Core Web Vitals SEO Guide:
Improve Rankings and User Experience

Yes, Core Web Vitals directly impact SEO. Core Web Vitals were launched in 2020 to evaluate user experience on websites. By the summer of 2021, these metrics were officially integrated as ranking factors in Google’s algorithm. Websites that meet the thresholds for Core Web Vitals are more likely to rank higher as they provide a better user experience. Conversely, failing to optimize these metrics can lead to lower rankings and reduced visibility in search results.

You can check these metrics in the Core Web Vitals section of Google Search Console, where detailed reports help identify issues and track performance improvements.

While Core Web Vitals alone won’t guarantee top rankings, they play a critical supporting role. Pages that meet or exceed Core Web Vitals benchmarks are more likely to rank higher, especially in competitive niches where multiple sites already offer great content.

• Enhanced User Experience: A site with optimized Core Web Vitals provides a seamless experience, which can lead to lower bounce rates and longer user engagement—both indirect ranking signals.
• Competitive Edge: In cases where two pages have similar content and authority, better Core Web Vitals metrics may decide rankings.
• Mobile-First Indexing: With mobile indexing as a priority, sites that perform poorly in Core Web Vitals metrics (especially on mobile devices) risk losing visibility.

• Increased bounce rates due to slow loading or poor interactivity.
• Lower rankings compared to competitors with optimized metrics.
• Negative impacts on conversions and user trust.

• Compress images without compromising their quality.
• Use modern, web-friendly formats like WebP, which is up to 34% smaller than traditional formats.
• Implement lazy loading for non-critical images to prioritize loading visible content first.

• Reduce server response times by delivering content from servers closer to the user’s location.

• Store the page on the server after the first load, allowing for faster retrieval during subsequent visits.

• Avoid shared hosting, where resources like memory and processing power are split among multiple sites. This can lead to slower performance during traffic spikes.
• Opt for dedicated hosting, where your site has its server, or cloud hosting, which utilizes multiple servers for better reliability and performance.

• JavaScript enables dynamic website features like menus, forms, and animations. However, extensive or complex JavaScript code can slow down response times.
• Developers can optimize INP by reducing unnecessary JavaScript and minimizing non-essential code to streamline site performance.

• Behind the scenes, the browser often performs long tasks that can interfere with user interactions.
• Developers can improve responsiveness by breaking these tasks into smaller segments. Techniques like deferring code execution ensure that the browser can handle user input promptly.

• Ensure that critical scripts (e.g., those related to user interactions) are given priority in execution. This prevents delays in responding to user actions, such as clicking buttons or submitting forms.

• Reduce the amount of JavaScript loaded on the page.
• Use tools like code splitting to load only essential scripts for the initial page view.

• Use the defer or async attributes to prevent non-critical JavaScript from blocking the main thread during loading.

• Break up long-running tasks into smaller segments to ensure the browser can quickly handle user interactions.

• Audit and minimize the use of third-party scripts, replacing inefficient tools with lighter alternatives.

• Cache static resources such as JavaScript, CSS, and images so they don’t need to be downloaded every time a user visits the site.
• Set appropriate expiration dates in HTTP headers to ensure the browser retains cached resources for an optimal period.
• Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and implement caching opportunities effectively.

• Load non-essential resources (like images and videos) only when they are needed to prioritize critical elements.

• Add width and height attributes to all images and video elements. This ensures the browser reserves space for these elements as the page loads, preventing content from shifting.
• Alternatively, use aspect ratio boxes in CSS to maintain consistent width-to-height ratios across different screens.

• Refrain from inserting dynamic content, such as banners or ads, above existing elements without user interaction. This prevents content from being pushed down or to the side during loading.

• Choose system fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana, which are pre-installed on most devices and don’t require downloading.
• If you use web fonts for branding or design, limit their use to key areas like headings or special sections to reduce layout shifts.

• Use CSS to pre-define the size of interactive components like buttons or forms. This ensures they don’t cause shifts when they load.

• Faster Hosting Solutions:

• Optimize Server Response Times (TTFB):

• Minimize CSS and JavaScript Files:

• Compress and Cache Resources:

• Responsive Design:

• Optimize for Mobile Performance:

• A comprehensive technical SEO audit is vital to identify and resolve issues affecting Core Web Vitals. Such an audit includes:

• Use Google Search Console:

• Establish Targets:

• Track Updates:

• Set Regular Review Intervals:

• Identify Trends:

• Provide Detailed Summaries:

• Visualize Data:

• Highlight Recommendations:

• Communicate Results to Stakeholders:

• Segment Data: Break down performance data by device (mobile vs. desktop) or location to uncover specific areas for improvement.
• Focus on High-Impact Pages: Prioritize pages with high traffic or conversion rates, as improvements on these pages will have the most noticeable impact.
• Leverage Automation: Use tools like Google Analytics 4 or custom dashboards to automate data collection and streamline reporting.