Core Web Vitals are specific factors that Google considers essential in a webpage’s overall user experience. Launched as part of Google’s page experience signals, these vitals are part of Google’s efforts to quantify and improve the web user experience. They include three main metrics:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): This measures loading performance. To provide a good user experience, LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of when the page first starts loading.
- First Input Delay (FID): This measures interactivity. Pages should have an FID of less than 100 milliseconds for a good user experience.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): This measures visual stability. To ensure a good user experience, pages should maintain a CLS of less than 0.1.
Why are Core Web Vitals Important for SEO?
Google has always emphasized the importance of user experience, and Core Web Vitals are directly tied to this. Pages that rank higher often provide a seamless, efficient, and enjoyable experience to users. By incorporating these metrics into their ranking algorithms, Google ensures that users find the most relevant content and the most user-friendly pages.
The Interplay Between Core Web Vitals and UX
UX in SEO is more than aesthetics; it’s about the overall satisfaction and ease of use a visitor experiences on your site. Core Web Vitals are technical measurements that directly affect how a user perceives the website. For example:
- LCP: A quick LCP ensures that the user sees the essential content of your page without delay, reducing bounce rates.
- FID: A low FID means your site is responsive to user interactions, which is crucial for a positive user experience.
- CLS: Minimal CLS prevents unexpected layout shifts that can be frustrating and lead to a poor user experience.
Improving Core Web Vitals and UX
Improving these metrics often involves technical SEO work, including:
- Optimizing Image and Video Files: Reducing file sizes without compromising quality to improve LCP.
- Minimizing JavaScript Execution: Reducing the amount of JavaScript needed for a page to load can enhance FID.
- Ensuring Responsive and Stable Design: Using modern CSS techniques to prevent layout shifts, thus improving CLS.