Core Web Vitals: What They Are & How to Improve Them

Google’s got a need for speed, and if a site’s Core Web Vitals aren’t up to par, rankings will take a hit.

Let’s remedy that.

What are Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are Google’s metrics grading how quickly a web page loads, how responsive it is, and how visually stable it is for users. Ace these metrics, and you’re well on your way to having a happy audience and a “Google-approved” website.

Here’s the lowdown on the Core Web Vitals trio:

1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is the metric that measures how long it takes for the largest element on your page (usually an image or block of text) to load and become visible to the user. Think of it as the “first impression” speed—you want that hero image or headline to pop up quickly and grab attention.
2. Interaction to Next Paint (INP) is the new kid on the block, replacing First Input Delay (FID). This metric measures a website’s overall responsiveness to user interactions, like clicks, taps, and keyboard inputs. It also aims to provide a consistent experience throughout the user’s visit. A good INP score means a smooth, frustration-free experience for visitors.
3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures how much a page’s elements move around unexpectedly during loading, affecting user experience and potentially causing mis-clicks. Think about it: Have you ever been about to click a button on a website, and suddenly, it jumps out of the way as the page finishes loading? That’s a layout shift, and it’s super annoying. A low CLS score means a stable layout, making for a smoother user experience.

Why are Core Web Vitals Important?

Alright, so you know what Core Web Vitals are, but why should you care? Are they just another set of metrics to obsess over, or do they actually move the needle?

Let’s find out.

Happy Users, Happy Website

Think about the last time you landed on a website that took forever to load or had buttons jumping everywhere—talk about high bounce rate. Core Web Vitals directly impact user experience, affecting how satisfied, engaged, and likely your visitors are to stick around (and convert).

A slow, clunky website is like a grumpy salesperson—it’s going to drive customers away.

SEO and Rankings: Google’s Watching!

Google’s not just a search engine. It aims to be a user experience advocate. It strives to return websites that are fast, responsive, and user-friendly to a user’s search. That’s why Core Web Vitals are now a key ranking factor. If your website’s got those green scores, you’re telling Google, “Hey, I care about my users!” and they’ll (in theory) reward you with better visibility in search results.

Mobile-First Indexing: The Future is Mobile

We’re glued to our smartphones, so most people browse the web on their mobile devices. Google recognizes this. That’s why they prioritize mobile-first indexing, meaning they primarily use the mobile version of your website for ranking and indexing. So, if a site’s a mobile mess, your rankings are gonna take a hit.

Business Impact: The Bottom Line Booster

Let’s talk about the real reason we’re all here: making money. Good Core Web Vitals can have a direct impact on a site’s bottom line. A fast, engaging website leads to increased leads, higher conversion rates, and a better brand reputation. No arguments.

Core Web Vitals Tools (Plus a Quick Distinction)

There are quite a few tools that can be used to measure Core Web Vitals, but first, a quick FYI:

Field Data vs. Lab Data: The Real World vs. the Simulation

Core Web Vitals are all about user experience—how real people perceive your website’s performance. But here’s the thing: lab tools like Lighthouse can only simulate those experiences, and those simulations don’t always paint the full picture.

Think of it like this: lab data tells you how a hypothetical user might experience your website under certain conditions, while field data reveals how actual users actually experience it in the wild.

Why the Difference Matters:

• Real-world conditions: Field data captures the vast variability of network conditions, device capabilities, and user behaviors that lab tools can’t fully replicate.
• Caching and repeat visits: Lab tools typically perform a “cold load” of a page, while real users might have cached assets from previous visits, leading to faster load times.
• Personalized experiences: Factors like cookie banners or personalized content can affect a user’s experience, but lab tools might not account for these variations.

So, just keep in mind that while lab tools are valuable for diagnosing potential issues and guiding optimization efforts, they shouldn’t be the sole basis for evaluating your website’s performance.

For example, Google measures Core Web Vitals through the CrUX, a public dataset of real user experience data collected from Chrome users. It’s the backbone of many tools that report on a site’s Core Web Vitals, including PageSpeed Insights.

However, even CrUX has its limitations. It can tell you when there’s a problem, but it might not always reveal why. That’s where lab tools like Lighthouse come in handy, helping you diagnose the root cause of performance issues and guide your optimization efforts.

