Core Web Vitals: How it affects your Search Engine Ranking.
Article — Core Web Vitals play a crucial role in determining how well a website meets user expectations, and as a result, they have a direct impact on search engine ranking. Google introduced Core Web Vitals as part of its broader initiative called the Page Experience Update, and these are integral metrics influencing Google's search ranking algorithm.
Posted by Renae Casey
16.02.2024
Everyone is vying for that elusive first-place organic result on Google because ranking in the top position earns you a 39.8% click-through rate. 75% of users don’t even view second-page results!
So, what can you do to lift your organic results?
One of the key tactics in boosting your organic results is improving your website for an optimal
What are Core Web Vitals?
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LCP = Largest Content Paint
Measures the time it takes for the largest content element of a webpage to become visible. This metric is important because it indicates how quickly a visitor sees that the URL is actually loading.
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FID = First Input Delay
Gauges the responsiveness of a webpage by measuring the time between a user's first interaction and the browser's response. This is important on pages where the user needs to take action because it measures the time it takes to respond.
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CLS = Cumulative Layout Shift
Quantifies the visual stability of a webpage by measuring unexpected layout shifts during page loading. This is important because having page elements shift while a user is trying to interact with it is considered a bad user experience.
The Significance of Core Web Vitals in SEO
Google's Page Experience Update underscores the importance of user experience in search rankings. Core Web Vitals directly influence SEO in the following ways:
1. Improved User Experience
Websites optimised for Core Web Vitals provide fast-loading, responsive, and visually stable pages, enhancing user satisfaction and engagement.
2. Search Engine Algorithm Updates
Google's algorithm prioritises websites offering the best user experience. Core Web Vitals have become integral to SEO strategies as search engines evolve.
3. Mobile-First Indexing
With mobile-first indexing, mobile optimisation and adherence to Core Web Vitals standards become crucial for higher search rankings.
4. Competitive Advantage
Websites optimising for Core Web Vitals gain a competitive edge, standing out in search results and attracting a larger audience.
Tools to check your website's Core Web Vitals
Effective optimisation requires the use of various tools for monitoring and analysing website performance. We’ve put together our top three resources to check your website’s performance that will also provide suggestions for improvements.
⏲️ Google PageSpeed Insights: Provides a comprehensive analysis of webpage performance, including Core Web Vitals metrics, and offers suggestions for improvement.
💡Lighthouse: An open-source tool that audits web pages for performance, accessibility, and SEO that generates reports with actionable insights for optimising Core Web Vitals.
🔎Search Console: Includes a Core Web Vitals report highlighting performance issues, offering specific recommendations for improvement and tracks progress over time.
Conclusion:
A good Core Web Vitals score is essential for a strong online presence. It can be the difference between ranking high up in Google’s first-page results or falling to second or third-page results. And, let’s be honest, the fight for ranking is real. If you’re not doing everything you can to improve your ranking, you can rest assured that your competitors are.
Regular monitoring and analysis using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, and Google Search Console provide crucial feedback and recommendations to help improve your Core Web Vitals score to give you a competitive advantage.
