Core Web Vitals, or Core Web Metrics, is a set of metrics developed by Google. The changes were implemented in August 2021 and aim to increase the quality of the results presented and improve the user experience. What exactly are Core Web Vitals and how do you measure them? How do Core Web Vitals indicators affect the ranking of pages indexed by Google's robot? We invite you to read the article!
Core Web Vitals - what is it?
Core Web Vitalis is a detailed guideline developed by Google's developers. The main task is to verify that a website is comfortable to use. This is about the UX (User Experience) aspect of the user experience.
Core Web Vitalis - right along with security, encrypted connection, RWD and the absence of intrusive adverts - have become an essential building block for a website. This means that the user and his or her satisfaction have a significant impact on the site's position in search results.
User experience is measured in aspects such as:
- charging time,
- interactivity,
- charging stability.
Data is collected separately for mobile and desktop devices.
We can distinguish between 3 Core Web Vitals, or rather 3 main indicators - LCP, FID and CLS. It is also important to mention the four complementary Core Web Vitals. These include TTFB (Time to First Byte), FCP (First Contentful Paint), TTI (Time to Interactive) and TBT (Total Blocking Time).
In order to improve the usability of your website and increase its position on search pages (known as SERPs), you only need to focus on 3 basic factors:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) - the largest content rendered. This is a metric that measures the time from the start of the site loading until the largest element on the page is rendered (this can be a block of text, a graphic or a video). LCP should load within 2.5 seconds.
- FID (First Input Delay) - first action delay. It is an indicator that shows the interactivity of a website. FID is the time elapsed from the moment the page starts loading until the page is fully interactive. It should ideally be within 100 milliseconds.
-
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) - measures the visual stability of the page layout. It determines the sum of shifts visible during page loading. A high CLS results in accidental clicks due to unexpected shifts on the page.
What does it mean for Core Web Vitals to be a ranking factor?
Google's complex search system is responsible for a series of algorithms that - in a nutshell - are used to analyse the information contained on pages. These are combinations of formulas, processes and rules that determine the ranking of search results. With their help, the search engine evaluates the content of web pages and then displays them in a specific order. In order to continuously improve the search engine results, the algorithms are constantly updated.
Examples of Google's algorithms are: PageRank (created first), Google Panda, Google Penguin, Google Hummingbird, Mobilegeddon or RankBrain. In March 2022. Google confirmed the introduction of Core Web Vitals into the algorithm. Thus, Core Web Vitals became one of the ranking factors.
Nevertheless, Google's browser still appreciates sites that contain the best general information and that represent a high value to the audience. Although Core Web Vitalis have become very important, loading times, for example, do not determine the quality of the entire site.
It is worth recalling that we do not know the full list of factors that determine a website's ranking position. According to the theories of various SEO specialists, there may be a dozen, several dozen or even several hundred different algorithms. The introduction of elements of machine learning has meant that the number of algorithms is steadily increasing and is determined by a machine rather than a human. 
How to measure Core Web Vitals?
Basic Internet Indicators can be measured in two ways. The primary sources of information are:
- Laboratory data (lab data) - measurements made with specialised tools. They predict the experience of a potential user. They can be found in Page Speed Insights, in the Lighthouse tool in Google Dev Tools, GTMetrix or in Web Dev.
- Collected data (field data) - collected on the basis of real user behaviour. They show the average of Core Web Vitalis indicators over the last 28 days. They are measured with the help of the Google PageSpeed Insights tool and Google Search Console.
Basic web indicators - what to use them for?
Using the tools mentioned above, it is easy to generate reports for mobile devices and computers. In the case of Core Web Vitals, a Google test will analyse each page. The reports contain detailed information about the anomalies that occur.
A high score indicates that no action is required. A low score means that you are dealing with a poor quality page with a high rejection rate. The tips provided will help you to effectively optimise the elements that need fine-tuning.
Core Web Vitals - what and how to use knowledge of site speed and performance for?
Core Web Vitals are of great importance, especially for those running an online business. Attracting customers and making a profit sometimes depends on a website's Google ranking position and ease of use.
Today, the majority of web users access the Internet via a smartphone. Website owners need to make an effort to ensure that they are easily accessible to every user, regardless of phone model or data transfer speed. If a page loads slowly, most potential customers will simply return to the search results and check another position.
Choose InPost Subscriptions for businesses and send parcels at a fixed price.
Take one minute to leave your contact details and start sending parcels from as low as 11.89 PLN*.
- One contract for courier and Paczkomat shipments
- Free courier pickups
- Express delivery
- Price guarantee for the duration of the contract
- Fuel surcharge included
- Dedicated post-sale support
* Net price per Paczkomat shipment in the Subscription 600 plan.
Czytaj również
