What does this mean for the user?
The pages found are good and easy to read. They also fulfill the requirements for good content.
Users with mobile devices are particularly dependent on well-scaled websites. These sites should be visually optimized and not require high data usage.
What does this mean for you as a website operator?
As a website operator, you should react quickly. Consider converting your website to an up-to-date system such as ModX.
This ensures you meet all search engine requirements. You avoid the risk of losing your existing rankings.
As an experienced SEO agency, we offer detailed advice. We help you continue to be found well on Google with your website.
You are welcome to contact us by telephone. Alternatively, use our convenient contact form.
What does this mean for web designers?
Many websites need to be revised. They must become more customer-friendly. This requires design expertise as well as technical understanding of speed parameters.
Many agencies already struggle with effective SEO implementation. Studies on SEO certification confirm this. The new challenge will be a significant problem for some.
Not all web creation tools are ready for the new requirements. Users of WordPress will have to invest considerable time to meet these standards.
These costs can justify switching to a future-oriented tool (CMS). This makes changes to content or design much easier and cheaper.
Companies like SEO Marketing Köln offer advice on this switch. We recommend a better CMS than WordPress from a professional perspective.
In the following sections, you will learn more about the content and requirements of the Core Web Vitals.
What are Core Web Vitals?
With Web Vitals, Google provides quality features that show the user experience. Site operators can use these figures to evaluate their site.
Google plans to expand these metrics in the future. The values are not set in stone. If users’ expectations of the website experience change, the metrics will adjust.
Users can find performance info in the Core Web Vitals report. This is based on real usage data, also known as field data. More info is available on Google’s webmaster blog.
The report primarily shows URL performance. It groups similar websites by measurement type and status.
Only indexed URLs are listed. The URLs displayed are the actual ones for which data has been collected.
Data is not exclusively assigned to the canonical URL. This differs from most other reports.
The report is based on three values: FID, LCP, and CLS. If there is insufficient data for a URL, it is excluded.
If sufficient data exists, the page status corresponds to its poorest performing metric.
Explanation of the 3 categories
Web Vitals evaluate the user-friendliness of mobile and desktop views. User-friendliness is a key ranking factor for search results.
These metrics focus on speed and visual stability. Long waiting times are unacceptable. This is especially true given increasing mobile use.
The three categories of Web Vitals are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP),
- First Input Delay (FID) and
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) records loading time. It measures when the largest element becomes visible.
This key figure indicates when the main content is loaded. Google rates anything under 2.5 seconds as very good.
Times up to 4 seconds need improvement. Anything above 4 seconds is classified as poor.
This usually refers to an image, text block, or video. The value is based on the 75th percentile of visits. If the value is between 2.5 and 4 seconds, optimization is recommended.
Use PageSpeed Insights to identify the problematic element. Optimization effort varies by CMS.
First Input Delay (FID) measures interactivity. It tracks the time from a user’s first click to the browser’s response. This shows how quickly a website is ready for use.
According to Google, less than 100 ms is optimal. Users should aim for less than 300 ms. Anything above is considered slow.
The CMS and hosting play major roles here. Extensive JavaScript can also cause delays.
Google classifies FID values between 0.1 and 0.3 seconds as needing improvement. More than 0.3 seconds is very poor.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability. It tracks if elements move unexpectedly while loading. This often happens with asynchronous content like videos.
CLS expresses how much the website layout shifts. This is a common issue. It often occurs if images lack dimension attributes.
When images load late, content shifts. This can also happen with fonts. The CLS value is the average for 75 percent of visits.
Google assigns values between 0 and 1. Ideally, the value should be below 0.1. Up to 0.25 is acceptable but should be optimized.
To find CLS issues, view your site on a smartphone. Google measures visual stability based on element movement.
How can Web Vitals be measured?
Web Vitals are three signals used to measure Page Experience. They cover interactivity, loading time, and visual stability.
Existing ratings for mobile optimization are also included in this ranking factor. Security is another component.
With Web Vitals, user-friendliness is reweighted. It now has a high influence on search engine optimization.
Lab data or historical data can be used for analysis. Combining both is useful. Google clearly defines what constitutes a good value.
The Chrome User Experience Report provides real user data. This is called field data. Results can be viewed in tools like Search Console.
Users must consent to data collection. It takes time for historical data to accumulate. The ranking factor relies on this field data.
Simulated laboratory values are another option. They are always available and consistent. This is helpful for optimizing the website.
Lab data allows you to quickly check the impact of changes. This is an advantage over historical data, which has a time lag.
Ideally, use both measurement methods. However, poor field data weighs more heavily on ranking factors.
Tools like SISTRIX offer access to both. Lab data is determined under fixed conditions. Repeated measurements yield similar results.
SISTRIX uses Google Lighthouse for this. Measurements occur automatically once a day.
A Lighthouse measurement is created for the start page. Users can add additional URLs for monitoring.
It is recommended to measure typical pages. Examples include articles or product detail pages.
You can choose between mobile or desktop measurement. Orient yourself to your own user base.
Results are found under “Analysis”. The report starts with the Lighthouse Performance Score. The goal is 100.
Three boxes display the Web Vitals: LCP, CLS, and FID. You can see if the measurement meets Google’s recommendations.
A diagram shows the chronological development. Below, a waterfall diagram helps professionals identify slow elements.
What influence will Core Web Vitals have on rankings?
Google values fast loading times and good usability. Web Vitals introduce new metrics that website operators must optimize.
Fast hosting and lazy loading help. To avoid layout shifts, images should have attributes.
Loading time is a significant ranking factor. This has been clear since Mobile First. The mobile view is decisive for rankings.
Google introduced these metrics in May 2020. They check performance closely. All operators should be aware of them.
Google wants to evaluate user experience. It measures the experience a visitor has on the site.
These 3 measurements are summarized for evaluation. Note that each individual web page is evaluated on its own.
When will the new measures be introduced?
The page experience update made loading times a ranking factor in May 2021. This was announced back in May 2020.
Depending on site complexity, time can be scarce. Optimizing a WordPress system can take weeks.
Search engines often announce major algorithm changes. This gives webmasters time to adapt, similar to the HTTPS rollout.
That’s why you need optimization as soon as possible
The Core Web Vitals report is in Search Console. It shows all indexed URLs. It indicates if they need improvement.
Owners should check bad URLs. Use the linked PageSpeed Insights for diagnosis.
Lighthouse supports these insights. Concentrate on diagnosing errors. Working with a web developer is often recommended.
Familiarize yourself with the available tools. Use the time to prepare for the ranking factors.
The focus is on the user. Google will expand this further. FID, LCP, and CLS are now central to the Core Update evaluation.