What is Core web vital? Guide to optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience) A-Z

Welcome to this comprehensive guide on optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience) through Core Web Vitals. As the world of digital marketing continues to evolve, it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and techniques for improving website performance. Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that Google uses to measure user experience on a website. By optimizing these metrics, you can improve your website's ranking on search engine results pages and ultimately attract more traffic to your site. In this post, we'll delve into what Core Web Vitals are, why they're important, how to measure them, and tips for improving each metric. We'll also discuss other factors to consider for optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience), as well as tools for measuring and optimizing Core Web Vitals. Let's get started!

1. Understanding Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that Google uses to measure the user experience of a website. These metrics consist of three key components: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). LCP measures the time it takes for the largest piece of content on a page to load, FID measures the time it takes for a user to interact with a page, and CLS measures the visual stability of a page. In order to provide a better user experience, it is important for website owners to optimize these metrics. In the following sections, we will discuss the importance of optimizing Core Web Vitals for Google Page Speed (Experience), how to measure them, and various techniques for improving them.

2. Importance of Optimizing Core Web Vitals for Google Page Speed (Experience)

Optimizing Core Web Vitals is crucial to ensure a smooth and seamless user experience on your website. Google has recently announced that Core Web Vitals will become a ranking factor in May 2021, making it even more important to optimize your website's page speed. Google has always emphasized the importance of providing a satisfying user experience, and page speed is a critical component of that experience. If your website loads slowly or presents a poor user experience, users are likely to abandon your site, resulting in a higher bounce rate. By optimizing Core Web Vitals, you can enhance your website's user experience, increase engagement, and ultimately improve your search engine rankings.

Core Web Vitals consist of three metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Google uses these metrics to assess the loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability of your website. By optimizing each of these metrics, you can ensure that your website loads quickly, responds promptly to user interactions, and presents a visually stable layout. By providing a smooth and seamless user experience, you can reduce bounce rates, increase engagement, and ultimately drive more conversions.

To measure Core Web Vitals, you can use a variety of tools, including Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, and Lighthouse. These tools provide valuable insights into your website's performance and identify areas for improvement. By using these tools to measure and optimize your Core Web Vitals, you can ensure that your website is providing the best possible user experience.

In addition to Core Web Vitals, there are other factors to consider when optimizing for Google Page Speed (Experience). These include mobile optimization, HTTPS security, and user-centric design. By considering these factors, you can create a website that is fast, secure, and easy to use. Ultimately, by optimizing for Google Page Speed (Experience), you can enhance your website's user experience, improve your search engine rankings, and drive more conversions.

3. How to Measure Core Web Vitals?

To optimize Core Web Vitals for Google Page Speed (Experience), it is important to first measure them accurately. There are three main metrics to measure Core Web Vitals, including Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). LCP measures the loading performance of a web page, FID measures the interactivity of a web page, and CLS measures the visual stability of a web page.

To measure LCP, one can use tools such as PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or Google Search Console. These tools can provide detailed reports on LCP and suggest ways to improve it. Similarly, FID can be measured using the same tools. However, it is important to note that FID can only be measured when a user interacts with the web page, so it may not be possible to measure it accurately with automated tools. Finally, CLS can be measured using tools such as Lighthouse or Google Search Console. These tools can provide reports on CLS and suggest ways to improve it.

Overall, measuring Core Web Vitals accurately is essential for optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience). By using tools such as PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or Google Search Console, website owners can identify areas of improvement and make necessary changes to improve the user experience on their website.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is a Core Web Vital that measures the loading performance of the largest image or text block visible within the viewport. It reflects how long it takes for the main content of a webpage to load and become visible to the user. A good LCP score is less than 2.5 seconds. To improve LCP, there are several optimization techniques that can be applied, such as optimizing server response time, minimizing render-blocking resources, and optimizing images. By optimizing LCP, website owners can provide a better user experience for their visitors and potentially improve their search engine ranking.

