Core Web Vitals: what it is, key metrics, and how they work

Google regularly releases new and improved old algorithms to improve the quality of its search engine. So, in the summer of 2021, Core Web Vitals metrics were launched. What they affect and how to test and improve them — let’s discuss in the material.

What is Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals is a set of metrics for measuring user’s experience, on which depends website optimization. It includes three parameters — speed, interactivity, and stability of website’s layout.

Why does your website need Core Web Vitals

Google is interested in quality content and aims to ensure that search engine results meet users’ needs. If a person receives relevant content, he will return and will not look for other search engines to replace it. At the same time, Google gets paid for advertising: the more views, the better. Therefore, it is important for the company that users stay on the websites as long as possible, as advertising banners also bring income.

It may seem that in such way, Google makes the work of webmasters and website owners more difficult. However, in reality, with the right approach, it will benefit everyone. A convenient and fast website will get higher positions and will attract more users.

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Main metrics

As mentioned above, Google’s Core Web Vitals includes three metrics.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

LCP metrics is aimed for measuring download speed. Although Google’s algorithm used to be important as well, the search engine will now focus more on it. The best time to open a page is 2.5 seconds. The average value is from 2.5 to 4 seconds. At the same time, web resources that open for more than four seconds will be lower in search results.

First Input Delay (FID)

FID metric counts the time the user waits after clicking on the website and until the browser interacts. With the growth of this indicator, the number of failures increases. Yes, the user does not want to wait long, so goes to competing pages. A value of more than 300 milliseconds is considered critical.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

CLS is the third metric of Google Core Web Vitals search algorithm. It means the time during which all page’s elements load and stop shifting relative to each other. When a user quickly presses a button or link on a page, and it moves down or to the right at the last minute, he gets what he didn’t plan. This is due to the fact that the dimensions of some elements are not immediately determined and, as they are loading, they visually move other blocks.

Checking website’s metrics

You can test Google Core Web Vitals algorithms with several services:

1. Google Search Console Report. It can be seen in «Quality» section. The report provides an opportunity to learn about the compliance level of web pages with CWV metrics.
2. PageSpeed ​​Insights. The information is collected in the report. You can see which parameters need improvement by color.
3. Lighthouse. This service helps to comprehensively assess the performance of the website on many parameters and gives advice on improving the speed and usability of the website.
4. Chrome Dev Tools. This service is available for use in Chrome browser.
5. Chrome Web Vitals extension. For example, Chrome Dev Tools service will also allow you to perform diagnostics in Chrome browser.
6. Screaming Frog. With the help of this service, you can provide a quality SEO audit. However, this tool is paid.

How to improve metrics for new Google algorithm

In order the website meets Google’s new search algorithms, SEO specialist, web developer or website owner should: 

• optimize server performance;
• reduce the number of user’s requests to the database; 
• compress photos and format them; 
• use CDN;
• find problematic web page templates and optimize them; 
• set the dimensions of layout elements;
• optimize JavaScript code by compressing, caching, and cleaning from scripts;
• use only quality hosting;
• try to use redirects;
• enable Gzip scripts to compress data.

Though it takes time to update Google 2022 metrics algorithm, improving them will help you get higher in search engine rankings.