Core Web Vitals encompass three metrics to measure page experience: loading speeds, interactivity, and visual stability. Each of these important factors is essential in providing users with an optimal online experience. They are an initiative by Google to help publishers deliver a great user experience on the web.
The goal of Core Web Vitals is to make the web more user-friendly by giving publishers feedback on how their pages are loading and interacting with users. This feedback can be used to improve the user experience on your site.
Publishers who deliver a great user experience on their pages will see an overall ranking boost on Google Search. In addition, pages with good Core Web Vitals scores will be eligible for a new “Page Experience” signal in Google Search rankings.
How do Core Web Vitals Affect User Experience?
Core Web Vitals influence the user experience both indirectly and directly. Indirectly, having an optimized page can reduce the load time and allow users to get to the content they’re looking for faster. This, in turn, reduces the user’s frustration, leading to a better overall experience.
On a more direct level, the Core Web Vitals measure how the page looks and feels. This includes page responsiveness, visual stability, and interactivity. If a page takes too long to load, users may be less likely to stay and interact further. They will become frustrated and leave your landing page soon. Similarly, if a page is too slow to respond or feels “janky”, the user experience will be poor.
Therefore, it is important to the Core Web Vitals in order to create a positive user experience.
Core Web Vitals to measure UX
The Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure the quality of user experience on a website. They include factors such as loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Google has announced that these metrics will be used as ranking factors in its search algorithm, so it’s important for website owners to pay attention to them.
There are three main metrics in the Core Web Vitals:
* Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): These measures how long it takes to load the largest content of the web page
* First Input Delay (FID): These measures how long it takes for a page to become interactive, after a user initiates an action, such as clicking a button.
* Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): These measures how much the layout of a page shifts during loading.
Google has announced that these metrics will be used as ranking factors in its search algorithm, so it’s important for website owners to pay attention to them.
The Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures how long it takes for the main content of a page to load. The First Input Delay (FID) measures how long it takes for a page to become interactive, after a user initiates an action such as clicking a button. The Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures how much the layout of a page shifts during loading.
Google has said that these metrics are important for the user experience of a website
What can you do to Improve your Core Web Vitals?
Improving your Core Web Vitals can be done through a combination of page optimization and performance optimization.
For page optimization, the focus should be on reducing the page’s size, making sure the page has been compressed, optimizing images and other media, and removing any unnecessary third-party plugins.
For performance optimization, you should consider using a content delivery network, caching resources, and upgrading any outdated frameworks or libraries. Additionally, you should audit your code for any potential errors that could be slowing down your site.
Make sure to measure your Core Web Vitals regularly to ensure that you are meeting the criteria. This can be done with the help of tools such as Google’s PageSpeed Insights, Chrome’s Lighthouse, and WebPageTest.
Why are Core Web Vitals Important for SEO?
Core Web Vitals are essential for SEO because they affect user experience. User experience is vital for SEO because search engine algorithms are designed to assess how much users enjoy using a website. Core Web Vitals measure user experience in terms of page load time, interactivity, and visual stability. If a website has a slow load time, is not interactive, or has a cluttered design, users are likely to leave and not return, resulting in fewer visits and a lower ranking in search engine results.
Core Web Vitals also help websites to deliver the best possible experience for their target audience. When users have a smooth, responsive, and visually appealing experience, it will result in more visits, longer visits, and repeat visits. All of these factors can positively impact SEO ranking and help a website climb up in the search engine results pages.
How to Monitor your Core Web Vitals?
Monitoring and improving your Core Web Vital metrics is essential for providing a positive user experience.
- Monitor the metrics on a continual basis. Use tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights and Web Vitals to keep an eye on your page’s performance and see where improvements can be made.
- Optimize page speed. There are many factors that affect page speed, such as server response time, content delivery network, and page size. Make sure these factors are optimized to improve page speed.
- Reduce the number of elements on the page. Simplifying the design of your page can help improve its load time, resulting in a positive user experience.
- Monitor third-party scripts. Third-party scripts, such as analytics and ads, can slow down your website and disrupt the user experience. Make sure they are properly optimized.
- Optimize your images. Images can quickly increase a page’s size, resulting in a slower page speed. Use tools such as WP Smush to reduce the size of your images automatically.
Conclusion
All web developers and designers should understand the importance of core web vitals and their impact on the user experience. While monitoring and improving core web vitals isn’t the only thing you need to do to create a positive user experience, they are an important part of the equation.
By following these tips we mentioned in our blog, you can better monitor your core web vitals and see where improvements can be made. Optimizing page speed, reducing the number of elements on the page, monitoring third-party scripts, optimizing images, and using tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights and Web Vitals can help you create a positive user experience.
