Core Web Vitals: How To Measure & Improve Them (2023 Guide)
Google’s page experience upgrade to their ranking algorithm was unveiled in May 2020. Core Web Vital update’s purpose: increase the number of natural ranking factors for user experience. The rollout of this upgrade started in June 2021 and was finished in September 2021. But let’s first talk about the fundamentals before we examine what this means for your website.
What are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vital is a set of specific user-centric metrics that measure the loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability of web pages. These metrics were introduced by Google in 2020 as a part of their ongoing efforts to improve user experience on the web. The Core Web Vitals consist of three main metrics:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): This measures the loading speed of a web page and represents the time it takes for the largest visible element (usually an image or text block) to become visible on the screen. The target time for LCP is less than 2.5 seconds.
- First Input Delay (FID): This measures the interactivity of a web page and represents the time it takes for a user’s first interaction (click, tap, or keyboard input) to be processed by the browser. The target time for FID is less than 100 milliseconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): This measures the visual stability of a web page and represents the amount of unexpected layout shifting that occurs during the loading process. The target score for CLS is less than 0.1.
These metrics are important because they directly impact user experience and have been linked to factors such as bounce rate, engagement, and conversion rates. In addition, they are also used by search engines like Google as a ranking factor, meaning that websites that perform better on these metrics are likely to appear higher in search results. Improving your website’s Core Web Vitals can lead to better user experience, higher engagement, and improved search engine visibility.
Important Clarifications After the Core Web Vitals Announcement
After the announcement of Core Web Vitals, there were several important clarifications made by Google that are worth noting. Here are a few key points:
- Core Web Vital are just one of many factors that Google uses to rank pages. While they are important, they are not the only thing that matters. Other factors like content relevance, backlinks, and mobile-friendliness still play a significant role in determining search rankings.
- The Core Web Vital thresholds may change over time. While Google has set specific targets for each of the three metrics, these targets may be adjusted in the future as the web evolves and technology improves. Website owners should aim to meet the current targets, but also stay informed about any changes or updates that may be made.
- Core Web Vitals is not a guarantee of success. Even if your website meets the Core Web Vital thresholds, it does not mean that it will automatically rank higher or be more successful. It is still important to focus on other factors like content quality, user engagement, and overall user experience.
- The Core Web Vital are measured at the page level, not the site level. This means that each page on your website will be evaluated based on its Core Web Vitals performance, rather than your website as a whole. It is important to focus on optimizing each page for these metrics, rather than just your homepage or main landing pages.
Overall, the announcement of Core Web Vitals represents an important shift in how Google evaluates websites and ranks pages. Website owners should pay close attention to these metrics and make efforts to optimize their website’s performance to provide the best possible user experience.
How Much Do the Core Web Vitals Affect SEO?
The Core Web Vital is a set of metrics that measure the user experience of a website. While they are not the only factor that Google uses to determine search rankings, they do have a significant impact on SEO. Here are some reasons why the Core Web Vitals are important for SEO:
- User experience: Google has long emphasized the importance of user experience in its search algorithms. Websites that provide a good user experience are more likely to rank higher in search results. The Core Web Vitals metrics are specifically designed to measure aspects of user experience, such as page load speed, interactivity, and visual stability.
- Mobile-friendliness: With the increasing use of mobile devices to access the internet, mobile-friendliness has become a key factor in SEO. The Core Web Vitals include metrics that are specifically designed for mobile devices, such as the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric, which measures how quickly the main content of page loads on a mobile device.
- Search ranking signal: In May 2021, Google announced that the Core Web Vitals would become a ranking signal for search results starting in June 2021. This means that websites that perform well on the Core Web Vital metrics are more likely to rank higher in search results.
While the Core Web Vitals are not the only factor that Google uses to determine search rankings, they are an important one. Websites that perform well on the Core Web Vitals metrics are more likely to provide a good user experience and rank higher in search results, which can lead to increased traffic and better SEO.
