Google wants to send searchers to pages that load quickly and feel smooth to use. Core Web Vitals are the metrics Google uses to measure that experience. They are part of Google’s page experience signals, and they also affect how many visitors stay on your site long enough to become customers.
This guide explains each metric in plain English, how to test your website and the most effective fixes.
The three Core Web Vitals
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
LCP measures how long it takes for the main content, usually a hero image or headline, to appear. A good score is 2.5 seconds or less.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
INP measures how quickly the page responds when someone clicks, taps or types. A good score is 200 milliseconds or less. INP replaced First Input Delay in 2024.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
CLS measures how much the page jumps around while loading, for example when an image or banner pushes text down. A good score is 0.1 or less.
How to test your Core Web Vitals
- PageSpeed Insights: shows real user data and lab tests for any URL.
- Google Search Console: the Core Web Vitals report groups pages that need attention.
- Chrome DevTools Lighthouse: useful for testing changes before publishing.
Field data from real users is what Google uses, so changes can take around 28 days to be reflected in reports.
How to improve LCP
- Compress images and serve WebP or AVIF formats.
- Preload the hero image and do not lazy-load it.
- Use fast hosting and page caching.
- Use a CDN to serve files closer to visitors.
- Remove render-blocking CSS and JavaScript where possible.
How to improve INP
- Reduce heavy JavaScript and third-party scripts such as chat widgets and trackers.
- Delay non-essential scripts until after the page loads.
- Avoid bloated page builders and unused plugins.
- Break long tasks into smaller ones.
How to improve CLS
- Always set width and height on images and videos.
- Reserve space for ads, embeds and banners.
- Load web fonts with font-display swap and preload key fonts.
- Avoid inserting content above existing content after load.
Core Web Vitals on WordPress
WordPress sites can pass Core Web Vitals easily when built carefully. Use a lightweight theme, a caching plugin such as WP Rocket, image optimisation and as few plugins as possible. Read our guide on how to speed up a slow WordPress website for more tips.
Do Core Web Vitals really affect rankings?
Content relevance is still the most important ranking factor, but when competing pages are similar, page experience can make the difference. More importantly, faster pages convert better, reduce bounce rates and improve every marketing channel.
Quick Core Web Vitals checklist
- Hero image compressed and preloaded
- Caching and CDN enabled
- Unused plugins and scripts removed
- Image dimensions set
- Fonts optimised
- Mobile performance tested
Frequently asked questions
Why is my mobile score lower than desktop?
Mobile tests simulate slower devices and networks, so heavy scripts and large images have a bigger impact.
How long until Search Console shows improvements?
Field data covers a rolling 28-day period, so improvements usually appear within about four weeks.
Want a website that passes Core Web Vitals?
Softnexis Technologies builds and optimises fast, SEO-ready websites. Explore our WordPress development services or contact us for a free speed review.
