In its early days, Google was a very basic search engine relying mainly on keywords, content length, and backlinks. But as it progressed forward, we began to see great improvements in how algorithms index and rank search results.
Today, Google relies much more on advanced metrics to determine which websites deserve to be at the top. All of that based on user experience and usability.
Which brings us to the latest Core Web Vitals algorithm update…
In today’s article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the new Google Core Web Vitals update. We’ll show you how to measure and optimize the new metrics — and more importantly, how to improve them.
Let’s dive in.
What Are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are three new metric scores developed by Google to improve user experience (UX). Each one of them reflects a different aspect of UX — such as loading speed and interactivity.
Along with other pre-existing factors, Core Web Vitals can help Google serve its’ users with the best information while ensuring a flawless browsing experience.
Core Web Vitals — Google Search Central
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
LCP evaluates loading performance by measuring how fast the largest text, image, video, form, or ad appears on the page. Simply put, it will calculate how long it takes for the largest element — based on size — to load on your page.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) — Google Developers
First Input Delay (FID)
FID assesses your site’s interactivity and responsiveness to user inputs. For example, let’s say that a prospect clicks on a button or tries to fill a sign-up form on your website. How quick is your site’s response?
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
CLS looks at visual stability and how stuff jumps around on the page while it loads. The quicker your elements stop moving, the faster visitors can start interacting with your site. Which improves the overall user experience.