What are Core Web Vitals?

Learn about Core Web Vitals and why they matter for your WooRank score.

In Google’s words, Core Web Vitals represent:

A set of real-world, user-centered metrics that quantify key aspects of the user experience. They measure dimensions of web usability such as load time, interactivity, and the stability of content as it loads.

Or, to put it more concretely, Core Web Vitals are how Google quantifies and scores a particular web page’s user experience, which is why the incorporation of CWV into Google’s ranking factors is known as the Page Experience Update.

So what exactly are the factors?

Google uses 3 metrics as their Core Web Vitals to gauge how good a page’s user experience is:

How long does it take for my site to load up?

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The amount of time to render the largest content element visible in the viewport, from when the user requests the URL. In other words, how long does it take for the user to see the most important content on your page?

Note that this isn’t the same as page load time, which measures the amount of time it takes your server to send the first bit of data after someone clicks on your website.

How long until I can use the site?

First Input Delay (FID): The time from when a user first interacts with your page (when they clicked a link, tapped on a button, and so on) to the time when the browser responds to that interaction. Basically, how long does it take your site to respond after someone clicks a button or link?

How comfortable am I using this website?

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): The amount that the page layout shifts during the loading phase. Does the content on your page (text, images, video, links, etc.) move around a lot as it loads? Do buttons, ads or videos load as you scroll, bumping the main content down the page?

Why You Should Care About Core Web Vitals

Putting it bluntly, Core Web Vitals matter because Google is going to start using them as a ranking factor after the Page Experience update.

So why is Google using Core Web Vitals as part of the Page Experience Update?

When looked at together, these 3 metrics give you (and Google) an idea of how delightful or frustrating it is for an actual human to use your pages. And Google’s end goal is to provide people with the best possible experience when they search for something online.

And that includes the experience they have on the pages that Google recommends in its search results.