What does Google say about SEO? /

Official statement

The Page Experience update does not surpass relevance factors. If pages are highly relevant to a query, they will continue to rank well even if their speed is lacking. Relevance remains a paramount factor.
🎥 Source video

Extracted from a Google Search Central video

💬 EN 📅 11/06/2021 ✂ 15 statements
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📅
Official statement from (4 years ago)
TL;DR

Google states that relevance remains crucial even after the Page Experience update. A relevant page can outperform a faster page. Reassess your SEO priorities.

What you need to understand

Relevance or Page Experience: what truly matters more?

Google emphasizes that even with the focus on Page Experience, relevance remains a major ranking criterion. This reinforces the notion that the most relevant pages will continue to perform well, even with lesser speed.

  • Relevance surpasses user experience.
  • Ultra-relevant content pages can maintain good rankings.
  • Speed optimization remains important, but not at the expense of content.

What are the risks of focusing solely on Page Experience?

The danger lies in ignoring content to optimize solely for Page Experience. Content must always be your priority.

Focusing blindly on speed can damage your traffic if the content is not relevant.

SEO Expert opinion

Is this statement consistent with observed practices?

Yes, largely. Sites with a high volume of relevant content often maintain their positions in the SERPs despite a suboptimal user experience.

Technical improvements should support, not replace, quality content.

What nuances should be considered?

Some field observations highlight that, in competitive niches, speed optimization could tip the scales. Google's statement remains vague here. [To be verified]

Caution: test your hypotheses using analytical tools and scrape the SERPs before heavily investing in any given strategy.

Practical impact and recommendations

What actionable steps should be taken?

Focus your efforts on maintaining relevant content while optimizing your page for acceptable performance. Never sacrifice one for the other.

What mistakes should be avoided?

Don't fall into the trap of neglecting content under the pretext of improving Core Web Vitals.

  • Monitor the performance of your relevant keywords.
  • Improve speed without harming the quality of content.
  • Assess whether the content meets user expectations.
Prioritize the balance between content and speed. A strategic balance may require the assistance of SEO experts to achieve effectively.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Les pages lentes peuvent-elles encore bien se classer?
Oui, si elles sont fortement pertinentes pour la recherche en question.
Que faire si ma page est pertinente mais lente?
Optimiser la vitesse tout en conservant la pertinence essentielle.
La pertinence est-elle plus critique que la vitesse?
Dans de nombreuses situations, oui, la pertinence reste le facteur dominant.
🏷 Related Topics
Domain Age & History AI & SEO Web Performance

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