First Input Delay (FID)

First Input Delay (FID) is a measure of the time taken by a web page to respond to the first interaction initiated by a user, such as clicking on a button or a link. It is an important Core Web Vital metric because it measures the responsiveness of a website to user input. A high FID score indicates that there is a delay in processing user input, which can lead to a poor user experience. To optimize FID, there are several steps that can be taken, such as minimizing JavaScript execution time, optimizing third-party code, and using a web worker. These steps will be discussed in detail in the following sub-sections.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is a crucial Core Web Vitals metric that measures the visual stability of a website. It assesses the degree of unexpected layout shifts that occur during the loading process of a page. CLS is calculated by multiplying the impact fraction (the proportion of the viewport affected by the shift) by the distance fraction (the distance of the shift). Websites with a high CLS score indicate a poor user experience, as it can lead to users clicking on the wrong element or losing their place on the page. Improving CLS can enhance user engagement and increase the chances of conversions. To improve CLS, implementing certain techniques such as reserving space for images and ads, using set size attribute for media, and avoiding injecting new content above existing content can significantly enhance the user experience.

4. Improving Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

To improve the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric, there are several steps that can be taken. First, optimizing server response time can help reduce the time it takes for the largest content element on the page to load. This can involve using a content delivery network (CDN), optimizing server software, and minimizing the distance between the server and the user.

Next, minimizing render-blocking resources can help improve LCP. This involves identifying and prioritizing critical resources such as CSS and JavaScript, and deferring non-critical resources until after the page has loaded. Additionally, optimizing images by compressing and resizing them can reduce their load time and improve LCP.

Overall, improving LCP involves optimizing the loading of the largest content element on the page, which can have a significant impact on user experience and search engine rankings.

Optimize server response time

To optimize server response time, it is important to first identify any potential issues that may be causing delays. One common issue is slow server processing, which can be improved by upgrading hosting plans or optimizing server configurations. Another issue may be related to large or unoptimized files, such as images or videos, that are taking too long to load. Compressing or resizing these files can help improve server response time. Additionally, using a content delivery network (CDN) can help distribute content to multiple servers around the world, reducing the distance between the user and server and improving response time.

Minimize render-blocking resources

To improve the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), it is important to minimize render-blocking resources. These are resources that prevent the browser from starting to display the page until they have been fully loaded. Examples of render-blocking resources include CSS and JavaScript files. To minimize these resources, it is recommended to use asynchronous loading or deferred loading techniques. Asynchronous loading allows resources to load in the background while the page continues to load, while deferred loading prioritizes the most important resources first before loading the rest. By minimizing render-blocking resources, the page can load faster and improve the overall user experience.

Optimize images

Optimizing images is an important factor in improving the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric of Core Web Vitals. Large images can slow down the loading speed of a website, leading to a poor user experience. To optimize images, there are several techniques that can be used such as compressing images, resizing them, and using the correct file format. By compressing images, the file size can be reduced without compromising on image quality. Resizing images to the appropriate dimensions can also significantly reduce the file size. Using the correct file format such as JPEG, PNG, or WebP can also help optimize images for the web. By optimizing images, loading speed can be improved, resulting in a better user experience and higher search engine rankings.

5. Improving First Input Delay (FID)

Improving First Input Delay (FID): First Input Delay (FID) measures the time it takes for a user's first interaction, such as clicking a button, to be processed by the browser. This delay can be frustrating for users, especially those on mobile devices with slower connections. To improve FID, there are several strategies that can be employed. These include minimizing JavaScript execution time, optimizing third-party code, and using a web worker. By implementing these strategies, website owners can reduce the time it takes for users to interact with their websites, leading to a better user experience and higher search rankings.

Minimize JavaScript execution time

To improve the First Input Delay (FID) metric, it's necessary to minimize JavaScript execution time. JavaScript is a powerful tool that can enhance interactivity and functionality of a website, but it can also be a bottleneck for page speed. When a user interacts with a website, JavaScript code needs to be executed, which can cause delays if the code is too complex or takes too long to run. The longer the JavaScript execution time, the longer the FID will be. Therefore, it's important to optimize JavaScript code to reduce the FID and improve the user experience.