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Measuring Your Website’s Core Web Vitals
Measuring your website’s Core Web Vitals can be done using a variety of tools and methods. Here are a few ways to get started:
- Google’s PageSpeed Insights: This is a free tool provided by Google that analyzes your website’s performance, including Core Web Vitals, and provides suggestions for improvement. Simply enter your website’s URL and wait for the report to generate.
- Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX): This is a database of real-world user experience data that can be used to measure your website’s Core Web Vitals. You can access CrUX data through various third-party tools, such as the Web. dev or the Google Search Console.
- Lighthouse: This is an open-source tool that can be used to measure a variety of website performance metrics, including Core Web Vitals. You can use Lighthouse through the Google Chrome browser’s Developer Tools or by installing it as a browser extension.
- Web Vitals Extension: This is a browser extension that measures your website’s Core Web Vitals in real-time as you browse. It provides instant feedback and can be a useful tool for identifying specific pages or elements that need optimization.
Once you have measured your website’s Core Web Vitals, it is important to analyze the data and identify areas for improvement. Look for pages or elements that are performing poorly and consider making changes to improve their performance. Some common optimization strategies include optimizing images, reducing server response times, and minimizing the use of large JavaScript files. By making these changes, you can improve your website’s user experience and search engine visibility.
Core Web Vitals Assessment in PageSpeed Insights
PageSpeed Insights is a free tool provided by Google that can be used to assess your website’s Core Web Vitals. Here’s how to perform a Core Web Vitals assessment using PageSpeed Insights:
- Go to the PageSpeed Insights website: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/
- Enter your website’s URL in the search bar and click the “Analyze” button.
- Wait for the analysis to complete. This may take a few seconds to a minute depending on the size and complexity of your website.
- Once the analysis is complete, you will be presented with a report that includes a performance score, as well as specific metrics for each of the Core Web Vitals (Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift).
- Scroll down to the “Opportunities” section of the report to see specific suggestions for improving your website’s performance, including recommendations for improving your Core Web Vitals metrics.
- You can click on each recommendation for more information and details on how to implement the suggested changes.
It’s important to note that PageSpeed Insights is just one tool for assessing your website’s Core Web Vitals. It’s a good idea to use multiple tools and methods to get a more comprehensive picture of your website’s performance and identify areas for improvement.
The Field Data report includes this assessment. The Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) offers field data.
This data is gathered from actual users and is based on their interactions with your website. Google will take these field results into account when determining search rankings.
Additionally, the “Diagnostics” portion of PSI offers helpful details about factors that influence each of the three metrics:
Later on in this essay, I’ll go into greater detail about each one.
PSI employs lab data in addition to real-user measurements to determine the total optimization score and offer suggestions for enhancements.
Although valuable, lab data is gathered using a predetermined device and network configuration. Visitors to your website can be utilizing slower networks and devices at the same time. Because of this, you shouldn’t use lab statistics as a stand-in for the actual performance of your website.
Now, PSI occasionally doesn’t offer a field summary.
When the CrUX hasn’t gathered enough field data, which happens frequently with small websites, this issue arises. We are fortunate to have access to field data in other areas.
Core Web Vitals Report in Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that can be used to view a Core Web Vitals report for your website. Here’s how to access the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console:
- Go to the Google Search Console website: https://search.google.com/search-console/about
- Click on the website property you want to view the Core Web Vitals report for.
- Click on “Core Web Vitals” under the “Enhancements” section in the left-hand menu.
- Here, you’ll see a report that shows the number of URLs on your website that are experiencing poor, needs improvement, or good performance for each of the three Core Web Vitals (Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift).
- You can click on each metric to view a list of URLs that are performing poorly or need improvement, along with suggestions for how to improve them.
- You can also use the “Open Report” button under each metric to see a more detailed report for that specific Core Web Vital, which includes information on the distribution of page speeds and a breakdown of how each URL on your website is performing.
