Core Web Vitals
What is Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are a subset of factors that are part of Google's page experience score, which is used to measure the quality of user interaction on a website. These vitals focus on three main aspects: loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. Specifically, they include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which measures loading times; First Input Delay (FID), which quantifies interactivity delays; and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which assesses visual stability. Improving these metrics can lead to better search engine rankings, as Google prioritizes sites that offer a superior user experience. Webmasters and SEO professionals often use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Search Console to monitor and optimize these metrics.
A set of specific factors that Google considers important in a webpage's overall user experience.
Examples
An e-commerce site noticed a high bounce rate on their product pages. By improving their Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) to under 2.5 seconds, they saw a 20% increase in user engagement.
A blog with frequent content updates found that their First Input Delay (FID) was over 300 milliseconds. After implementing better server-side rendering, their FID dropped to below 100 milliseconds, resulting in a smoother user experience and improved search rankings.
Additional Information
Core Web Vitals are part of Google's broader Page Experience Update, which also includes mobile-friendliness, HTTPS security, and intrusive interstitials.
Regularly monitoring these metrics can help maintain a competitive edge in search engine results pages (SERPs).
References
What are Core Web Vitals & Why They Matter for SEO | SEO.co
Core Web Vitals for SEO: Everything You Need to Know
Understanding Core Web Vitals and Google search results