What Are Core Web Vitals?
Google’s Core Web Vitals are a collective of three metrics that measure the user experience performance of a page.
They are a key part of page experience signals and by extension signals that can influence ranking in Google.
Core Web Vitals are made up of the following three metrics:
- LCP: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – loading speed
- INP: Interaction To Next Paint (INP) – interactivity
- CLS: Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – visual stability
Optimizing these metrics can improve your site’s visibility in search results.
However, the primary advantage is driving higher conversions, as 70% of consumers say page speed influences their decision to buy from an online retailer, and a 0.1-second improvement in site speed has been shown to increase conversions by 8.4%.
What Are Core Web Vitals Scores?
Core Web Vitals scores are categorized as “Good,” “Needs Improvement,” or “Poor.”
These scores help understand a site’s performance in delivering a good user experience.
| Core Web Vital | Good | Needs Improvement | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) | ≤ 2.5 seconds | 2.5 – 4 seconds | > 4 seconds |
| First Input Delay (FID) | ≤ 100 milliseconds | 100 – 300 milliseconds | > 300 milliseconds |
| Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) | ≤ 0.1 | 0.1 – 0.25 | > 0.25 |
To understand everything you need to know about Core Web Vitals as an SEO professional and digital marketer, read our chapters.
FAQ
How are Core Web Vitals Assessed?
Core Web Vitals are assessed on a per-page basis. These metrics are measured at the 75th percentile of page loads for both mobile and desktop users separately.
Will My Ranking Decline if Core Web Vitals Assessment Fails?
It’s difficult to make any kind of general prediction. Keep in mind that the content itself and its match to the kind of information a user is seeking remains a very strong signal as well.
How Important Is Page Experience Compared to Content Relevance?
According to Google, relevance is still far more important. So, just because your website is faster regarding Core Web Vitals than some competitors doesn’t necessarily mean you will jump to position number one in the search results.
Lab Data vs. Field Data: What's the Difference?
Lab data is collected in a specific environment using set network conditions and devices. However, it doesn’t always reflect real life scenarios because it doesn’t take into account factors such as user device types, network speeds, or geographic locations.
Field data reflects real user experiences and is used to measure how your site performs in the real world. Both are important for a complete analysis.
Do "noindex" pages affect Core Web Vitals?
No. Google uses the CrUX dataset to assess Core Web Vitals, which gathers data only from pages that are publicly discoverable and meet indexing criteria. Therefore, “noindex” pages do not affect these metrics because they are not included in the CrUX dataset.