Google Would not Say Core Web Vitals Are A Search Rating Issue

Google’s Danny Sullivan said on Friday, “We don’t confirm any of the things [page experience or core web vitals] as a direct ranking factor.” He added, “But to reiterate we look at many things not one thing and even the one thing might not be a direct ranking factor.” “It doesn’t say it is a ranking factor,” Sullivan added.

This goes back to the confusion (which is still there despite Google not wanting to believe it) around how the changes to get helpful content guidance and page experience documentation from a year or so ago. Google shortly after that confusion told us page experience is a ranking signal but not a ranking system. Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, said back then, “It just meant these weren’t ranking *systems* but instead signals used by other systems.”

On Friday, Sullivan wrote on X, “We don’t confirm any of the things as a direct ranking factor and I’m pretty sure we explained last year when you asked about this. And as the page says “While not all aspects may be directly used to inform ranking, they do generally align with success in search ranking and are worth attention.” “It doesn’t say it is a ranking factor,” Sullivan added.

Here are some of those posts on X:

This explains that page experience isn’t one single thing, so you might want to review it: https://t.co/My7bdcBhwS

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) February 2, 2024

I’ll pass along the feedback, and I do appreciate it. I do. But to reiterate we look at many things not one thing and even the one thing might not be a direct ranking factor (the page gets into that).

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) February 2, 2024

It doesn’t say it’s a ranking factor. Just like the CWV page doesn’t say that “This, along with other. It talks about these things aligning with what we do measure “page experience aspects, aligns with what our core ranking systems seek to reward.” https://t.co/79GlV00Gbp

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) February 2, 2024

We don’t confirm any of the things as a direct ranking factor and I’m pretty sure we explained last year when you asked about this. And as the page says “While not all aspects may be directly used to inform ranking, they do generally align with success in search ranking and are…

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) February 2, 2024

Confused?

I appreciate you trying to help but this is extremely confusing. Please pass this confusion along to your team. We can’t have warnings for a metric Google can’t pass.

— Inspired Taste (@inspiredtaste) February 2, 2024

Got all of that?

My opinion, if your site feels snappy and fast, then don’t worry about core web vitals. Spend your time focusing on your content and your overall website experience.

Forum discussion at X.

Update: Danny Sullivan replied on X saying:

“told us page experience is a ranking signal but not a ranking system.”

I didn’t say we have a page experience “ranking signal” nor do we have some single signal like that. The page below specifically says we do NOT have something like that.

“Is there a single “page experience signal” that Google Search uses for ranking?

There is no single signal. Our core ranking systems look at a variety of signals that align with overall page experience.”

We don’t say there’s one particular thing people need to do, nor do we say if you don’t do a particular think, you won’t rank. We say look across a range of things and try to provide a good page experience to your visitors

“told us page experience is a ranking signal but not a ranking system.”

I didn’t say we have a page experience “ranking signal” nor do we have some single signal like that. The page below specifically says we do NOT have something like that.

“Is there a single “page experience…

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) February 5, 2024