{"id":5238,"date":"2021-04-26T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T15:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/?p=5238"},"modified":"2022-07-28T22:23:44","modified_gmt":"2022-07-29T05:23:44","slug":"what-to-do-if-your-website-loses-traffic-in-the-may-2021-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-your-website-loses-traffic-in-the-may-2021-update\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do if your website loses traffic in the May 2021 update"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/May-2021-SEO-update.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5239\" src=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/May-2021-SEO-update.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/May-2021-SEO-update.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/May-2021-SEO-update-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you haven\u2019t heard about the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/2021\/01\/04\/google-page-experience-update-is-all-set-to-launch-in-may-2021-webmasters-hang-in-there\/?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=April2021_May2021SEOUpdate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">upcoming May 2021 SEO update to Google\u2019s algorithm<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you may want to continue reading this blog to learn more about the recent addition known as Page Experience. While this new initiative is said to enhance the user\u2019s web experience, the launch will also impact your website\u2019s ability to rank. Let\u2019s take a closer look at what you can expect.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-your-website-loses-traffic-in-the-may-2021-update\/#A_summary_of_the_update\" >A summary of the update<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-your-website-loses-traffic-in-the-may-2021-update\/#What_to_expect_from_Google_Page_Experience_%E2%80%93_May_2021_SEO_update\" >What to expect from Google Page Experience &#8211; May 2021 SEO update<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-your-website-loses-traffic-in-the-may-2021-update\/#Expect_visual_indicators_soon\" >Expect visual indicators soon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-your-website-loses-traffic-in-the-may-2021-update\/#How_will_the_May_2021_update_impact_e-commerce_businesses\" >How will the May 2021 update impact e-commerce businesses?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-your-website-loses-traffic-in-the-may-2021-update\/#What_is_the_definition_of_a_bad_page_experience\" >What is the definition of a bad page experience?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-your-website-loses-traffic-in-the-may-2021-update\/#Tips_to_boosting_page_experience\" >Tips to boosting page experience<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_summary_of_the_update\"><\/span><b>A summary of the update<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The updated algorithm will be referred to as Page Experience<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will include existing Google Search Signals (i.e., mobile-friendliness, safe-browsing, HTTPS, and intrusive interstitial guidelines)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will also include Google\u2019s Core Web Vitals metrics (i.e., loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Website owners should be prioritizing optimization for mobile, improving page speeds, CTAs, and alt text for images<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_expect_from_Google_Page_Experience_%E2%80%93_May_2021_SEO_update\"><\/span><b>What to expect from Google Page Experience &#8211; May 2021 SEO update<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google\u2019s Page Experience will alter all aspects of how the user interacts with a website, which includes all of the existing Google Search Signals and metrics that were mentioned in the above summary.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some specifics of Google\u2019s Core Web Vitals:&nbsp;<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Loading: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In terms of the May 2021 SEO update, loading refers to the measurement of perceived load speed. This is the point in the page\u2019s load timeline where the main website content is fully visible and functional.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Interactivity: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A click (or tap from a smartphone) refers to when a user first interacts with the page and the time it takes for the browser to process that interaction.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Visual stability: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one enjoys the unexpected movement of the page\u2019s content and the Google Page Experience update will prevent this annoying occurrence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While your website may already be optimized for some of these factors, we always recommend <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/website_speed_optimization.html?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=April2021_May2021SEOUpdate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improving page speed to make your website faster during ongoing updates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. After all, every extra second your page takes to load for the visitor, the higher the probability of them leaving the page, lowering your conversion rate.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google\u2019s Page Experience May 2021 SEO update aims to bring as many aspects together to positively impact organic search results for business owners and users. However, a great page experience should never override well-developed page content.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expect_visual_indicators_soon\"><\/span><b>Expect visual indicators soon<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Google can\u2019t do it all in one go, the development of visual indicators to designate search results that meet all Page Experience specifications can be expected by next year. Since we know that these indicators will be displayed prominently in the search results, websites meeting the standards of Google\u2019s Page Experience will likely be preferred over others. This means that you should start planning before visual indicators are putting your competitor\u2019s websites on display.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_will_the_May_2021_update_impact_e-commerce_businesses\"><\/span><b>How will the May 2021 update impact e-commerce businesses?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The metrics taken by the new Google Page Experience will greatly affect current optimization strategies used to improve search rankings, which is why you must implement the right cues to guide consumers to your website. Since a fast page experience heightens visitors\u2019 engagement and allows them to seamlessly shop, this new benchmark will need to be met to prevent a significant drop in web traffic.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_definition_of_a_bad_page_experience\"><\/span><b>What is the definition of a bad page experience?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you can understand how to improve your page experience, you must first know how to recognize a bad page experience.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Slow page speeds: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We all get frustrated waiting for slow websites to load, and even a few seconds can be enough to put off our desired purchases.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Poor design: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While page load times are significant, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/design-c-320?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=April2021_May2021SEOUpdate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the design and navigation of your website are equally as important<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Be sure that your content is structured aesthetically and that all the information about your products and services is available for easy viewing.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Low engagement: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While your mission is to sell products and services, today\u2019s consumers also want to be entertained and engage with your brand. This is why likeability is an important factor.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_to_boosting_page_experience\"><\/span><b>Tips to boosting page experience<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if this 2021 SEO update doesn\u2019t affect your business right away, this is a gentle reminder that improving page speed is essential to the success of your online business.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some ways to make your website faster than ever:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Optimize for mobile search: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With more people than ever conducting their shopping through the use of smart devices, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&amp;search_in_description=1&amp;keyword=mobile&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=April2021_May2021SEOUpdate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">optimizing for mobile devices<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has never been more important. This means that your website should be optimized with a simple, responsive design that matches the experience consumers would get if they shopped from their desktop.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Improve page speeds: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delayed load times are inconvenient to the consumer and are one of the easiest ways to fix your website\u2019s conversion rate. While the ideal page load time is three seconds, the quicker your browser captures the content, the happier your customers will be.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Separate your call-to-actions (CTAs): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promoting interaction is as easy as developing the right form of communication. Whether you install a \u201ccontact us\u201d button, a box for email signup, or a calendar for appointments, every CTA must be prominently displayed to enhance your page. Naturally, they should also be bright and positioned well.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Use alt text for images: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/zen-cart-plugins-modules-template-modifications-c-179_250_373_162\/automatic-image-optimization-dl-1171?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=April2021_May2021SEOUpdate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">image compression<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a great way to speed up page load times, using alt text is a way to increase your page ranking. Alt text is an HTML code that describes the look and function of the image which helps search engine crawlers for indexing. This method will go a long way in helping your site\u2019s organic search results.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Do you have any questions about the Google Page Experience May 2021 SEO update? Drop them in the comments section below. <\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you haven\u2019t heard about the upcoming May 2021 SEO update to Google\u2019s algorithm, you may want to continue reading this blog to learn more about the recent addition known as Page Experience. While this new initiative is said to enhance the user\u2019s web experience, the launch will also impact your website\u2019s ability to rank&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":269,"featured_media":5239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,4,558,5,6,586],"tags":[532,1162,1163,642,1165,235,1164],"class_list":["post-5238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-search-engine-optimization","category-marketing-strategies","category-mobile-responsive","category-usability","category-visual-design","category-web-development","tag-google-update","tag-may-2021-seo-update","tag-page-experience","tag-search-engine-optimization","tag-search-ranking","tag-user-experience","tag-website-traffic"],"modified_by":"Numinix Developer","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/May-2021-SEO-update.jpeg","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.numinix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}