Core Web Vitals: Definition, SEO and measurement
The Core Web Vitals are metrics that Google uses to classify the performance and ultimate user experience (UX) of websites. For website operators, they are important indicators in search engine optimization.
As part of the Google Page Experience Update, the Core Web Vitals are combined with other metrics relating to the user experience to form the Page Experience ranking factor. They form the core of this update and are therefore particularly important for SEO.
In detail, the Core Web Vitals refer to the loading time (Largest Contentful Paint - LCP), the responsiveness (First Input Delay - FID) and the visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift - CLS) of websites.
How do Core Web Vitals influence search engine optimization?
In principle, the Core Web Vitals should be integrated into your own SEO strategy. Companies that adopt the relevant metrics early and fully can outsmart their competitors who are not yet up to date with these SEO aspects.
The page experience signal is mainly influenced at a technical level. Among other things, server response times need to be optimized (concerns LCP), JavaScript execution needs to be accelerated (concerns FID) and layout shifts on different devices need to be avoided (concerns CLS).
However, Google itself points out that the Core Web Vitals are not among the primary evaluation criteria for organic ranking. They should of course be accepted for holistic SEO - but they should not be overrated either.
How can you measure your Core Web Vitals?
Google itself provides various tools that can be used to measure Core Web Vitals. In detail, the following options are available:
- Google Search Console
- Google Lighthouse
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- Chrome Dev Tools
- Chrome UX Report
- Web Vitals Extension
The Google Search Console is quite simple and at the same time very informative. The KPIs of the Core Web Vitals can be called up directly there.
There is also a quality overview for the respective domain. The Search Console shows which URLs are OK (green), where optimization would be advisable (yellow) and where there is an urgent need for adjustment (red).
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