Google Core Web Vitals
Tucked away in Google’s Search Console is a powerful report called Core Web Vitals. This tool measures the quality of a user’s experience on your website and provides insights into how well your site performs in key areas.
With Google’s new ranking algorithm, Page Experience, scheduled for release in 2021, it’s important to understand and optimise for these metrics. This update will evaluate web pages based on the user experience they provide. If Google determines that users will likely have a poor experience, your site may struggle to rank well.
What Are Google Core Web Vitals?
Google has outlined specific metrics under the umbrella of Page Experience signals, which include Core Web Vitals. These metrics focus on loading speed, interactivity and visual stability, which directly impact how users perceive your site’s performance.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- What it measures: The loading performance of the largest visible content element (often an image, video or block of text).
- Goal: LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load to provide a good user experience.
- First Input Delay (FID)
- What it measures: Interactivity, specifically the time it takes for your site to respond to a user’s first interaction, such as clicking a button or link.
- Goal: FID should be less than 100 milliseconds for a good experience.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
- What it measures: Visual stability, indicating how often elements on the page shift unexpectedly as it loads (e.g., images, buttons/elements or ads moving around).
- Goal: A CLS score of less than 0.1 is ideal.
Other Page Experience Signals
In addition to Core Web Vitals, Google will also consider these established factors:
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Your page must be optimised for mobile devices. Google has long advocated for a mobile-first approach to design.
- Safe Browsing: Your site should be free from malware, phishing or other malicious content.
- HTTPS: Your site must have an SSL certificate to ensure secure browsing.
- No Intrusive Interstitials: Avoid pop-ups or ads that block users from easily accessing your content.
How to Check Your Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals can be monitored through the Google Search Console. Here’s how to access the report:
- Log in to your Google Search Console account.
- In the left-hand menu, locate the Core Web Vitals report (third section down).
- Open the report to view performance data based on real-world usage.
The report breaks down performance by device type (mobile and desktop), grouping URLs by status:
- Red (Poor): Pages that fail to meet acceptable performance standards.
- Amber (Needs Improvement): Pages that are close to meeting standards but require further optimisation.
- Green (Good): Pages performing well.
Prioritising Issues
- Start by addressing URLs marked in Red (Poor).
- Once resolved, move on to URLs flagged as Amber (Needs Improvement).
Improving Core Web Vitals
Improving your Core Web Vitals involves focusing on the specific areas highlighted in the report. Here are some general strategies:
- For LCP:
- Optimise images and videos by compressing files and using modern formats like WebP.
- Improve server response times by upgrading hosting or using a CDN.
- Minimise render-blocking JavaScript and CSS.
- For FID:
- Reduce JavaScript execution time.
- Break up long tasks using web workers.
- Optimise third-party scripts to ensure they don’t block user interactions.
- For CLS:
- Use fixed dimensions for images and videos to avoid layout shifts.
- Avoid inserting new content above existing content (except in response to user interaction).
- Ensure ads and embeds have reserved space.
Why It’s Important to Act Now
Google’s Page Experience algorithm update is just around the corner, making it important to optimise your Core Web Vitals. These metrics not only affect your rankings but also directly influence how users perceive and interact with your site.
By addressing these issues now, you’ll not only stay ahead of the competition but also provide a smoother, more enjoyable experience for your users.
Help With Google Core Web Vitals
If you’d like assistance optimising your Core Web Vitals and preparing for Google’s upcoming update, contact The Last Hurdle today. Call 01604 654545 or email hello@thelasthurdle.co.uk to get started!
