# SEO Page Experience > Holistic page-experience self-assessment mirroring Google's own question list: Core Web Vitals, HTTPS, intrusive interstitials, mobile usability, content prominence, and ad distinguishability. Use when user says "page experience", "UX signals", "interstitials", "mobile friendly", or "HTTPS check". - Skill: `lionkiii/seo-page-experience` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add lionkiii/seo-page-experience` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/lionkiii/seo-page-experience/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: lionkiii (https://skillmd.com/u/lionkiii) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/lionkiii/seo-page-experience --- # Page Experience Self-Assessment Google retired the standalone "page experience ranking signal" framing. Per https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/page-experience there is **no single page experience signal** — Google's core ranking systems look at a variety of signals that align with overall page experience. Of these, **Core Web Vitals are used by ranking systems**; other aspects (HTTPS, interstitials, mobile usability) don't directly boost rankings but make the site more satisfying to use, which aligns with what ranking systems reward. Evaluation is generally **page-specific**, with some site-wide assessments. This skill runs Google's own self-assessment question list against a URL. ## Google's Self-Assessment Questions | # | Question | How this skill checks it | |---|----------|--------------------------| | 1 | Do your pages have good Core Web Vitals? | Delegate to `seo-core-web-vitals` skill (field data at p75) | | 2 | Are your pages served in a secure fashion? | HTTPS, redirect, certificate, mixed content | | 3 | Does your content display well on mobile devices? | Viewport meta, responsive markup, font size, tap targets | | 4 | Does your content avoid excessive ads that distract from or interfere with the main content? | Ad density heuristics on HTML (manual confirmation advised) | | 5 | Do your pages avoid using intrusive interstitials? | Interstitial heuristics on initial HTML | | 6 | Can visitors easily distinguish the main content from other content? | Above-fold content prominence, labeled ads | ## Inputs | Input | Required | Notes | |-------|----------|-------| | URL | Yes | Single page; page experience is evaluated per page | | Mobile or desktop focus | No | Default mobile — interstitial rules target mobile entry from search | ## Execution 1. **Fetch the page and check HTTPS:** ```bash curl -sI -L -w 'final_url=%{url_effective} http=%{http_code}\n' http:// curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' https:// ``` - `http://` must 301-redirect to `https://` (single hop ideal). - Certificate valid (`curl -v` shows no TLS errors). - Scan HTML for mixed content: `http://` URLs in `src=`, `href` of stylesheets, `srcset`. 2. **Check mobile usability on the fetched HTML:** - `` present. - No fixed-width layouts (`width=1024` style viewports, large fixed px containers). - Base font size ≥ 12px legible (16px recommended); tap targets ~48x48px. - For deeper checks, cross-reference the `seo-technical` skill (category 5). 3. **Run interstitial heuristics on the initial HTML** (the case Google penalizes is a pop-up covering the main content when a user enters from mobile search): - Fixed/absolute full-viewport overlays in initial HTML: elements with `position:fixed` or `position:absolute` combined with `top:0` + `width:100%`/`100vw` + `height:100%`/`100vh`, high `z-index`. - Modal markers present at load: `class`/`id` containing `modal`, `popup`, `overlay`, `interstitial`, `lightbox` outside obvious consent managers; ``. - Body scroll-lock at load: `overflow:hidden` on `html`/`body` in initial CSS. - Redirects to a separate consent/input page (Google calls this out explicitly as a mistake — it can remove all but that page from results). - Flag findings as **suspected** — heuristics on static HTML can't see JS-triggered timing; recommend a real mobile-device check. 4. **Classify any interstitial found** per https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/avoid-intrusive-interstitials: | Type | Verdict | |------|---------| | Full-page promo/app-install interstitial covering main content on entry | ❌ Intrusive | | Dialog obscuring part of the content for promotion | ⚠️ Risky — prefer a banner | | Legally mandated (cookie consent, age gate) | ✅ Exempt — but overlay content, don't redirect; for adult age gates, consider serving verified Googlebot without the gate | | Login wall for genuinely gated content | ✅ Exempt | | Small, easily dismissible banner (e.g., Smart App Banner, newsletter strip) | ✅ Fine — Google's recommended pattern | 5. **Assess content prominence and ads:** - Is meaningful main content present in the initial HTML above the fold, or is the first viewport dominated by ads/promos/navigation? - Are ad containers distinguishable/labeled (e.g., "Advertisement", `aria-label`, distinct containers)? - Count ad-network script includes (adsbygoogle, GPT, taboola, outbrain, mgid) as an ad-pressure signal. These are heuristics — note that final judgment needs visual review. 6. **Delegate CWV measurement** to the `seo-core-web-vitals` skill and import its PASS/FAIL verdict for question 1. Do not duplicate the measurement here. 7. **Optional speed-up note:** if the site is a publisher with heavy search-entry traffic, mention Signed Exchanges (SXG) as a way to let Google prefetch content and improve effective LCP from search (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/signed-exchange). ## Quick Reference — Pass Criteria | Check | Pass threshold | |-------|----------------| | HTTPS | http→https 301 in ≤1 hop, valid cert, zero mixed-content URLs | | Viewport | `width=device-width` viewport meta in initial HTML | | Font size | ≥60% of text ≥12px (16px base recommended) | | Tap targets | ~48x48px with ~8px spacing | | Interstitials | No non-exempt full-page overlay in initial HTML | | Ad pressure | Main content begins above the fold; ads labeled | Useful companion tools (from Google's resources list): Search Console's HTTPS report and Core Web Vitals report, and Chrome Lighthouse (https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/overview) for mobile-usability and page-experience improvement hints. ## Output ``` # Page Experience Self-Assessment: ## Google's Six Questions | # | Question | Verdict | Evidence | |---|----------|---------|----------| | 1 | Good Core Web Vitals? | ✅/⚠️/❌ | from seo-core-web-vitals (p75 field data) | | 2 | Served securely (HTTPS)? | ✅/⚠️/❌ | https enforced, cert valid, no mixed content | | 3 | Displays well on mobile? | ✅/⚠️/❌ | viewport meta, font size, tap targets | | 4 | Avoids excessive ads? | ✅/⚠️/❌ | N ad scripts, above-fold ad pressure | | 5 | Avoids intrusive interstitials? | ✅/⚠️/❌ | overlays found / exempt types | | 6 | Main content distinguishable? | ✅/⚠️/❌ | above-fold content vs ads/nav | Overall: X/6 yes — "Answering yes to these questions means you're probably on track in providing a good page experience." ## Findings Detail ### HTTPS (redirect chain, certificate, mixed content list) ### Mobile usability (specific failures with code locations) ### Interstitials (each suspected overlay: selector, type, verdict per the classification table, recommended replacement — banner pattern) ### Ads & content prominence (observations + manual-review note) ## Recommendations (prioritized) 1. ... ## Context - No single "page experience signal" exists; CWV is used by ranking systems, other aspects improve user satisfaction rather than rankings directly. - Evaluation is page-specific (with some site-wide assessments) — re-run on templates that differ (home, article, product). - Source: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/page-experience ```