Google: User Experience As A Ranking Signal Is Currently Only For Mobile Results, Not Desktop Results

At SMX Sydney this morning, Google’s Gary Illyes explained that while user experience, aka UX, is a ranking signals on mobile with the Google mobile friendly algorithm but when it comes to desktop, there is no UX algorithm.

Gary said this at SMX Sydney and then confirmed it on Twitter saying there is mobile UX signals but on desktop there are none:

@ToriCushing @jennita @dr_pete On mobile, sure, since UX is the base of the mobile friendly update. On desktop currently no.

— Gary Illyes (@methode) May 12, 2015

We know that the bulk of the Google mobile friendly algorithm is made up of how the web page renders on a mobile device. The mobile friendly update is purely about the user experience of your web site on a mobile device. But when it comes to desktop, Google currently doesn’t look at UX signals for ranking. That may change but for now, UX is not a direct ranking signal.

For more on the mobile friendly update, see our mobile friendly checklist.