Optimize third-party code

One important aspect of improving First Input Delay (FID) is optimizing third-party code. Third-party code can refer to any code that is loaded from an external source, such as advertising scripts or social media widgets. These scripts can significantly slow down a website's performance and increase FID.

Optimizing third-party code involves identifying which scripts are essential for the website's functionality and removing any unnecessary ones. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the necessary scripts are loaded asynchronously, meaning they do not block the loading of other elements on the page. This can be achieved by adding the "async" attribute to the script tag.

Another way to optimize third-party code is by using a content delivery network (CDN) to host the scripts. CDNs can distribute the scripts across multiple servers, reducing the load on a single server and improving the overall performance of the website.

Overall, optimizing third-party code is a crucial step in improving FID and enhancing the user experience on a website.

Use a web worker

To improve First Input Delay (FID), one strategy is to use a web worker. Web workers are separate JavaScript files that run in the background, independent of the main thread, and can handle time-consuming tasks. By offloading tasks to a web worker, the main thread is freed up to respond to user input more quickly. This can lead to a faster FID score and a better user experience. Web workers are especially useful for tasks such as data processing, image resizing, and other heavy computations. However, it's important to note that not all browsers support web workers, so it's essential to test the performance across different browsers. Additionally, web workers can add complexity to the code, so it's important to weigh the benefits against the potential drawbacks.

6. Improving Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

Improving Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures the visual stability of a web page. It occurs when elements on a page shift unexpectedly while the user is interacting with it. This can be frustrating for users and impact the overall user experience. To improve CLS, there are a few things that can be done. Firstly, reserving space for images and ads is an effective way to avoid unexpected shifts. This can be done by specifying dimensions for image and ad containers. Secondly, using the set size attribute for media, such as images and videos, can also help. This tells the browser how much space is needed for the media before it loads, preventing any sudden shifts. Lastly, avoiding injecting new content above existing content can also improve CLS. This can be done by reserving space for new content before it loads and by using CSS animations instead of JavaScript for any content that needs to be added dynamically.

Reserve space for images and ads

To further improve Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), it is important to reserve space for images and ads. This means specifying the dimensions of the media elements beforehand so that the browser can reserve the space for them before they load. This prevents the layout from shifting as the media elements load, providing a better user experience.

Reserving space for images and ads can be done using HTML attributes such as width, height, and aspect ratio. Additionally, using CSS to set the size of the media elements can also help. It is important to note that while specifying the size of the media elements may result in larger file sizes, the overall improvement in user experience is worth the trade-off.

Use set size attribute for media

One important factor in improving the Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) of a website is to use the "set size" attribute for media. This attribute allows the browser to reserve space for an image or video before it fully loads, preventing unexpected layout shifts. By setting the size attribute, the browser knows exactly how much space to reserve, eliminating the need to shift other elements around as the media loads. This can greatly improve the user experience and reduce CLS. In the next sub-section, we will discuss other methods for improving CLS.

Avoid injecting new content above existing content

To improve Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), it is important to avoid injecting new content above existing content. This can happen when a page loads and new content is added dynamically, pushing existing content down the page. This can cause a poor user experience as the user loses their place on the page and may need to scroll back up to find where they were. To avoid this, it is recommended to reserve space for new content so that existing content is not displaced. Additionally, using the set size attribute for media can ensure that the space for media is reserved before it loads, preventing unexpected shifts in layout.

8. Other indicators

Other indicators that can affect Google Page Speed (Experience) include First Contentful Paint (FCP), Time to First Byte (TTFB), and Interaction to Next Paint (INP). FCP measures the time it takes for the first piece of content to load on the page, while TTFB measures the time it takes for the browser to receive the first byte of information from the server. INP measures the time it takes for the page to become interactive after the user clicks on a link or button. While these indicators may not be as critical as the Core Web Vitals, they still play a role in determining overall page speed and user experience. Therefore, it is important to monitor and optimize these indicators as well.

