Google recently updated its documented ranking systems page by removing four ranking systems from the list. Google removed the mobile-friendly ranking system, page speed system, and secure sites system from the retired list, while it removed the page experience system from the main list, but did not add it to the retired list. This shows that Google subtly removed these ranking factors permanently.

Were these ranking systems significant in Google’s search ranking algorithms ever? Many experts believe that these ranking algorithms were small and barely made a dent in your rankings. The recent update seems to support this notion.

The Ranking Systems Removed from the List

The following ranking updates/systems have been eliminated from the list:

• Page experience system
• Mobile-friendly ranking system
• Page speed system
• Secure sites system

‘Page experience is vital for your users and practicality but rankings have never really seemed to place much weight on it’

Why Did Google Remove Them?

Google has recently eliminated the page experience system, as it was more of an idea than an actual ranking system. According to Google’s FAQs, the page experience signals were included in the Core Web Vitals, mobile-friendly, H

TTPS, and no intrusive interstitials. While not all of these may be used to directly determine ranking, they all contribute to the success of a webpage’s search ranking and should be given attention.

Earlier, the retired section of the page displayed Google’s mobile-friendly, page speed, and secure site systems. However, these have now been removed. Here’s how it used to look:

Here’s how it currently appears:

How will this impact the “Page Experience Update”?

The page experience update was an idea to define a group of essential page experience factors for site owners to prioritize. It introduced Core Web Vitals as a new signal that Google’s core ranking systems considered, in addition to other page experience signals such as HTTPS, which they had already been considering. The page experience update did not combine all these signals into a single, unique “page experience” signal, and it was not a separate ranking system.

John Mueller from Google has commented on this shift, saying that “We have observed that individuals tend to excessively fixate on these figures, which is not an efficient use of their time and energy.”

What Do You Think?

Were these non-existent algorithms that had no purpose other than to motivate us to prioritize usability and security changes? Perhaps they were a fictitious incentive and deterrent. It seems that the recent update supports the idea that these algorithms were small and not significant in Google’s search ranking algorithms.

Wrap-Up

Google’s recent update on its documented ranking systems page has removed four ranking systems, including mobile-friendly ranking, page speed system, secure sites system, and page experience system. The update suggests that these ranking algorithms were small and insignificant in Google’s search ranking algorithms. It is essential to keep an eye on Google’s updates and stay informed of the latest changes to ensure your website’s ranking success.

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