Core Web Vitals are a set of three metrics that Google uses to measure the user experience of web pages. These metrics are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): This metric measures how long it takes for the largest content element on a page to load.
- First Input Delay (FID): This metric measures how long it takes for the browser to respond to the user’s first interaction with a page.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): This metric measures how much a page’s layout shifts as it loads.
Google considers Core Web Vitals to be important because they can have a significant impact on the user experience of a web page. A page that loads slowly, is unresponsive, or has a layout that shifts unexpectedly is likely to frustrate users and lead to them abandoning the page.
Why Core Web Vitals are important for SEO
In June 2021, Google announced that Core Web Vitals would become a ranking factor. This means that pages that have good Core Web Vitals will rank higher in search results than pages that have poor Core Web Vitals.
This is because Google wants to provide users with the best possible search experience. And users are more likely to have a good search experience if they are able to find pages that load quickly, are responsive, and have a layout that does not shift unexpectedly.
How to Improve Your Core Web Vitals
There are a number of things that you can do to improve your Core Web Vitals. Here are a few tips:
- Optimize your images: Images can be a major source of slow page loading times. You can optimize your images by compressing them and using the correct file format.
- Use a caching plugin: A caching plugin can help to speed up your page loading times by storing static copies of your pages.
- Reduce your JavaScript and CSS code: Too much JavaScript and CSS code can slow down your page loading times. You can reduce your JavaScript and CSS code by minifying and combining it.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN): A CDN can help to improve your page loading times by serving your content from servers that are located close to your users.
You can use tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights to test your Core Web Vitals and get recommendations on how to improve them.
Conclusion
Core Web Vitals are important for both users and SEO. By improving your Core Web Vitals, you can provide your users with a better experience and improve your search engine rankings.
Here are some additional tips for improving your Core Web Vitals:
- Use a fast and reliable web hosting provider.
- Keep your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date.
- Avoid using too many third-party plugins and scripts.
- Test your website regularly on different devices and browsers.
By following these tips, you can improve your Core Web Vitals and provide your users with a better experience.