First contentful paint (FCP)

First Contentful Paint (FCP) is another important factor that contributes to Core Web Vitals. FCP measures the time it takes for the first piece of visible content to appear on the screen after a user requests a page. This is often an important indicator of whether the user perceives the page as fast or slow. A quick FCP helps the user feel like the website is responsive and easy to use, while a slow FCP can lead to frustration and abandonment of the page.

Optimizing FCP involves several factors, including optimizing the server response time, minimizing render-blocking resources, and optimizing images. It is also important to use a content delivery network (CDN) and optimize the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. By optimizing FCP, you can improve the user experience and increase the chances of retaining the user on your website.

Time to first byte (TTFB)

Time to first byte (TTFB) is a metric that measures the time it takes for a user's browser to receive the first byte of data from a website's server. It is an important indicator of website performance because it represents the time it takes for the server to start responding to a user's request. In other words, it reflects the server's speed and efficiency in processing and delivering data to the user's browser. A slow TTFB can lead to a poor user experience, as users may perceive the website to be slow and unresponsive. Therefore, optimizing TTFB can help improve website performance and user satisfaction.

Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

Interaction to Next Paint (INP) is another important metric to consider when optimizing Core Web Vitals for Google Page Speed (Experience). INP measures the time it takes for the browser to respond to user interactions, such as clicking a link or entering text in a form, and display the next visual change on the page. In other words, it measures the speed and responsiveness of the website when users interact with it.

Improving INP can be achieved by reducing the amount of JavaScript code that needs to be executed before the browser can respond to user interactions. This can be done by optimizing the code and reducing its size, as well as minimizing the number of requests made to the server.

Other factors that can affect INP include the complexity of the website's layout and the amount of content on the page. To improve INP, it is important to simplify the layout and reduce the amount of content that needs to be loaded before the browser can respond to user interactions.

Optimizing INP is crucial for providing a smooth and seamless user experience, especially for websites that rely heavily on user interactions, such as e-commerce sites and web applications. By improving INP, websites can increase user engagement and satisfaction, as well as improve their search engine rankings and overall performance.

9. Other Factors to Consider for Optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience)

When it comes to optimizing page speed and user experience on Google, there are other factors that need to be considered apart from Core Web Vitals. These factors include mobile optimization, HTTPS security, and user-centric design. Mobile optimization is crucial as more and more users are accessing websites through their mobile devices. Websites that are not optimized for mobile devices can have slow loading times, which can have a negative impact on user experience. HTTPS security is also important as it ensures that user data is kept safe and secure. Websites that are not secure can be flagged by Google and may not rank as high in search results. Finally, user-centric design is important as it can improve user experience by making the website more accessible and easy to use for the target audience.

Mobile optimization

Mobile optimization is another important factor to consider for optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience) and improving Core Web Vitals. With the majority of internet users accessing websites through mobile devices, it's crucial to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and provides a seamless experience for users.

To optimize your website for mobile devices, you can start by using responsive design, which allows your website to adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions. This ensures that your website looks good and functions properly on any device, whether it's a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Another way to optimize your website for mobile devices is to reduce the size of your images and videos, as larger files can slow down page load times and negatively impact user experience. You can also minimize the amount of text and content on your pages, as this can make it easier for users to navigate and find what they're looking for.

Overall, mobile optimization is an essential aspect of improving Core Web Vitals and providing a positive user experience. By ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly, you can attract and retain more users, increase engagement, and ultimately drive more conversions and revenue.

HTTPS security

For optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience), HTTPS security is an essential factor to consider. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of HTTP, the protocol used for transferring data between a web browser and a website. It ensures that all data transferred between the two remains private and secure.

Google has been encouraging website owners to switch to HTTPS for several years now. In fact, HTTPS is now a ranking factor for Google search results. It means that websites with HTTPS will rank higher than those without it. Moreover, Chrome, the most popular web browser, now displays a "Not Secure" warning for websites without HTTPS, which can negatively impact user experience.

Therefore, website owners should ensure that their website is using HTTPS. They can obtain an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) to enable HTTPS on their website. Once HTTPS is enabled, website owners should ensure that all resources, including images, scripts, and stylesheets, are also served over HTTPS to avoid mixed content warnings.