In other words, it’s often a combination of tools that will get you where you need to land.

Here are my favorites for this task:

Essential Tools for Measuring Core Web Vitals

• PageSpeed Insights (PSI) is your one-stop shop for Core Web Vitals analysis. It provides both field data (from the Chrome User Experience Report) and lab data, giving you a comprehensive view of your website’s performance. Plus, it offers actionable suggestions for improvement.
• Google Search Console (GSC)’s Core Web Vitals report gives you a bird’s-eye view of your website’s performance, highlighting groups of pages with similar issues. It’s a great way to monitor your progress over time and identify areas that need attention.
• Lighthouse is an open-source tool built into Chrome DevTools. It provides a more technical audit of your website’s performance. A go-to for in-depth analysis and debugging.

Other Handy Tools

• GTmetrix combines data from PageSpeed Insights and YSlow to provide a comprehensive performance report.
• WebPageTest offers detailed performance testing from multiple locations around the world.
• Core Web Vitals Chrome Extension is a handy extension that lets you quickly check the Core Web Vitals of any page you visit.

How to Measure Core Web Vitals

Alright, I’ve called out my favorite tools for the job. Now, allow me to show you how to use them in combination:

Step 1: Identify

Start with field data to get a pulse on your website’s health. Use PageSpeed Insights (PSI) to view overall Core Web Vitals and specific information on individual URLs. PSI displays CrUX data (the gold standard of user experience data) covering the last 28 days at the 75th percentile. This means that if 75% of user experiences for your site meet the threshold for a metric, then the experience is considered “good.”

For an overall view of a site, start with the homepage, as it is typically one of the most popular pages on many sites. Initially, concentrate on the “ Discover what your real users are experiencing” section of PSI. You will see up to four views of the data: mobile and desktop for the URL entered and the whole origin. Compare these and see how they differ.

PSI also shows all three Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, and INP), plus the diagnostic TTFB and FCP metrics. Are any of the Core Web Vitals failing, and by how much? This will indicate where to concentrate your efforts.

Oh, and don’t shy away from our old friend Search Console here. It can help target your efforts to particular types of pages. This is particularly useful if many pages share common themes or technologies and Search Console can successfully identify these.

Step 2: Debug

After pinpointing pages with poor PSI and/or GSC, use Google’s developer tools to diagnose the root causes and find solutions.

To do so, run a Lighthouse audit to get page-level guidance:

1. Head to the page you’d like to analyze, right-click, and select Inspect.

1. To the right of Memory, click >>, select Lighthouse, select the device you’d like to measure for (mobile or desktop), and hit the Analyze page load button.

1. Lighthouse will then audit the page and return a speed score.

1. If you want a more granular look at this thing, hit the three dots in the top-right-hand corner and select View Unthrottled Trace. From here, you can really dig into the weeds, identifying any elements that are slowing page speed.

If weeds aren’t your thing and you just want a quick overview, use the Web Vitals extension (here’s a link) to analyze Core Web Vitals in real-time.

Step 3: Monitor

Think you’re done with Core Web Vitals once you’ve fixed a few initial issues? Not so fast! You need to keep an eye on those metrics and ensure those improvements stick.

Google’s own research shows that most performance gains tend to fade over time. That’s why continuous monitoring is key, both in the lab and in the field.

Here’s how to stay on top of your Core Web Vitals:

• Lighthouse CI is a handy tool that lets you automatically run Lighthouse audits every time you make changes to your website’s code. It’s like having a personal trainer for your website’s performance, keeping those bad practices from sneaking back in.
• Real User Monitoring (RUM) tools track how actual users experience your site, providing valuable insights into any lingering performance issues. Because while lab tools are helpful, they don’t capture the full picture of real-world user experience.
• CrUX Dashboard provides a bird’s-eye view of your website’s Core Web Vitals over time, based on data from millions of Chrome users. It’s a great way to spot any downward trends and address them before they become major problems.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Your website’s loading faster than ever, your users are happy campers, and you’re on Google’s good side (for now). Nice!

But hold up—the race to the top of the SERPs doesn’t end here. SEO is an ongoing journey. Staying ahead of the pack requires a holistic approach.

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