Google’s Martin Splitt says the Page Experience update will begin a gradual launch in mid-June with a full rollout expected by August.
During a live appearance on the Search Engine Journal Show, Founder Loren Baker asks Splitt a number of questions submitted by SEOs regarding Core Web Vitals and the Page Experience update.
Here are some highlights regarding the launch of the update, and its differences on mobile compared to desktop.
When Does Google’s Page Experience Update Launch?
Baker kicks off the discussion by trying to nail down an exact date for the launch of the Page Experience update. It was originally scheduled to go into effect this month, and was later pushed to June.
Without getting too specific, Splitt says the current plan is to begin the rollout in the middle of June.
Splitt adds that the update will not be like flicking an on/off switch, where it goes from not being in effect to being fully in effect. The rollout of the Page Experience update will be gradual, lasting from mid-June to August:
“There is no specific date that things will start happening. Currently the announceable is mid of June, so it might be any time in what would consist of mid of June. It will not be a off/on kind of situation.
It will gradually roll out, it will gradually add things to the mix of signals and it will gradually start being effective. So not like a full-on switch from nothing to all of it, and there’s no date announced yet.
… I think the timeline is roughly starting mid-June, and then should be fully in effect at some point in August.”
Will the Page Experience Update Apply Differently to Mobile and Desktop?
This past week, Google revealed for the first time that the Page Experience update will apply to both mobile and desktop search results.
That raises a lot of questions, with the main one being: will the update launch on mobile and desktop at the same time?
Splitt says:
“At the beginning we will definitely roll out for mobile first and then eventually desktop will join the mix as well.”
With that in mind, site owners shouldn’t panic if their desktop pages aren’t ready for the update by mid-June.
Another detail that’s important to be aware of is that Google will assess mobile pages separately from desktop pages. There is no aggregate rating across mobile and desktop.
If a site meets Google’s Page Experience requirements on mobile, but not on desktop, it will still receive a ranking boost in mobile search results.
Splitt says:
“I am not aware of any aggregate score at the moment. That doesn’t mean there won’t be in the future. As far as I’m aware right now, mobile is being used for mobile and desktop is going to be used for desktop.”
For more from Splitt regarding the Google Page Experience Update and Core Web Vitals, see the full video below. Stay tuned for more coverage of key highlights from the show.