It’s important to regularly monitor your website’s Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console and make efforts to improve any metrics that are performing poorly. This can help to improve your website’s user experience and search engine visibility.
You can learn more about the field data and performance for groups of URLs from each report.
These reports are excellent for identifying problems that frequently affect various URLs. By doing this, you receive data on your entire website rather than just one page.
For instance, the LCP metric will be consistent across all of your identical product pages if the largest element on each of them is an image. If so, GSC discovers LCP issues on each of these product pages.
By selecting “Validate fix” after resolving any Core Web Vitals issues, you can also notify Google.
In summary, the best approach to monitor Core Web Vitals performance across your entire site is through these new GSC reports.
Extracting Field Data from the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX)
The Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) is a public dataset that provides real-world performance data on millions of websites. Here’s how to extract field data from the CrUX dataset:
- Go to the CrUX website: https://developers.google.com/web/tools/chrome-user-experience-report/
- Scroll down to the “Getting Started” section and click on the “Download the dataset” link.
- You’ll be directed to the BigQuery console where you can run SQL queries to extract field data from the CrUX dataset. You can either use the web interface or the command line to query the dataset.
- Once you’re in the BigQuery console, you can run queries to extract field data for specific websites or subsets of data. For example, you could extract data on the distribution of the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) values for a specific website or all websites in the dataset.
- You can also use the “EXPORT” feature in BigQuery to export the results of your query to a CSV file or other format for further analysis in Excel or other tools.
It’s important to note that extracting field data from the CrUX dataset requires some familiarity with SQL and database querying. If you’re not familiar with these tools, some third-party tools and services can help you extract and analyze data from the CrUX dataset, such as the web. dev tool provided by Google.
Bonus Tip: Use the Core Web Vitals Chrome Extension
Use this Chrome plugin to quickly check your Core Web Vitals.
You receive an automatic, brief LCP, CLS, and FID audit when you extend.
The extension now offers far more helpful information and has a redesigned user interface thanks to its most recent upgrade. The audit, for instance, contrasts the performance of the page on your device with that of other users.
Once more, the CrUX serves as the source of the real-user data (also known as field data) for this expansion.
How to Optimize for the Core Web Vitals
Optimizing for the Core Web Vitals involves improving the performance of your website in three specific areas: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Here are some steps you can take to optimize for each of these metrics:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP):
- Optimize images: Ensure that your images are compressed and appropriately sized for the web.
- Minimize render-blocking resources: Reduce the number of scripts and styles that are loaded before the main content of the page.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN can help to speed up the delivery of your website’s assets, including images and scripts.
- First Input Delay (FID):
- Minimize JavaScript execution time: Optimize your JavaScript code to reduce the time it takes to execute.
- Use a web worker: Use a web worker to run JavaScript code in the background, freeing up the main thread for user input.
- Optimize third-party scripts: Only use third-party scripts that are necessary and ensure that they are optimized for performance.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS):
- Use size attributes for images and videos: Use the height and width attributes to reserve space on the page for images and videos.
- Avoid dynamically injected content: Dynamically injected content can cause layout shifts, so try to avoid it if possible.
- Use animations and transitions judiciously: Animations and transitions can cause layout shifts, so use them sparingly and ensure that they are optimized for performance.
In addition to these specific optimizations, there are also general best practices for web performance that can help to improve your website’s Core Web Vitals, such as:
- Minimize HTTP requests: Reduce the number of HTTP requests that are required to load your website by minimizing the number of scripts and styles, using a CDN, and optimizing your images.
- Enable browser caching: Enable browser caching to reduce the time it takes to load resources that are reused across pages.
- Use a performance monitoring tool: Use a performance monitoring tool to track your website’s performance over time and identify areas for improvement.
By implementing these optimizations and best practices, you can improve your website’s Core Web Vitals and provide a better user experience, which can lead to improved SEO and increased user engagement.
