Introduction
In today’s digital world, website performance plays a crucial role in user experience and SEO rankings. Google introduced Core Web Vitals to measure how well a website performs in terms of speed, interactivity, and visual stability. If you want your website to rank higher in search results and offer a seamless experience to visitors, you need to optimize for Core Web Vitals.
In this guide, we will explain what is Core Web Vitals, why it matters, and how to improve your website’s scores step by step.
What is Core Web Vitals? or google core web vitals
Core Web Vitals are a set of three key performance metrics defined by Google to evaluate a website’s user experience. These metrics measure how fast a website loads, how quickly it responds to user interactions, and how stable its layout is while loading.
The three Core Web Vitals are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – Measures loading speed.
- First Input Delay (FID) – Measures interactivity.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – Measures visual stability.
These factors directly affect your website’s ranking on Google. If your website scores well on Core Web Vitals, you have a higher chance of appearing at the top of search results.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – How Fast is Your Page Loading?
What is LCP?
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the time it takes for the largest visible element on a webpage (such as an image or text block) to fully load.
Why is LCP Important?
A slow-loading page frustrates users and increases the bounce rate. Google considers an LCP of 2.5 seconds or less as ideal.
How to Improve LCP?
Here are some ways to improve your website’s LCP score:
- Optimize Images: Use modern formats like WebP instead of JPEG or PNG. Compress images using tools like TinyPNG.
- Use a Fast Web Hosting Provider: Choose a hosting service with good server response time.
- Enable Lazy Loading: Load images only when they are visible on the screen.
- Minify CSS and JavaScript: Remove unnecessary code to speed up loading.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN stores your website’s files on multiple servers worldwide, reducing load times.
First Input Delay (FID) – How Responsive is Your Website?
What is FID?
First Input Delay (FID) measures the time it takes for a website to respond when a user clicks a button, link, or any interactive element.
Why is FID Important?
A slow response time makes a website feel sluggish and unresponsive, leading to poor user experience. Google recommends an FID score of 100 milliseconds or less.
How to Improve FID?
Follow these steps to enhance your website’s interactivity:
- Reduce JavaScript Execution Time: Minimize the amount of JavaScript on your site to improve responsiveness.
- Use Browser Caching: Store frequently used files in the browser cache to speed up responses.
- Optimize Third-Party Scripts: Reduce unnecessary external scripts (e.g., chat widgets, tracking scripts).
- Defer Non-Essential JavaScript: Load only the necessary JavaScript first and delay the rest.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – How Stable is Your Layout?
What is CLS?
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures how much elements move unexpectedly on a webpage while it loads. A high CLS score indicates a poor user experience.
Why is CLS Important?
If users click on the wrong button due to a shifting layout, it leads to frustration and increases bounce rates. Google recommends a CLS score below 0.1.
How to Improve CLS?
Here’s how you can prevent layout shifts:
- Specify Image and Video Dimensions: Always define width and height for media elements to prevent unexpected resizing.
- Reserve Space for Ads and Embeds: Allocate specific space for ads to avoid content shifts.
- Use Web Fonts Wisely: Avoid large font changes that affect layout stability.
- Minimize Animations and Pop-ups: Avoid sudden changes in content positioning.
How to Check Core Web Vitals?
Google provides several free tools to check your website’s Core Web Vitals scores:
- Google PageSpeed Insights (https://pagespeed.web.dev/) – Analyzes Core Web Vitals and provides optimization tips.
- Google Search Console – Shows Core Web Vitals report for all indexed pages.
- Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools) – A browser tool that provides detailed performance analysis.
To use Google PageSpeed Insights:
- Go to https://pagespeed.web.dev/.
- Enter your website URL and click “Analyze.”
- Review the Core Web Vitals section for improvement suggestions.
Core Web Vitals Score Guidelines
| Metric | Good | Needs Improvement | Poor |
|---|
| LCP | ≤ 2.5s | 2.5 – 4s | > 4s |
| FID | ≤ 100ms | 100 – 300ms | > 300ms |
| CLS | ≤ 0.1 | 0.1 – 0.25 | > 0.25 |
Why Are Core Web Vitals Important for SEO?
Google prioritizes user experience, and Core Web Vitals are now a ranking factor. Websites with better scores get:
✅ Higher rankings on Google – A fast, responsive, and stable site ranks better.
✅ Better user experience – Visitors stay longer and interact more.
✅ Lower bounce rates – Users won’t leave due to slow loading or shifting content.
✅ Increased conversions – Fast-loading websites lead to more sales and sign-ups.
Conclusion
Now that you understand what is Core Web Vitals, it’s time to optimize your website. By improving LCP, FID, and CLS, you can boost SEO rankings, enhance user experience, and increase conversions.
Start by testing your website using Google PageSpeed Insights and apply the recommended fixes. With better Core Web Vitals, your website will not only perform better but also rank higher on Google.
Are you ready to improve your website’s Core Web Vitals? 🚀 Let us know if you need help!
Also check for Off-page seo checklist