In May 2021, Google launched a new set of metrics called Core Web Vitals that are designed to measure the user experience of a website. These metrics are essential for webmasters to understand as they can impact search engine ranking and overall user experience.
What are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure the speed, interactivity, and visual stability of a website. These metrics were introduced by Google in May 2021 to help webmasters improve the user experience of their websites. The three Core Web Vitals are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- First Input Delay (FID)
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
Let’s take a closer look at each of these metrics.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the loading performance of a website. Specifically, it measures the time it takes for the largest element on the screen to load. This could be an image, video, or text block. A good LCP score is less than 2.5 seconds.
Failing to meet this benchmark may result in users leaving your website before it loads. This is particularly true for mobile users who may have slower connections.
First Input Delay (FID)
First Input Delay (FID) measures the interactivity of a website. Specifically, it measures the time between when a user interacts with a website (such as clicking a button) and when the website responds to that interaction. A good FID score is less than 100 milliseconds.
Failing to meet this benchmark may result in users becoming frustrated and leaving your website.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures the visual stability of a website. Specifically, it measures the amount of unexpected layout shift that occurs during the loading process. A good CLS score is less than 0.1.
Failing to meet this benchmark may result in users clicking on the wrong button or link, which can be frustrating and lead to a poor user experience.
Why are Core Web Vitals important?
Core Web Vitals are important because they impact the user experience of a website. Websites that perform well on these metrics are more likely to keep users engaged, while those that perform poorly are more likely to frustrate users and lead to higher bounce rates.
But Core Web Vitals are not just important for user experience. Google has also indicated that they will be factored into search engine rankings. This means that websites that perform well on Core Web Vitals are more likely to rank higher in search results, while those that perform poorly may be penalized.
How to improve Core Web Vitals?
Improving Core Web Vitals can be challenging, but it is essential for webmasters who want to provide the best possible user experience and improve search engine rankings. Here are some tips for improving Core Web Vitals:
- Optimize images and videos: Large images and videos can slow down a website’s loading time, which can negatively impact LCP. Webmasters should optimize images and videos by compressing them or using a content delivery network (CDN) to speed up loading times.
- Minimize code: Large amounts of code can slow down a website’s loading time, which can negatively impact LCP. Webmasters should minimize code by using minification and compression techniques.
- Reduce server response time: Slow server response times can negatively impact FID. Webmasters should reduce server response time by using a reliable web hosting provider and optimizing their server configuration.
- Avoid large layout shifts: Large layout shifts can negatively impact CLS. Webmasters should avoid large layout shifts by reserving space for ads and images, using proper image dimensions, and using a consistent design layout.
- Use lazy loading: Lazy