In the next sub-sections, we will discuss other factors that website owners should consider for optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience).

User-centric design

User-centric design is an important factor to consider for optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience). This approach involves designing websites and pages with the user's needs and preferences in mind. User-centric design can help improve Core Web Vitals by ensuring that the website is easy to use and navigate, with clear and concise content that is relevant to the user's search query. It can also help reduce bounce rates and increase engagement, which can improve Google's ranking algorithm.

To achieve user-centric design, website owners should focus on creating a responsive and mobile-friendly website that is optimized for different devices and screen sizes. This includes using a responsive design that adapts to the user's device, using scalable images and fonts, and avoiding pop-ups and interstitials that can interrupt the user's experience.

Another important aspect of user-centric design is creating clear and concise content that is easy to read and understand. This includes using headings and subheadings to break up the content, using short paragraphs and bullet points, and using plain language that is easy to comprehend.

Overall, user-centric design is an important factor to consider when optimizing Google Page Speed (Experience). By designing websites and pages with the user's needs and preferences in mind, website owners can improve their Core Web Vitals and provide a better user experience, which can lead to increased engagement and improved search engine rankings.

10. Tools for Measuring and Optimizing Core Web Vitals

To effectively measure and optimize Core Web Vitals, there are several tools available to website owners. These tools can provide valuable insights into your website's performance and help identify areas that need improvement. One of the most important tools is Google Search Console, which allows website owners to monitor their website's performance and identify any issues that may be impacting Core Web Vitals. Another useful tool is PageSpeed Insights, which provides a detailed analysis of a website's performance and offers suggestions for improvement. Finally, Lighthouse is a browser extension that can be used to audit a website's performance and identify areas that need improvement. By using these tools, website owners can gain a better understanding of their website's performance and take steps to optimize Core Web Vitals for a better user experience.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool that can help website owners monitor and optimize their website's performance on Google search. It provides insights into how Google crawls and indexes a website, and identifies any issues that may affect the website's visibility in search results. In addition to these features, Google Search Console also provides data on Core Web Vitals, which can help website owners understand how their website's user experience is perceived by Google. This data can be used to identify areas for improvement and optimize the website's performance for a better user experience. In the next subsections, we will explore how Google Search Console can be used to measure and optimize Core Web Vitals.

PageSpeed Insights

PageSpeed Insights is a free tool provided by Google to measure the performance of a website on both mobile and desktop devices. It analyzes the website based on various factors, including Core Web Vitals, and provides suggestions on how to improve the website's speed and user experience. The tool generates a report that highlights the areas that need improvement and assigns a score to the website's performance on a scale of 0 to 100. The report also includes a detailed breakdown of the website's performance, including information on the website's load time, page size, and the number of requests made to the server. Users can use this information to identify the issues that are causing the website to perform poorly and take corrective actions to improve its performance.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse is a free, open-source tool developed by Google that can be used to audit and optimize web pages for performance, accessibility, and best practices. It runs a series of automated tests on a web page and generates a report with recommendations for improving performance. Lighthouse provides a comprehensive analysis of a website's performance, including Core Web Vitals metrics, and offers suggestions for optimizing the website's speed and user experience. Additionally, it provides a detailed breakdown of each audit, highlighting areas that require further optimization. Lighthouse can be run as a Chrome extension, as part of the Chrome DevTools, or as a standalone tool on the command line. It is an essential tool for web developers and website owners who want to optimize their website's performance and user experience.

Summary

In conclusion, optimizing for Core Web Vitals is crucial to ensure a positive user experience and improve your website's search engine rankings. By focusing on metrics such as page loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability, you can enhance your website's performance and provide a seamless browsing experience for your visitors. With the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can take your website's page speed and overall performance to the next level. Remember to regularly monitor your website's Core Web Vitals metrics and make adjustments as needed to maintain optimal performance. With these best practices in mind, you can set your website up for success and stay ahead of the competition in today's digital landscape.