Core Web Vitals might sound technical at first, but they’re really all about how people experience your website. They focus on three important things: how fast your site loads, how quickly it responds to user actions, and how stable it feels while loading.
Understanding and improving these vitals can make a huge difference for your users. Plus, they can also help you rank better on Google.
Here’s a simple explanation of what Core Web Vitals are and how you can improve them.
What Are the Three Core Web Vitals?
The three Core Web Vitals are:
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Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
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First Input Delay (FID)
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Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
What It Measures:
LCP measures the time it takes for the largest visible content on a web page to fully load. This could be an image, video, or a block of text.
Why It Matters:
People want to see useful content quickly. If your page takes too long to show the main content, users may leave, increasing your bounce rate.
Ideal LCP Time:
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Good: 2.5 seconds or less
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Needs Improvement: Between 2.5 and 4.0 seconds
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Poor: More than 4.0 seconds
How to Improve LCP:
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Compress and optimize your images.
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Use a faster hosting service or a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
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Reduce render-blocking JavaScript and CSS files.
First Input Delay (FID)
What It Measures:
FID tracks the time between when a user first tries to interact with your page and when the browser responds to that interaction. This could be anything like clicking a link, pressing a button, or selecting a menu item.
Why It Matters:
A slow response can frustrate users. People expect websites to react immediately to their actions. Delays can make your site feel unresponsive and may discourage users from staying.
Ideal FID Time:
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Good: 100 milliseconds or less
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Needs Improvement: Between 100 and 300 milliseconds
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Poor: More than 300 milliseconds
How to Improve FID:
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Minimize the amount of JavaScript running on your page.
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Defer loading JavaScript and CSS files that are not essential.
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Use browser caching to speed up returning visits.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
What It Measures:
CLS measures how much the layout of your web page shifts unexpectedly while it is loading. For example, if you are about to click on a button and suddenly the page moves, making you click something else, that is caused by a layout shift.
Why It Matters:
A stable page layout makes for a much better user experience. Unexpected shifts can be annoying and can lead to mistakes or frustration.
Ideal CLS Score:
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Good: 0.1 or less
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Needs Improvement: Between 0.1 and 0.25
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Poor: More than 0.25
How to Improve CLS:
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Set explicit width and height for all images and videos.
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Avoid inserting new content above existing content unless there is enough space reserved for it.
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Use fonts that load without causing layout shifts.
Why Core Web Vitals Are Important for SEO
Google uses Core Web Vitals as part of its ranking factors. This means a website that loads faster, responds quicker, and stays visually stable has a better chance of ranking higher in search results.
Improving these vitals not only helps your users but also makes your site more competitive in search engines.
How to Check Your Core Web Vitals
There are several free tools you can use to check your site’s performance:
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Google PageSpeed Insights: Gives you a detailed report and suggestions for improvement.
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Google Search Console (Core Web Vitals report): Shows real-world performance data from your users.
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Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools: Provides in-depth performance audits you can run directly in your browser.
Final Thoughts
Core Web Vitals are not just technical details for developers. They represent real parts of the user experience. A faster, more stable, and more responsive site can keep users engaged, reduce bounce rates, and even improve your SEO performance.
If you want to build a website that stands out, focusing on LCP, FID, and CLS is a smart move. Improving these vitals helps both your visitors and your business.
Start today by checking your website’s Core Web Vitals and making the necessary improvements. A better user experience leads to better results.
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