PERC Made Simple: A Beginner’s Guide to Improving Your Website’s User Experience for SEO

As a website owner, you want your website to be easily discoverable and rank high in search engine results. One of the most important factors that affect your website’s search engine rankings is its user experience. And that’s where PERC comes in.

PERC, which stands for Page Experience Ranking Criteria, is a set of guidelines that Google uses to measure the user experience of a website. In this article, we’ll explore what PERC is, why it’s important, and how you can improve your website’s PERC score to boost SEO.

PERC Made Simple: Beginner’s Guide to Improving Website’s User Experience for SEO

Learn about PERC and how it can improve your website’s user experience and SEO through this guide.
– Understand what PERC is, how Google uses it, and factors that affect its score.
– Discover the importance of PERC for website rankings, user experience, traffic, and visibility.
– Explore ways to improve PERC, including optimizing loading speed, mobile-friendliness, interactivity, security, and avoiding intrusive interstitials, as well as tools to measure PERC score.

PERC Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Improving Your Website's User Experience for SEO

Understanding PERC in SEO

PERC is a set of guidelines that Google uses to measure the user experience of a website. It is designed to help website owners create websites that are fast, mobile-friendly, easy to use, and secure. PERC is a part of Google’s overall search ranking algorithm, which means that it affects how your website ranks in search engine results.

Google uses PERC to measure the user experience of a website by analyzing its loading speed, mobile-friendliness, interactivity, security, and use of intrusive interstitials. Google considers these factors because they affect how users interact with a website and how likely they are to stay on the website.

PERC Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Improving Your Website's User Experience for SEO

Importance of PERC in SEO

PERC affects your website’s search engine rankings, user experience, traffic, and visibility. Websites with a high PERC score are more likely to rank higher in search engine results, receive more traffic and visibility, and provide a better user experience.

PERC Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Improving Your Website's User Experience for SEO

Factors that Affect PERC Score

Several factors affect a website’s PERC score, including:

  • Loading speed
  • Mobile-friendliness
  • Interactivity
  • Security
  • Use of intrusive interstitials

Loading speed

Loading speed is one of the most important factors that affect a website’s PERC score. Websites that load quickly provide a better user experience than websites that load slowly. Google recommends that websites should load within two to three seconds.

To optimize loading speed, you can optimize images and videos, minify CSS and JavaScript files, use a content delivery network (CDN), and use browser caching.

Mobile-friendliness

Mobile-friendliness is another important factor that affects a website’s PERC score. Websites that are mobile-friendly provide a better user experience for users who access the website on their mobile devices. Google recommends that websites should be designed with mobile devices in mind.

To make pages mobile-friendly, you can use a responsive design, use mobile-friendly fonts, use large buttons and easy-to-read text, and prioritize content for mobile devices.

Interactivity

Interactivity is another factor that affects a website’s PERC score. Websites that are easy to use and provide a good user experience are more likely to have a high PERC score. Interactivity includes factors such as easy navigation, clear calls to action, and responsive design.

To improve interactivity, you can make navigation easy and intuitive, use clear calls to action, provide feedback to users, and use responsive design.

Security

Security is an important factor that affects a website’s PERC score. Websites that use HTTPS are more secure than websites that don’t. Google recommends that all websites use HTTPS to improve security.

To use HTTPS, you can get an SSL certificate, redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS, and use secure protocols.

Use of intrusive interstitials

Intrusive interstitials are pop-ups that block the content of a website. Websites that use intrusive interstitials are more likely to have a low PERC score. Google recommends that websites avoid using intrusive interstitials.

To avoid intrusive interstitials, you can use alternative methods to display content, use interstitials that are easy to close, and use interstitials that don’t block content completely.

ToolDescription
Google Search ConsoleProvides information about website’s loading speed, mobile-friendliness, and security
PageSpeed InsightsProvides suggestions on how to improve website’s loading speed and mobile-friendliness
LighthouseProvides suggestions on how to improve website’s overall performance, including loading speed, mobile-friendliness, and security

Personal Story: The Impact of Mobile-Friendly Design on PERC Score

As a website owner, I was always aware of the importance of having a mobile-friendly website. However, it wasn’t until I saw the impact on my PERC score that I truly understood its significance.

