Core Web Vitals explained

In one line

Core Web Vitals are Google's three page-experience metrics, LCP (loading), INP (responsiveness) and CLS (visual stability), and they're a confirmed ranking signal.

The three metrics

  • LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): main content loads, good is under 2.5s
  • INP (Interaction to Next Paint): responsiveness, good is under 200ms
  • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): visual stability, good is under 0.1

How to improve them

Optimise and lazy-load images, minimise heavy JavaScript, use good hosting/caching and a CDN, and reserve space for images/ads to prevent layout shifts. Measure with Google PageSpeed Insights or the free Core Web Vitals checker.

Frequently asked

Are Core Web Vitals a ranking factor?

Yes, part of Google's page-experience signals. They rarely outweigh relevance and authority, but they're a genuine tiebreaker and UX win.

How do I measure them?

Use Google PageSpeed Insights, Search Console's Core Web Vitals report, or a free vitals checker for real field + lab data.

Put this into practice

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Related

Technical SEO basics
The site-health essentials that let your content rank.
How to speed up your site
Improve load times and Core Web Vitals.