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Core Web Vitals for Publishers

Are you paying attention to them?

Core Web Vitals for Publishers

Over the last few years, it seems like search engine optimization has been slowly pushed aside and replaced by social media strategies. However, staying on the search engine’s “good side” comes with its own set of benefits. Publishers, do you pay attention to Core Web Vitals?

Good search engine optimization is the backbone of the publishing industry. Search results lead to page views that support advertisements which lead to monetization. As we get closer to 2021’s half-way point, we expect new additions to Google’s Core Web Vitals, addressed at improving the internet for users. Keep in mind that ignoring SEO and core web vitals may leave a dent in your SEO ranking, traffic and ultimately, your advertising revenue.

Google’s Core Web Vitals evolve continuously. In 2020, they focused on three aspects- loading (measured by Largest Contentful Paint- LCP), interactivity (measured by First Input Delay- FID) and visual stability (measured by Cumulative Layout Shift- CLS).

CLS may be an incredibly complex issue for publishers. This metric measures the visual stability of elements which tend to be one of the biggest offenders in publisher websites. Large ads that flow beyond their containers result in CLS scores that are way higher than Google’s passing grade (CLS of less than 0.1).

All through 2019 and 2020, we know that Google has been experimenting with a badge system that informs the user of a slow to load site due to poor Core Web Vitals. If the badge indeed becomes standard practice, Publishers, address this subject before the” sign of shame” is slapped on your website.

What can you do to fix the CLS score?
The ad-tech you use can have a significant impact on your ad-revenue and your core web vital scores. Low CLS yields better SEO ranking, better user experience and higher page views. To make sure you are in line with the requirements, explore the following:

Incorporate a video ad-monetization tool
Video continues to grow as one of the most popular media formats online. Explore partnering with a video-monetization solution provider to display engaging content and a wide variety of ads to capitalize on revenue generation opportunities and improve CWV scores.

Allocate space for dynamic ads
Reserve the most considerable height an ad can occupy on your page and label the ad container clearly. If a user spends a long time on a page, ad calls may refresh, and layouts may change. You may also enable refreshed ad calls for ads of a similar size only.

Say no to giant inline ads
To capitalize on the opportunity, some ad-tech solutions serve ads that are just too large. Publishers, study the ROI, A/B test and decide whether the short term revenue gain is worth the sacrifice of CLS scores. Implement lazy loading for heavy assets The use of lazy loading on heavy assets, or loading them after the main content has been displayed, can help you improve your LCP and FID scores.

By the way, the solution from point one loads after the main content is displayed to ensure your page is optimized and scores are unharmed.

SEO is alive and kicking.
If as a publisher, you dive deep into SEO and pay attention to your Core Web Vitals, you may be able to nip the issue in the bud and serve better value to your users, advertisers and the search engine. Reach out to our experts and explore our industry-leading video monetization solution.

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