What Are Core Web Vitals and How Do They Affect SEO?
Core Web Vitals are part of a series of indicators created by Google to measure the quality of user experience on a website. These metrics aim to assess how fast, responsive, and stable a site is when accessed by visitors. Core Web Vitals are important because Google uses these indicators as a determining factor for SEO rankings, meaning that sites with better performance tend to rank higher in search results.
Let’s take a deeper look at what metrics are in Core Web Vitals and how we can optimize them.
1. Loading Speed: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the time it takes for a site to display the main elements (such as images or primary text) on a user’s screen. A good LCP means that a site can display the main elements in less than 2.5 seconds from the time the page starts loading.
Why is this important? Loading speed plays a big role in making a good first impression. If your site takes too long to load, visitors may leave the page quickly.
How to Optimize LCP:
- Use fast and reliable servers.
- Compress images to make them smaller without sacrificing quality.
- Use lazy loading techniques so that images at the bottom are only loaded when the user scrolls to them.
- Reduce the use of heavy elements such as unnecessary JavaScript.
2. Interactivity: First Input Delay (FID)
First Input Delay (FID) is the time it takes for a site to respond when a user first interacts with it (for example, when they click a button or link). Google recommends an FID of under 100 milliseconds to provide a fast and responsive experience.
Why is this important? A low FID indicates that your site is responsive, which gives a positive impression and makes it easier for visitors to interact.
How to Optimize FID:
- Minimize heavy JavaScript that can interfere with response times.
- Use code-splitting techniques, which divide the code into small parts that are only loaded when needed.
- Avoid using third-party scripts that are too heavy.
3. Visual Stability: Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures the stability of a page’s appearance during loading. A high CLS means that page elements (such as images or buttons) shift frequently while the page is loading, which can lead to visitors misclicking.
Why is this important? A stable page display makes visitors feel more comfortable and avoids misclicks. A site that changes frequently while loading can frustrate visitors.
How to Optimize CLS:
- Specify a definite size for the image or video so that other elements are not pushed aside when the content loads.
- Avoid displaying pop-up ads that appear suddenly and shift other elements.
- Use CSS transform instead of position change for animations, for a smoother look.
Why are Core Web Vitals Important for SEO?
Google emphasizes the importance of a good user experience. By using Core Web Vitals as one of the SEO factors, Google wants to ensure that the sites displayed in search results provide a pleasant experience for visitors. Sites that perform high in Core Web Vitals have a greater chance of rising in search results.
How to Check and Fix Core Web Vitals?
You can use several tools from Google to check your site’s performance:
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Provides a comprehensive report on Core Web Vitals and improvement suggestions.
- Google Search Console: Track Core Web Vitals performance on the site as a whole.
- Lighthouse (di browser Chrome): Test performance directly in the browser with full assessment.
Core Web Vitals is Google’s way of assessing the quality of user experience on your site, including speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. By optimizing LCP, FID, and CLS, you not only improve user experience but also increase your site’s chances of ranking higher in Google search results.
Optimizing Core Web Vitals may take time and effort, but the results are worth it for the long-term growth of your SEO.
