Whether you’re a gymnastics instructor or you run a martial arts school – no matter what your field is, having a functioning and effective website is essential for attracting potential customers. Simply put, the higher up your site ranks in Google, the more likely your business will scale and flourish.
As of June 2021, Google is set to introduce page experience metrics to its ranking factors, alongside core web vitals. So, what does this mean for your fitness business and how can you get ready for the Google Algorithm Update?
The Google Page Experience
Core web vitals consist of metrics based on the visual stability, loading time and the level of user interactivity – websites that score highly in these measurements and then rewarded. However, Google has now introduced a new set of metrics, centered around performance, security and mobile compatibility to ensure the ultimate user experience. The four new factors which will be taken into account:
- How mobile-friendly a site is
- How safe it is to browse
- Its usage of Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) for communication security
- Its usage of Intrusive Interstitials such as pop-ups which limit immediate access
Google has released several tools to provide website owners with a complete overview of how effectively their site is performing in adherence to the new metrics. New additions to Google’s Search Console will illustrate the overall status of a site, plus the percentage of URLs with a good page experience to allow comparison.
Ultimately, the upcoming metric aims to measure and rank the overall responsiveness and user experience of websites that show up in Google’s search results. Sites that successfully deliver a secure, mobile-friendly, and accessible experience will be favored by the Google algorithm and move up the rankings.
If you’re a freelance fitness instructor or sports school owner, now is the time to optimize your website for the new Page Experience update to ensure that you’re ready to take advantage of the changes.
How to Prepare Your Business
No matter your niche, every fitness business owner wants to know how to rank higher on Google, and now is the perfect time to implement some changes to your site. Metric updates don’t have to be a cause of concern, and may actually provide an excellent opportunity for you to give your site an upgrade and see it climb higher up the Google rankings.
The most important thing to note in regards to the Google Page Experience is that user experience is paramount – the modern internet user favors sites that operate seamlessly on their mobile without any security risk or intrusive adverts and pop-ups.
1. The first step is to optimize your site’s performance by making sure your server is fast and responsive. For easy analysis of your site’s responsiveness, make use of Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool, and research performance data on web hosting to providers to ensure you have the best package available to you.
2. To ensure better performance, keep your page’s size lite and avoid cramming your web pages with visual content which may slow down response time. Images can be optimized using compressors such as ImageOptim, or spread larger items to multiple pages within your site – for example, have separate ‘about’ and ‘contact’ pages. This also makes it easier for the user to navigate the site.
3. Today’s internet user expects sites to have been optimized for mobile use, so utilize the mobile-friendly templates that many website creation platforms now have available. Quickly test your site’s mobile compatibility by using Google’s Mobile-Friendly testing tool.
4. Website security will be more important than ever, so don’t knowingly add any malicious scripts or deceptive content to your website. Then, add a firewall to protect your site from malware and other hacking attempts. Most of the modern hosting services already include an SSL certificate with their plans, but if yours doesn’t, install one to encrypt site data.
5. Finally, tone down or completely remove large, intrusive pop-up banners which limit users from accessing site content. Cookie information, age restriction policies, and login dialogs may still be included, but keep these minimal to ensure a better user experience.
And there you have it – a fitness business website that is ready for the Google Page Experience. Although the Google algorithm will still prioritize content quality and relevance, ensuring your site is optimized in accordance with all metrics is a sure-fire way to see your business thrive.
Get your site updated today and start dominating Google – and say hello to happier customers and higher profits!