What Are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are 3 measurements that Google uses to check if your website gives users a good experience.
Think of them like a report card for your website’s performance.
Why Do They Matter?
- Google uses them to rank websites in search results
- Better scores = higher rankings = more visitors
- Poor scores = lower rankings = fewer visitors
How Many Core Web Vitals Are There?
Answer: 3 measurements
- LCP – How fast your page loads
- INP – How fast your page responds to clicks
- CLS – How stable your page layout is
Measurement 1: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
What Does LCP Mean?
LCP measures how long it takes for the biggest thing on your page to load.
What is the “biggest thing”?
- Your main image
- Your headline text
- Your hero banner
- Any large content users see first
What’s a Good Score?
- Good: 2.5 seconds or less
- Bad: More than 2.5 seconds
How to Fix Slow LCP:
Fix 1: Make Images Smaller
- Compress your images
- Use WebP format instead of JPG/PNG
- Don’t use huge image files
Fix 2: Get Better Hosting
- Use faster web hosting
- Use a CDN (content delivery network)
- Upgrade your hosting plan
Fix 3: Remove Slow Code
- Delete unused plugins
- Remove unnecessary JavaScript
- Clean up your CSS
Fix 4: Load Important Things First
- Preload your main image
- Load critical content before everything else
Measurement 2: INP (Interaction to Next Paint)
What Does INP Mean?
INP measures how fast your website responds when someone clicks or taps something.
What Gets Measured?
- Clicking buttons
- Filling out forms
- Tapping menu items
- Any interaction with your page
What’s a Good Score?
- Good: 200 milliseconds or less
- Bad: More than 200 milliseconds
How to Fix Slow INP:
Fix 1: Reduce Heavy Scripts
- Remove unnecessary JavaScript
- Delete unused tracking codes
- Limit third-party tools (ads, widgets, etc.)
Fix 2: Make Code More Efficient
- Optimize your JavaScript
- Break up long-running processes
- Use better coding practices
Fix 3: Enable Caching
- Turn on browser caching
- Use server caching
- Implement CDN caching
Measurement 3: CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
What Does CLS Mean?
CLS measures how much your page layout jumps around while loading.
What Causes Layout Jumping?
- Images that load without set sizes
- Ads that appear and push content down
- Fonts that change size during loading
- Content that appears unexpectedly
What’s a Good Score?
- Good: 0.1 or less
- Bad: More than 0.1
How to Fix Layout Jumping:
Fix 1: Set Image Sizes
- Always specify width and height for images
- Reserve space for images before they load
- Use proper image dimensions
Fix 2: Handle Fonts Properly
- Preload your custom fonts
- Set fallback fonts
- Prevent font size changes
Fix 3: Control Dynamic Content
- Reserve space for ads
- Don’t insert content above existing content
- Use placeholders while content loads
How to Test Your Website
Free Tools You Can Use:
1. Google PageSpeed Insights
- Go to: pagespeed.web.dev
- Type in your website URL
- Click “Analyze”
- Get scores for all 3 measurements
2. Google Search Console
- Log into your Search Console account
- Look for “Core Web Vitals” report
- See which pages need fixing
What the Scores Mean:
- Green = Good (You’re doing well)
- Yellow = Needs Improvement (You should fix this)
- Red = Poor (You must fix this)
Final Goal
Get all 3 measurements in the green zone:
- LCP under 2.5 seconds
- INP under 200 milliseconds
- CLS under 0.1
When you achieve this, your website will:
- Load faster for users
- Respond quickly to clicks
- Stay stable while loading
- Rank better in Google search results
General Questions
What is CWV testing?
CWV testing evaluates your website’s performance based on Google’s Core Web Vitals: LCP (loading), INP (interactivity), and CLS (visual stability).
Tools you can use:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- Google Search Console
- Chrome DevTools (Lighthouse)
What is group population in Core Web Vitals?
It refers to the set of real user data collected from Chrome users (CrUX dataset). Google uses this data to determine whether your pages meet performance standards for most visitors.
How do I pass Core Web Vitals?
To pass, your site must meet these targets:
- LCP: ≤ 2.5 seconds
- INP: ≤ 200 ms
- CLS: ≤ 0.1
Optimize images, hosting, code, and layout to improve your scores.
Optimization & Fixes
How do I fix Core Web Vitals issues?
Fixes depend on the metric:
- LCP: Compress images, reduce server response time, use lazy loading
- INP: Minimize JavaScript, reduce third-party scripts
- CLS: Set image sizes, preload fonts, reserve ad space
How do I improve Core Web Vitals scores?
- Use fast hosting and a CDN
- Optimize images and video
- Remove unused JavaScript/CSS
- Minimize layout shifts
- Prioritize above-the-fold content
SEO Impact
Are Core Web Vitals part of technical SEO?
Yes. Core Web Vitals are considered part of technical SEO under Google’s Page Experience signals.
Do Core Web Vitals affect SEO?
Yes. Better scores improve rankings, especially on mobile. Poor scores can hurt visibility, traffic, and user experience.
What affects SEO score?
Key factors include:
- Core Web Vitals performance
- Content quality and relevance
- Mobile-friendliness
- Page speed
- HTTPS and secure browsing
- Site architecture and crawlability
What are SEO performance metrics?
These are key indicators of search performance:
- Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS)
- Organic traffic
- Bounce rate
- Time on page
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Keyword rankings
- Conversion rate
Advanced Metrics (Optional for Developers)
What is TBT (Total Blocking Time)?
TBT measures how long the page is blocked from responding to user input during loading. It helps diagnose responsiveness issues related to INP.
What is TBT used for?
It identifies delays caused by JavaScript or long tasks that block the browser from handling user actions. Lower TBT means better interactivity.
What is Speed Index (SI)?
Speed Index shows how quickly your page content is visually displayed. A lower Speed Index indicates faster loading experience.
What is a good Speed Index?
- Under 3 seconds: Excellent
- Under 4 seconds: Acceptable
- Over 4 seconds: Needs improvement
How do I calculate TTFB?
TTFB (Time to First Byte) is the time taken for the browser to receive the first byte from the server. Tools like GTmetrix, PageSpeed Insights, or Pingdom can measure it.
What is DCL (DOMContentLoaded)?
DCL marks when the HTML is fully loaded and parsed. A fast DCL helps reduce loading delays and contributes to better LCP.
Conclusion (for blog or landing page):
Optimizing your website for Core Web Vitals isn’t just about speed—it’s about delivering a seamless experience that both users and Google value. At PEAKONTECH, we specialize in performance optimization and SEO strategies that help you meet Google’s standards while growing your traffic. Follow this guide, aim for all-green scores, and let your website performance speak for itself.
PEAKONTECH is a data-driven digital marketing agency offering full-stack services including SEO, paid ads, web design, CRO, and e-commerce development. From Shopify to WordPress, and from social media to automation — our team helps brands grow smarter and scale faster across every digital touchpoint.
