Google Confirms Core Web Vitals Integration in Ranking Algorithms

Googlers And Statements About Ranking Factors

Google recently made changes to their Page Experience Documentation to emphasize the importance of Core Web Vitals in their ranking systems. Despite this update, Google still does not explicitly state that Core Web Vitals directly impact rankings.

It's kind of strange that Googlers don't seem to use the term "ranking factor" much. For instance, when I searched through former Google engineer Matt Cutts' blog, I couldn't find him mentioning "ranking factor" at all. The same goes for his YouTube videos where he talks about links.

Three years ago, John Mueller mentioned on Reddit that Core Web Vitals were a ranking factor in relation to the Core Web Vitals (CWV). However, Google's Page Experience In Search Results guide does not specifically state that Core Web Vitals are ranking factors.

This leads us to Google's SearchLiaison, who sparked discussion in February 2024 with a tweet. In the tweet, he pointed out that Google's documentation did not mention Core Web Vitals (CWV) as a ranking factor or signal.

"People often wonder about the significance of ranking. Could it be signals? It's not explicitly stated that it's not signals!"

So, is there a specific signal for page experience? The answer is no. This is why we have a page clarifying that "There is no single signal."

Oh, do you have multiple signals? We thought you might ask that, which is why we mention on the same page that "Our core ranking systems consider a variety of signals."

This brings up questions like "Is Core Web Vitals a signal? Will I be in trouble if I don't meet them?" That's why the same page clarifies that "Great page experience is about more than just Core Web Vitals."

We don’t list specific ranking signals on that page because they can change. What was a signal in the past may shift and align with other factors that help us understand page experience better. Our goal is to provide guidance on resources and things to consider for page experience, but ultimately, do what you believe will offer a great experience for your visitors.

The next day, he mentioned the Page Experience In Search explainer in another tweet.

We do not have a specific "page experience ranking signal" or a single signal like that. The page clearly states that we do not have such a signal.

So, is there a single "page experience signal" that Google Search uses for ranking?

Our core ranking systems consider multiple signals that contribute to the overall page experience. We don’t focus on just one specific signal or say that not doing a specific thing will prevent you from ranking. Instead, we encourage looking at a variety of factors and strive to offer a positive page experience for your visitors.

Google Almost Says CWV Is A Ranking Factor

SearchLiaison is correct in pointing out that the Page Experience In Search Results explainer document did not mention Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor, even when it was first published in 2022.

After not mentioning Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor and two years of unclear information in their Page Experience In Search Results documentation about CWV's impact on ranking factors, Google finally updated their documentation to suggest that Core Web Vitals may indeed affect rankings.

The previously unclear statement that was removed from the documentation:

Page experience plays a key role in rankings. While not all aspects are directly used for ranking, they do contribute to success in search rankings and are important to consider.

The above passage was replaced with this new paragraph:

“What aspects of page experience are used in ranking?

Our ranking systems use Core Web Vitals to assess websites. It is important for site owners to focus on achieving good Core Web Vitals for success in Search and to provide users with a great experience.

While it is beneficial to receive good results in reports such as Search Console’s Core Web Vitals report or third-party tools, it does not guarantee that your pages will rank at the top of Google Search results. Remember, there is more to a great page experience than just Core Web Vitals scores. These scores are designed to help you enhance your site for your users in general, and solely aiming for a perfect score for SEO purposes may not be the most effective use of your time.

Google's updated documentation no longer mentions "ranking factor" or "ranking signal" when discussing core web vitals. However, it now clearly states that CWV is taken into account by Google's ranking systems. This is a clearer statement compared to the previous recommendation of achieving high CWV scores for success in Search.

Understanding page experience in Google Search results

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Graphic Grid

Editor's P/S:

Google's reluctance to explicitly declare Core Web Vitals (CWV) as a ranking factor has been a source of confusion and speculation. While the company emphasizes the importance of page experience, it has refrained from using the term "ranking factor" in its official documentation. However, recent updates to Google's Page Experience documentation suggest that CWV may indeed have an impact on rankings.

The updated documentation now states that Google's ranking systems use CWV to assess websites. This is a significant change from the previous version, which only stated that page experience plays a key role in rankings. While Google still does not explicitly say that CWV is a ranking factor, the new language strongly implies that it is taken into account when determining a website's position in search results. part of their ranking systems, Google is sending a clear message to website owners that they need to focus on improving their page experience if they want to rank well in search results.