major shifts that the search and advertising giant is making in the algorithms it uses to determine which web sites to list at the top of its search results. Here is a timeline of what to expect and when the changes to Google rankings will come in 2021.

WHAT CHANGES IS GOOGLE MAKING TO ITS RANKINGS FOR 2021?

One large change coming to Google rankings is what is called Mobile First Indexing. The importance of how a web site loads and can be used on a mobile device has steadily increased over the past decade, as more and more web users have relied on their phones to find information, goods and services.

Google is effectively abandoning desktop ranking factors to focus solely on how a site's mobile version loads and performs. This makes the need for having a responsive web site that can adapt to a device and browser even more important.

The other significant change expected for Google rankings is a Core Web Vitals Update. It relies on how a site provides user experience and will be critical of things like pop-up windows and large shifts in a page's layout as it loads, as well as how long it takes for the bulk of a site's content to load before a user can interact with it.

WHEN WILL GOOGLE MAKE THESE RANKINGS CHANGES?

Mobile First Indexing, originally scheduled to be implemented in September 2020, is now expected to roll out during March 2021. Search Engine Land, which notes that this has been a five-year-long process for Google, contends that this is already in place for most sites and outlines several things to keep in mind when planning for Google's Mobile First Indexing, including making sure that the majority of your content matches on desktop and mobile, and to consider the placement and loading of images and videos.

The Core Web Vitals Update is expected to shake up Google's search engine rankings when it rolls out in May. Having a secure site certificate (SSL) so your site is listed under https: is critical, as is mobile friendliness and the avoidance of intrusive ads.

At a remote conference in early March, organized by Localogy and Duda, speakers encouraged web developers to think of a web site for a local business as a living organism to be fed and maintained, rather than a museum piece to be dusted off and updated every several years.

WHAT WILL BE MEASURED IN THE MAY 2021 GOOGLE CORE WEB VITALS UPDATE?

The key metrics to be updated in the 2021 core web vitals update from Google will be Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID) and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). LCP should be less than 2.5 seconds; FID should be less than 100 milliseconds; and CLS should be less than 0.1.

HOW CAN I CHECK THESE RANKING FACTORS FOR MY WEB SITE?

One option is to test how your site scores ahead of Google's 2021 Core Web Vitals Update, is to run it through a test at web.dev, Google's test engine for mobile page speed, accessibility and SEO.

If you are experiencing a dramatic drop in traffic to your web site, you can also evaluate your rankings for keywords through Google Search Console. For overall volatility in Google rankings, Moz provides its Mozcast, which takes complex data and displays it like a weather forecast. The more hot and stormy it is, the more changes Moz is seeing in search engine rankings.

As always, all of this information can be foreign or overwhelming for a small business owner concerned about his or her online welfare.

502ads caters to monitoring and optimizing the online presence of small businesses and their search engine performance. Feel free to contact us for a free evaluation and consultation when it comes to the changes expected in 2021.

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502ads Digital Marketing Articles & Tips

