THE IMPORTANCE OF CORE WEB VITALS AND THE IMPACT ON SEO RANKING
Website owners and developers should all be familiarised with Google’s performance metrics to guarantee user satisfaction and a high search engine ranking. Understanding the performance metrics allows you to identify and rectify any performance issues. If you want to increase your website’s visibility, create a seamless user experience, and gain favour with Google, then you must focus on what matters most- Google’s Core Web Vitals metric.
What are Core Web Vitals?
Website user experience is assessed by Google’s performance metric – Core Web Vitals. By utilizing Core Web Vitals, you can access your score and find valuable insights into the user’s overall page experience of your website. Page experience includes the website’s page loading time, responsive interactivity, and visual stability. This performance metric is so beneficial because it provides an exact score, which will help you determine where improvements need to be made. Once you have analysed the scores, you can begin optimising your website to create an enhanced user experience. A positive experience will keep potential customers glued to the website. The longer users are on your website, the higher the chances they will become a customer.
The impact on SEO ranking
Receiving good scores from Google enhances your website’s SEO, as user experience carries a lot of weight in the ranking algorithm. (If you don’t know about the importance of SEO ranking click the article here.)
Websites that deliver a superior user experience are more likely to achieve higher positions in search engine results. So, understanding and bettering your Core Web Vitals will impact your SEO ranking as it can cause an increase in website traffic and help you gain a competitive edge in Google’s search results.
The three Core Web Vitals
1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP):
The Largest Contentful Paint measures how quickly the main content on the website takes to load. This essentially means the speed at which the largest element or text block loads and becomes visible to the user. A good LCP score means that the user’s attention is instantly engaged, and they feel compelled to stay on the web page. A good score is if it takes within 2.5 seconds or less, as anything longer will not captivate the user. An LCP exceeding 4 seconds is considered a bad score and needs immediate attention and rectification.
2. First Input Delay (FID):
First Input Delay measures the user’s “first impression” of the website. This is the user’s first interaction, whether it is a click on a link, a button, or selecting the menu. The time between their first interaction with the website and the browser’s response time to that action is measured. The key is to have a responsive website when the user engages. For a smooth interaction, a good FID score is if the website’s response time is less than 100 milliseconds. Anything between 100 to 300 milliseconds needs improvement, and anything exceeding 300 milliseconds is a poor score.
3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS):
The Cumulative Layout Shift metric assesses the stability of the website. The website should strive to have visual stability during loading so they can provide the user with a visually consistent experience. It is not uncommon nor unexpected for layouts to shift. However, it is visually frustrating for users, and they will likely leave the page. For creating a good user experience, the CLS score should be less than 0.1. A score between 0.1 to 0.25 needs rectification, and a score exceeding 0.25 is tracking poorly.
Now that you are familiar with Google’s core web vitals metrics, it’s time to examine how your website has scored.
If you need assistance in assessing or improving your website’s performance, Contact us at the Digital Age for a 30-minute free consultation.