What you'll learn
- What each Core Web Vital measures
- How to measure your current scores
- Common causes of poor scores
- Specific techniques to improve LCP
- How to reduce Cumulative Layout Shift
- Tools for ongoing performance monitoring
Prerequisites
- 1Basic understanding of web performance
- 2Access to your website's code
- 3Developer tools or PageSpeed Insights access
Table of Contents
Page experience matters for rankings. Learn how to optimize your Core Web Vitals and give your visitors a faster, more stable browsing experience.
What You'll Learn
- What each Core Web Vital measures
- How to measure your current scores
- Common causes of poor scores
- Specific techniques to improve LCP
- How to reduce Cumulative Layout Shift
- Tools for ongoing performance monitoring
Prerequisites
- Basic understanding of web performance
- Access to your website's code
- Developer tools or PageSpeed Insights access
What Are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that Google uses to measure real-world user experience. They focus on loading performance (LCP), interactivity (FID/INP), and visual stability (CLS). Since 2021, they've been a ranking factor.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
LCP measures how long it takes for the largest visible element to load. Good LCP is under 2.5 seconds. Common issues include slow server response, render-blocking resources, slow resource load times, and client-side rendering.
First Input Delay & Interaction to Next Paint
FID measures the time from first interaction to when the browser responds. INP (its successor) measures overall responsiveness. Good scores are under 100ms. Heavy JavaScript and long tasks are common causes of poor scores.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
CLS measures visual stability - how much elements move around as the page loads. Good CLS is under 0.1. Common causes include images without dimensions, dynamically injected content, web fonts causing FOUT/FOIT, and ads.
Optimization Strategies
Improve LCP by optimizing images, using a CDN, and preloading critical resources. Reduce FID/INP by breaking up long tasks and optimizing JavaScript. Fix CLS by setting explicit dimensions on images and reserving space for dynamic content.
Pro Tips
- Use real-user monitoring (RUM) for accurate data
- Optimize images - they're often the biggest LCP element
- Always set width and height on images to prevent CLS
- Defer non-critical JavaScript
- Use a CDN for faster resource delivery
Ready to put this into practice?
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Try Our Free ToolsFrequently Asked Questions
How much do Core Web Vitals affect rankings?
Core Web Vitals are a ranking factor, but content relevance is still more important. However, when competing pages are similar in quality, better performance can give you an edge.
Should I focus on mobile or desktop scores?
Focus on mobile first since Google uses mobile-first indexing. Mobile scores are typically worse than desktop and affect most of your users.
How do I know my real-world scores?
Use Google Search Console or the CrUX report for real-user data. Lab tools like Lighthouse provide simulated data that may differ from real-world performance.
Put this into practice
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