502ads named a Top Louisville Content Marketing Agency by UpCity

By Press Release • 29 Apr, 2021

502ads is thrilled to officially announce that we have been recognized as one of the top content marketing agencies in Louisville and nationally by UpCity. For most of small-town America, a new business opening used to be the talk of the town. These days all that buzz and word-of-mouth has shifted online, but small businesses have been left to fend for themselves as bigger companies dominate search and social media. 502ads prides itself on doing everything possible to change that by helping local businesses use content to their advantage. The commitment to helping local, small businesses excel is only one reason the Louisville-based company has been recognized by UpCity as not only one of the best content marketing agencies in our area but also nationally in the United States . UpCity is a resource that helps connect businesses to service providers they can trust. With more than 70,000 listed providers—from marketing agencies to accounting firms to HR consultants to IT specialists, and many more—1.5 million businesses (and counting) have visited UpCity to research and identify the best partner for their needs. UpCity’s proprietary algorithm utilizes a variety of digital signals to measure the credibility, trustworthiness, and recommendability of B2B service providers across the U.S. and Canada. These digital data points like reviews (both on UpCity and other third-party review sites), presence in relevant search results, domain authority, website speed and experience help UpCity connect businesses with outstanding service providers like 502ads. Dan Olson, CEO of UpCity, had this to say about the 502ads team: “502ads provides an excellent service for their area. Not only do they have experience, but a true understanding of how to partner with local clients to effectively leverage the power of digital marketing.” “We are proud to be partnering with UpCity and thankful for the recognition,” said 502ads founder Joshua Coffman. “This wouldn’t be possible without our fantastic clients, who inspire us every day.” ABOUT UPCITY UpCity is a resource that helps connect businesses to service providers they can trust. With more than 50,000 listed providers—from marketing agencies to accounting firms to HR consultants, and many more—1.5 million businesses (and counting) have visited UpCity to identify the best partner for their needs. ABOUT 502ads Founded in April 2020 by longtime Louisville journalist Joshua Coffman, 502ads provides marketing strategies and campaign management for small businesses in Louisville and the surrounding area in Kentucky to succeed in finding customers online, particularly in the realms of SEO, social media and Google Ads management. FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Joshua Coffman at (502) 619-4195 or via email at josh@502ads.com .

Four Things to Know for Your Google My Business Page in 2021

By Joshua Coffman • 29 Mar, 2021

Communicating with your customers, even the ones leaving bad reviews, is critical to how your listing ranks

Web design - Why having a site map beforehand matters

By Writemaps.com Guest Post • 05 Mar, 2021

Let’s agree, when you are starting something new, it’s possible to forget even the simplest aspects of the task. Web designers find themselves overwhelmed with tasks like filling each page, fixing broken links, and aesthetics. When this happens, you end up wasting time on creating unnecessary pages. The result is your site can become clumsy, making it hard to navigate not only for site visitors but also for you as the designer or owner. Here’s why you should have a visual sitemap before starting content creation and design. Highlight your website purpose Not many websites (or any business for that matter) succeed without having a clear goal and purpose. Those without end up confusing the visitors thus leading to an overall poor user experience. Having a visual sitemap is one of the most effective ways to chart the path of your site and to it a goal and a purpose. By mapping it out, you can determine how the site will look, key pages to include, keywords to target and the site structure to use. Ultimately, you will save a lot of time and resources by just having this tool. Avoid duplicate content A sitemap provides an easy point of reference to help you avoid repeating the same information over and over. Additionally, it helps you avoid creating conflicting content by showing you the various pages to update once you’ve added a new topic. Save on cost Creating high-quality content for your website can be resource-intensive. A visual sitemap such as WriteMaps.com can help you decide the most important pages so you can prioritize those for quick results. For example, if you intend to start an affiliate website, you could focus on creating pages that generate revenue quickly before creating content for other pages. Simplify the work of crawlers You want to help Google’s spiders in any way you can. This includes assisting them to find your content by moving it up the crawl queue. A visual sitemap is more than just an outline list of links. It also helps crawlers know what your website is all about and the keywords used per page to better search results. You can also use it to identify pages that can be interlinked to make it easier for search engines to navigate them. Improve UI A well-functioning website is one that enables users to interact seamlessly with its conversion funnels using the available content. If the process is lengthy and complicated, chances are that they’ll leave before completing the conversion steps e.g., signing up for your newsletter. A sitemap helps you identify the shortest route from the moment a visitor lands on your site to the top of the funnel. Conclusion Having a visual sitemap beforehand can help you determine how many pages your site should have and what should be included in each. Besides, it helps you identify ways to enhance navigation for both users and search engine crawlers. Think of it as a blueprint on which your website is built. Do you use visual sitemaps when designing a website? We’d love to hear your views in the comments below.