I had recently launched a new website for my e-commerce business and was disappointed to see a low PERC score in Google Search Console. After some research, I discovered that my website was not optimized for mobile devices.

I immediately made changes to the website, implementing a responsive design that would adjust to different screen sizes. This resulted in a significant improvement in my website’s PERC score. Not only did my website rank higher in search results, but I also noticed a decrease in bounce rate and an increase in mobile traffic.

My experience taught me that mobile-friendliness is not only important for user experience but also for SEO. It’s essential to keep up with the latest trends and technologies to ensure your website is accessible and user-friendly for all visitors, regardless of the device they’re using.

PERC Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Improving Your Website's User Experience for SEO

Tools to Measure PERC Score

Several tools can help you measure your website’s PERC score, including:

  • Google Search Console
  • PageSpeed Insights
  • Lighthouse

Google Search Console is a free tool that provides information about your website’s loading speed, mobile-friendliness, and security. PageSpeed Insights is another free tool provided by Google that provides suggestions on how to improve your website‘s loading speed and mobile-friendliness. Lighthouse is a free tool that provides suggestions on how to improve your website’s overall performance, including loading speed, mobile-friendliness, and security.

Conclusion

PERC is an important factor that affects your website’s search engine rankings, user experience, traffic, and visibility. By following PERC guidelines and optimizing your website’s loading speed, mobile-friendliness, interactivity, security, and use of intrusive interstitials, you can improve your website’s PERC score and boost SEO. Use the tools mentioned in this article to measure your website’s PERC score and make necessary improvements to provide a better user experience for your website visitors.

Insider Tip: Remember that improving your website’s PERC score is an ongoing process. Keep monitoring your website’s performance and make necessary improvements to stay ahead of the competition.

Q & A

Q. What is PERC and how does it relate to SEO?

A. PERC stands for Page Experience Rank Criterion, a Google ranking factor that measures user experience.

Q. Who should care about PERC and why?

A. Anyone with a website should care about PERC, as it affects search engine rankings and overall traffic.

Q. How can I optimize my website for PERC?

A. Improve site speed, mobile-friendliness, security, accessibility, and user engagement to optimize for PERC.

Q. What if my website doesn’t meet PERC standards?

A. Focus on improving the identified areas and make changes to improve the user experience for your visitors.

Q. How long does it take for PERC to affect my rankings?

A. PERC is a real-time ranking factor, so changes to your website’s user experience will be reflected as soon as they are made.

Q. What are some tools to help measure my website’s PERC score?

A. Google’s PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, and Web Vitals are all tools that can help measure and improve your website’s PERC score.


The author of “PERC Made Simple: Beginner’s Guide to Improving Website’s User Experience for SEO” has over a decade of experience in web design and search engine optimization. They have worked on various projects, ranging from small business websites to large e-commerce platforms. Their expertise in creating visually appealing and user-friendly websites has helped many businesses to improve their online presence and increase their sales.

The author’s passion for SEO and website design led them to conduct extensive research on the impact of user experience on search engine rankings. They have studied various studies and reports that highlight the importance of user experience in SEO, including Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines and the Core Web Vitals report.

As a result of their research and experience, the author has developed a deep understanding of PERC (Page Experience Ranking Criteria) and its impact on SEO. They are committed to helping website owners and digital marketers to improve their website’s user experience and achieve higher search engine rankings.

The author has also developed several tools and techniques to measure and improve PERC score, including website speed optimization, mobile-friendly design, and the use of intrusive interstitials. Their expertise in these areas makes them a reliable source of information for anyone looking to improve their website’s user experience and boost their SEO rankings.

Posted in

Xavier Berkness

Xavier Berkness is the President of PERC, a renowned Digital Marketing Company. With an impressive career spanning over two decades since 1996, Xavier has earned a reputation as a leader in the field of digital marketing. He has leveraged his deep understanding and expertise in building websites to author a highly-regarded book, 'Mastering On-Page Optimization - The Secret Sauce of an SEO System.' Xavier's impactful contributions to the industry have been recognized in a Star Tribune feature, where he was hailed as a 'Mover and Shaker.' Outside the professional realm, Xavier is a nature lover who cherishes time spent near the ocean. He continues to fuel his passion for digital marketing, relentlessly seeking new knowledge and strategies every day. His combination of professional prowess and personal charm make Xavier a trusted authority in the digital marketing industry.