Introduction – IMPROVE WEBSITE speed + performance
Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics developed by Google to assess the quality of user experience on web pages, focusing on loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. These metrics are crucial for understanding how users perceive the performance of your website and are integral to search engine rankings. It’s fair to say it is a pretty boring set of acronyms and technical jargon to get your head around. In this blog I will explain more about what the three metrics are and interpret this with a more playful analogy to help you understand what they mean.
The three primary Core Web Vitals
#1 Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
Measures loading performance
It indicates the time taken for the largest content element (such as an image or large text block) to become visible within the viewport. A good LCP score is 2.5 seconds or less.
How fast your main dish arrives
Imagine you sit down at a restaurant, order your main meal, and now you’re waiting. LCP measures how quickly that big, satisfying plate of food (the main content on your website) arrives. If it takes too long, you might get impatient and leave. Ideally, your “meal” (website content) should arrive within 2.5 seconds to keep customers happy.
CAPTION: Core web vitals before and after a website rebuild.
This website’s performance jumped from 64 to 94—proof that small optimisations make a BIG difference.
#2 interaction to next paint (inp)
Assesses user interaction time
Assesses interactivity by measuring the time between a user’s interaction (like clicking a button) and the browser’s response. An optimal INP score is 200 milliseconds or less.
How quickly the waiter responds
You raise your hand to ask for extra sauce or the bill—how long does it take for the waiter to acknowledge and respond? If the waiter is slow, it’s frustrating. INP measures how fast your website reacts when a user clicks a button or interacts with something. Ideally, this should be under 200 milliseconds for a smooth experience.
CAPTION: A slow website can frustrate visitors and make them leave.
Optimising load time ensures your key content appears fast—keeping users engaged!
#3 Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
Visual stability as the page loads
Evaluates visual stability by quantifying unexpected layout shifts during the page load. A favorable CLS score is 0.1 or less.
How stable your table is
Imagine you’re about to take a sip of your drink, but suddenly, the table wobbles and spills it everywhere. Far from ideal? CLS measures how much the layout of your website shifts unexpectedly while loading—like buttons moving or images suddenly shifting, causing accidental clicks. A stable website (with a CLS score of 0.1 or less) ensures a frustration-free user experience.
CAPTION: A stable website layout prevents these frustrating shifts, making for a smoother browsing experience!
Conclusion
Improving core web vital metrics will lead to a better experience for your visitors. And potentially enhances your site’s visibility in search engine results because Google favours faster loading websites.
Bottom line: If your website loads fast, responds quickly, and doesn’t shift around unexpectedly, visitors will have a smooth and enjoyable experience—just like a well-run restaurant! 🍽️🚀