Google’s John Mueller Clarifies the Role of Core Web Vitals in Rankings

In a recent LinkedIn discussion, a digital entrepreneur shared some interesting observations about the effects of Core Web Vitals (CWV) and advertisements on website rankings. This post prompted a response from John Mueller, a Google Search Advocate, who provided clarification on how CWV and overall user experience (UX) contribute to search performance.

The User’s Concerns: Ads, Rankings, and Core Web Vitals

The author of the post, an entrepreneur and an experienced SEO specialist, describes how introducing ads led to an almost immediate drop in rankings for their website, despite achieving high scores in Core Web Vitals and PageSpeed Insights. These metrics, designed to measure a site’s loading, interactivity, and visual stability, are known to be part of Google’s ranking considerations. However, the user noted that their ad-enabled site saw dramatic drops in rankings and search traffic shortly after the ads went live. Here’s how the user describes the issue:

"This poor site had perfect scores in GSC Web Vitals and >90 score in PageSpeed Insights. The site owner went through the trenches and gained more than 50,000 visitors in a single month. Then, Ads were introduced to the site. What happened next was catastrophic. Rankings fell off a cliff. The Search traffic disappeared."

Even though ads were eventually removed, it took one to two weeks for rankings and traffic to recover. The user tested this impact over several months, consistently observing similar drops whenever ads were introduced. This led them to question whether the presence of ads and potential reductions in site performance were causing these changes in ranking and traffic.

Are Ads Affecting User Experience and Rankings?

The author’s theory is based on the assumption that ads could be affecting rankings indirectly through poorer CWV scores and degraded user experience. They suggest that while non-intrusive ads have traditionally been acceptable, changes in user expectations and Google's evolving algorithms may now penalize sites where ads disrupt the overall experience.

"It’s easy to argue that Ads reduce the quality of interaction for the web page visitors and if you combine that with lower page performance metrics, it subsequently triggers a drop in rankings." - Post Author

The author implies that ads might be causing a decline in engagement, leading to reduced rankings. They also highlight a key concern: new and growing content creators who rely on ad revenue may now face an uphill battle if Google’s algorithms favor larger, more established sites with better CWV and UX scores.

John Mueller’s Response: Core Web Vitals and the Bigger Picture of UX

Responding to the post, John Mueller provided valuable context about Google's view on CWV, user experience, and ads. While CWV is a ranking factor, Mueller emphasized that its impact on rankings is relatively small. Instead, he focused on the importance of overall UX:

"We've been pretty clear that Core Web Vitals are not giant factors in ranking, and I doubt you'd see a big drop just because of that. That said, having a website that provides a good experience for users is worthwhile, because if users are so annoyed that they don't want to come back, you're just wasting the first-time visitors to your site, regardless of where they come from."

In other words, Mueller suggests that the issue may not be CWV alone but rather the negative impact ads could have on UX. When ads slow down a page or make navigation frustrating, users are less likely to engage with or return to the site. This behavior can indirectly influence rankings, as Google’s algorithms pick up on user dissatisfaction.

Mueller also noted the advantage that smaller sites have in quickly adapting to these factors. Unlike larger sites, which may have complex approval processes for changes, smaller sites can make adjustments to their ads, site speed, and UX faster, potentially allowing them to respond more effectively to changes in user behavior and ranking algorithms.

"Finally, having tried to get a meta tag or a robots.txt line changed on a big company website, I think smaller sites have a gigantic advantage when it comes to being able to take advantage of changes - they can be so much more nimble." - John Mueller

This adaptability highlights the importance of maintaining both site speed and a seamless user experience, especially for smaller sites aiming to stay competitive against other websites.

Key Takeaways:

Impact of Ads on Rankings: Ads can negatively affect rankings by degrading Core Web Vitals scores and user experience.
Importance of User Experience: A positive user experience is crucial for maintaining and improving search rankings.
Adaptability of Smaller Sites: Smaller sites can quickly adapt to changes, giving them a competitive edge.
The effect of Core Web Vitals: While they are a ranking factor, their impact is relatively small compared to the overall user experience.
Balancing Ads and UX: Ensuring ads are non-intrusive and a smooth user experience is essential for sustainable rankings.

Conclusion

The conversation between the user and John Mueller highlights the need for website owners and SEO professionals to look beyond CWV scores alone when optimizing for rankings. While CWV remains a part of Google’s ranking algorithm, Mueller’s response reinforces that the broader user experience—including how users perceive ads and interact with the content—plays a significant role in a site’s performance in search results.

For site owners, this underscores a valuable takeaway: prioritize a positive user experience above all. Ads that harm engagement or diminish UX may lead to ranking drops, even if they don’t directly impact CWV. By ensuring that ads are non-intrusive and complement the overall content experience, websites can better align with Google’s goals of providing valuable, enjoyable experiences to users.