Exploring the intersection of SEO and user experience in the wake of Google’s emphasis on Core Web Vitals, we’ve gathered insights from eight Lead SEO Strategists and Owners. From optimizing for hesitant users to utilizing advanced analysis tools, these experts reveal how this focus has reshaped their SEO strategies in 2024.
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Optimize for Hesitant Users
When it comes to CWV, it is all about user experience, whether that’s from the perspective of speed or whether it’s related to the layout of your website. When I talk to site owners about how to approach CWV, I tell them to think of Google’s Core Web Vitals as a very hesitant customer who is on the fence about making a decision about a purchase.
If the experience you give to them is rough or complicated, they’re not going to follow through. You have to make things fast, and you have to make it easy, or they’re going to bounce. Google is the same way. Complicated and clunky experiences are not going to cut it in 2024.
Will Wright, Lead SEO Strategist, Direct Online Marketing
Measure Performance with Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals is a way to measure website performance. Also, Core Web Vitals increase the importance of overall user experience as a ranking factor.
Focus not only on content relevance and keywords but also on providing a better user experience. That’s why these metrics focus on user experience.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures loading speed.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual consistency.
Interactions to Next Paint (INP) measures the responsiveness of the page.
Using Core Web Vitals for SEO strategies in 2024 can improve rankings, conversion rates, and user interactions on a website.
Srishti Jain, Sr Marketing Executive, Knowledge Excel
Adopt a Holistic Optimization Approach
Earlier, we primarily focused on increasing the page-speed metrics (score) in the PageSpeed Insights tool. However, we’ve now adopted a more holistic approach that encompasses network data, CrUX, and RUM data for our pages, optimizing individual site elements accordingly.
Regular audits and ongoing optimization have become essential parts of our strategy.
A couple of the main factors we’ve been focusing on are:
First-Fold Visual Stability
We’ve placed a high priority on ensuring the visual stability of the first fold, aiming for minimal ads and no unexpected layout shifts. This involves setting explicit dimensions for images, videos, and other elements to prevent shifts as content loads. Reducing the number of ads in this prime area has been particularly challenging due to the involvement of multiple stakeholders, but it’s a necessary step for achieving a smooth user experience.
Optimizing Interactive Elements
Interactive elements like charts and tables, which change based on user input, are often the hardest to identify and optimize. They are a primary cause of INP issues. We’ve prioritized the loading speed of these interactive elements, ensuring they load and respond to user input within 100 ms to avoid Interaction to Next Paint (INP) issues.
Optimizing our site for Core Web Vitals has become more complex and costly. We’ve had to invest in additional tools, such as RUM monitoring tools, and conduct extensive testing after making improvements.
Mahendra Choudhary, Co-Founder, GrowthSRC
Boost On-Page Metrics
Focusing on our page experience has been key to boosting our on-page metrics, especially by increasing the time users spend on our site. By making browsing smooth and user-friendly, we’ve not only improved our search rankings but also made sure our website meets the needs and expectations of our audience.
Loren Howard, Founder, Prime Plus Mortgages
Prioritize Site Performance and Satisfaction
I think Google’s focus on user experience and Core Web Vitals has significantly impacted our SEO strategies by making site performance and user satisfaction top priorities. We’ve shifted our focus to optimizing page load times, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and enhancing overall site usability.
For instance, we’ve invested in faster hosting solutions, compressed images, and streamlined our website code to improve load speeds. We also prioritized mobile-first design, given that a large portion of traffic comes from mobile devices. By improving metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), we not only align with Google’s ranking factors but also enhance the user experience.
This focus on Core Web Vitals has led to better search rankings, reduced bounce rates, and increased user engagement, making our SEO efforts more effective in driving organic traffic and conversions.
Enhance Content and Mobile Responsiveness
At our agency, we have prioritized improving loading speeds, enhancing mobile responsiveness, and optimizing visual stability to meet Google’s Core Web Vitals criteria.
Additionally, we have focused on providing high-quality, valuable content that is easily accessible and engaging for users, as this is also an important factor in Google’s ranking algorithms.
Tom Molnar, Operations Manager, Fit Design
Balance SEO with UX and CRO
I would say we focus minimally on CWV—they are useful and not to be ignored, but they are far from central to any SEO strategy.
UX, on the other hand, should be a significant part of your strategy. I have said for some years that modern SEO is the confluence of traditional SEO, CRO, & UX. Today, it is even more of a multi-disciplinary activity—looking everywhere that there is opportunity, not just an us vs. them type of activity.
One of the main things that has become more of a central focus is session tracking software such as Crazy Egg, Hotjar, and Microsoft Clarity.
Understanding the path the users take, what they might be looking for, and how to help them will significantly elevate your game beyond just a “how do I rank for X” type of strategy.
Trevor Stolber, Co-Founder and CTO, VibeLogic
Utilize Advanced Analysis Tools
One significant impact of Google’s focus on user experience and Core Web Vitals on our SEO strategies in 2024 has been the increased emphasis on utilizing advanced tools for in-depth analysis and optimization. We now heavily rely on live recordings through tools like Microsoft Clarity to understand user interactions and identify pain points in real-time. This insight allows us to make precise adjustments to improve site performance and user satisfaction.
Moreover, we’ve integrated conversion rate optimization tools, such as Visually.io on Shopify, to enhance user experience and drive better engagement on some of our client sites. These tools help us implement and test changes rapidly, making sure we prioritize modifications that have a positive impact on both user experience and Core Web Vitals.
Lastly, we use SEO testing tools to experiment with various strategies and measure their effectiveness. This data-driven approach enables us to make informed decisions, ensuring our SEO efforts align with Google’s evolving standards and deliver tangible improvements in rankings and user satisfaction.
Will Hawkins, Owner, Digital Business
