The replacement of FID by Interaction to Next Paint (INP) in the Core Web Vitals since March 2024 has reshuffled technical priorities. On the content side, the integration of the Helpful Content System into the main algorithm penalizes pages built for the bot rather than the reader. These two structural changes require a complete reassessment of SEO optimization, even for already well-positioned sites.
INP and Core Web Vitals: the responsiveness metric that changes technical SEO
INP measures perceived latency across all user interactions during a session, not just the first one as FID did. A click on a product filter, opening a menu, scrolling through a carousel: every interaction counts towards the final score. This is the metric that is hardest to pass for most sites because it exposes main thread issues that FID ignored.
We observe that heavy JavaScript frameworks (non-optimized React, pure client-side Angular) generate poor INP scores as soon as the page contains complex interactive components. The work focuses on three priority areas:
- Reducing long tasks on the main thread by breaking down JavaScript executed on click using requestIdleCallback or the yield-to-main pattern
- Deferring the loading of third-party scripts (analytics, chatbots, ad pixels) that block interactivity without providing immediate value to the user
- Prioritizing server-side rendering (SSR) or HTML streaming so that the browser can respond to interactions before the complete hydration is finished
A Lighthouse audit alone is not enough. Field data (CrUX, RUM data) are the only ones that reflect the real conditions of visitors, especially on low-end mobile devices where the processor throttles responsiveness.
To find information about Info Geeks and delve deeper into these technical aspects, specialized resources allow you to track the evolution of ranking criteria over Google’s updates.
Helpful Content integrated into the core of the algorithm: what the March 2024 Core Update penalizes
The March 2024 update did not simply adjust an external filter. Google has merged the Helpful Content System directly into its main ranking algorithm. The distinction between “helpful” content and “SEO-first” content is no longer treated as an overlay: it conditions the base ranking.
Pages that have lost visibility share a recurring profile. Long and well-structured texts from a technical standpoint (Hn tags, internal linking, controlled keyword density) but lacking in real added value. Perfectly optimized content but without identifiable expertise loses positions.
We recommend auditing existing content through the E-E-A-T lens (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) with a simple criterion: if the author has no demonstrable legitimacy on the subject, the page is vulnerable. This applies to both mass-generated articles and internally written content without a signature or proof of expertise.
Concrete signals to monitor in Search Console
A gradual decline in the number of impressions on informational queries, without any technical modification to the site, often signals a devaluation related to Helpful Content. The loss does not always manifest in overall traffic: it targets pages deemed interchangeable with those from dozens of other sites.
The usual reflex (adding text, enriching tags, creating internal links) sometimes exacerbates the problem. Removing or merging weak pages improves overall ranking more than their superficial rewriting.
UX signals and user behavior: their real weight in Google ranking
Google has long denied using behavioral signals as a direct ranking factor. Recent analyses of leaked documentation and patents show that metrics like the return rate to the SERP (pogo-sticking), adjusted dwell time, and click patterns feed learning models that influence ranking.
Specifically, a page that satisfies the query without returning to the results sends a measurable positive signal. This means that optimization does not stop at the initial positioning. The page’s ability to retain the visitor conditions the maintenance of its position.
UX optimization focused on SEO: the levers that matter
The design of the page above the fold largely determines whether the user stays or leaves. An H1 title that precisely reformulates the query, a first paragraph that immediately addresses the intent, and the absence of intrusive pop-ups in the first few seconds form the minimal foundation.
Readability on mobile remains underestimated. Paragraphs longer than four lines on a smartphone screen, a font size smaller than 16px, or CTA buttons that are too close create friction. This friction translates into a return to the SERP, which Google interprets as a signal of dissatisfaction.
Internal linking and site architecture: the underutilized SEO lever in 2024
Internal linking distributes internal PageRank and guides crawling bots. We find that most sites concentrate their internal links on main navigation pages and neglect contextual links between thematically related content.
A contextual link in the body of the text conveys more semantic value than a menu or footer link. Google uses anchor text and the surrounding context to understand the relationship between two pages. Placing a relevant link in a paragraph that discusses the same topic as the target page reinforces the thematic signal on both sides.
The common mistake is to multiply internal links without coherence. Twenty links on the same page dilute the signal. We recommend limiting contextual links to three or four per article, ensuring that each anchor accurately describes the content of the target page.
Detection of orphan pages and crawl dead ends
A regular crawl with Screaming Frog or Sitebulb reveals pages accessible only via the XML sitemap, without any internal links pointing to them. These orphan pages are undervalued by Google, regardless of the quality of their content. Fixing them often results in quick and measurable ranking gains.
Site architecture is nothing spectacular, but correcting internal linking remains the SEO lever with the best effort/result ratio on an existing site. It is a technical task that depends neither on an algorithm update nor on the production of new content.