Core Web Vitals and Content Management Systems (WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Squarespace)
Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, Wix, Shopify, and Squarespace play a critical role in the performance of a website and can impact its Core Web Vitals. Here are some ways to optimize your website’s Core Web Vitals on these CMS:
- Use a lightweight theme: Choose a theme that is optimized for performance and has a minimal code base.
- Install a caching plugin: Use a caching plugin like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache to improve page load times.
- Optimize images: Use an image optimization plugin like Smush or ShortPixel to compress images without losing quality.
- Optimize images: Wix has a built-in image optimization tool that you can use to compress images without losing quality.
- Use Wix Turbo: Wix Turbo is a performance optimization feature that can help to improve your website’s Core Web Vitals by caching content and optimizing server response times.
- Minimize the use of third-party apps: Use third-party apps judiciously, as they can add bloat to your website and slow down performance.
- Optimize images: Use an image optimization app like Crush. pics or Image Optimizer to compress images without losing quality.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): Shopify has a built-in CDN that you can enable to speed up the delivery of your website’s assets.
- Minimize the use of third-party apps: Use third-party apps judiciously, as they can add bloat to your website and slow down performance.
- Optimize images: Squarespace automatically compresses images, but you can further optimize them using an image optimization tool like TinyPNG.
- Use Squarespace’s built-in caching: Squarespace has a built-in caching feature that you can enable to improve page load times.
- Minimize the use of third-party apps: Use third-party apps judiciously, as they can add bloat to your website and slow down performance.
Overall, optimizing your website’s Core Web Vitals on a CMS involves choosing a performance-optimized theme, minimizing the use of third-party apps, optimizing images, and using performance-optimization features built into the CMS. By implementing these best practices, you can improve your website’s performance and provide a better user experience, which can lead to improved SEO and increased user engagement.
Final Thought
The launch of Core online Vitals was a significant milestone in improving the online for more people. And it appears that these measurements will continue to be used as part of Google’s ranking system.
- Even if you don’t now notice any problems, you should continue to keep an eye on them. On that point, the following is a simple reminder list for the future:
- Based on the preceding 28 days, Google decides whether or not your site passes the Core Web Vitals audit. You should therefore test your website at least once each month;
- Focus on field data during testing because it is a realistic representation of how actual users interact with your website;
- Use PageSpeed Insights to analyze a page’s performance;
- Conversely, utilize Google Search Console to identify recurring issues in collections of pages
Try extracting data from the CrUX with BigQuery or the CrUX API for additional customization and a better knowledge of your site’s performance.
Frequently Asked Question
Core Web Vitals are important because they impact user experience, which is a crucial factor in search engine rankings. Websites that perform poorly in terms of Core Web Vitals may see a drop in traffic and rankings.
Core Web Vitals can be measured using a variety of tools, including Google’s PageSpeed Insights, Google Search Console’s Core Web Vitals report, and the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX). These tools provide data on your website’s performance, and allow you to identify areas for improvement.
Google has stated that Core Web Vitals will be a ranking factor for search results starting in May 2021. Therefore, websites that have good Core Web Vitals are more likely to rank higher in search results and attract more organic traffic.
Some ways to improve your website’s Core Web Vitals include optimizing images and other media files, minimizing third-party scripts and code, using a content delivery network (CDN), and improving server response times. It’s also important to use a performance-optimized theme and reduce the amount of unnecessary content on your website.
CMS such as WordPress, Wix, Shopify, and Squarespace can impact Core Web Vitals through their themes, plugins, and built-in features. Optimizing images, minimizing third-party apps, and using built-in caching and performance optimization features can help improve Core Web Vitals on these platforms.
Common mistakes to avoid when optimizing for Core Web Vitals include ignoring the needs of mobile users, failing to prioritize above-the-fold content, using slow hosting or servers, and not regularly monitoring and testing website performance.
It’s recommended to regularly monitor your website’s Core Web Vitals, especially after making changes or updates to your website. Monthly or bi-monthly monitoring is a good practice to ensure that your website remains optimized for the best possible user experience and SEO performance.
