Core Web Vitals are a set of specific factors that Google considers crucial for assessing and optimizing the user experience on a website. These metrics focus on the loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability of web pages. Core Web Vitals are part of Google’s broader initiative to prioritize the overall page experience as a ranking factor.
Three key metrics:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP):
- Definition: LCP measures the time it takes for the main content of a page to fully load. It specifically looks at the rendering of the largest and most meaningful text, image, or other content elements.
- Recommended Threshold: To provide a good user experience, LCP should occur within the first 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
- First Input Delay (FID):
- Definition: FID measures the time it takes for a web page to become interactive. It assesses the delay between a user’s first interaction (e.g., clicking a button) and the browser’s response.
- Recommended Threshold: To provide a good user experience, pages should have an FID of 100 milliseconds or less.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS):
- Definition: CLS measures the visual stability of a page by evaluating how much content shifts during the loading process. It accounts for unexpected layout shifts that may disrupt the user experience.
- Recommended Threshold: To provide a good user experience, pages should maintain a CLS score of 0.1 or less.
How to Access Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console:
- Access Google Search Console:
- Log in to your GSC account: https://search.google.com/search-console.
- Select the Property (Website):
- Choose the property for which you want to view Core Web Vitals data from the property selector.
- Navigate to the “Core Web Vitals” Report:
- In the left-hand menu, click on “Core Web Vitals” under the “Enhancements” section.
- Review the Report:
- The Core Web Vitals report provides insights into how your website performs in terms of Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
- The report shows the distribution of URLs on your site based on whether they pass or fail the recommended thresholds for each metric.
How to Address Core Web Vitals Issues:
- Identify Pages with Issues:
- Use the Core Web Vitals report in GSC to identify specific pages that have performance issues.
- Use PageSpeed Insights:
- Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool (https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights) can provide additional insights and suggestions for optimizing pages based on Core Web Vitals.
- Optimize Page Performance:
- Address issues such as slow loading times, large images, or elements causing layout shifts. Optimize your website’s code, images, and resources to improve performance.
- Leverage Web Performance Tools:
- Consider using web performance tools and frameworks to monitor and improve your site’s loading speed and overall user experience.
- Regularly Monitor and Update:
- Regularly monitor Core Web Vitals in GSC and other performance tools. Update your website as needed to maintain a positive page experience.
Please note that the information provided here is based on my knowledge as of January 2022, and Google may introduce updates or changes to Core Web Vitals or Google Search Console after this date.
Go to the next chapter. Enhancement Reports