So yesterday, Google not only said the June 2021 core update finished rolling out on June 12th, but also said that on June 15th it began to start the slow process of rolling out the page experience update. Reminder, this was suppose to roll out in May but it was delayed for undisclosed reasons.
Here is Google's announcement:
The page experience update is now slowly rolling out (Top Stories will begin using this new signal by Thursday). It will be complete by the end of August 2021. More here: https://t.co/kDwhhOYklK
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) June 15, 2021
So it is rolling out and then tomorrow, Thursday, June 17th, Google will stop using AMP as an eligibility factor for Top Stories and start using page experience. Keep in mind, you do not need to meet all core web vitals metrics to be in the top stories carousel.
Here is the revised timeline as I think I see it right now:
April 20, 2021:
- New Page Experience report in Google Search Console
- Signed exchanges for all web pages
June 15-17:
- Google Page Experience Update ranking changes begins to rollout slowly and gradually (note, it won't finish rolling out until the end of August)
- AMP is no longer a requirement for eligibility for the Top Stories Carousel; again, this starts in mid-June but won't be fully live until the end of August (seems like it is fully live as of June 17)
- AMP icon/label should go away here I believe
- Google will continue to test a page experience / core web vitals label but no decision has been made on if it will stick or not
End of August:
- Google Page Experience Update ranking update will be fully live
Just a reminder, we are not expecting huge ranking shifts due to the page experience update, but we will keep you posted.
So far we don't see much in terms of ranking changes from this page experience update. I checked the forum and community chatter as well as the tracking tools, all are quiet on the ranking fluctuation part.
I did create a Twitter poll but based on the direct responses I am getting, it seems people are voting based on the core update which finished rolling out days earlier, so this poll may be a dud.
Anyone seeing ranking changes today from the page experience update? :)
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) June 16, 2021
Forum discussion at Twitter & WebmasterWorld.
