Core Web Vitals – whether your website is ready for the new Google algorithm?
In May 2021 a new algorithm will come into force – Core Web Vitals. The purpose of introducing the mentioned algorithm is to assess the quality of websites and to what extent they are user-friendly. What you should know about it? Below the most important information. We encourage you to read!
Core Web Vitals – what it is?
Before we move on to Core Web Vitals, let’s focus for a moment on what Web Vitals are. Web Vitals is, simply put, the idea of evaluating the “vitality” of a given website. Assessment is made on the basis of factors that have a real impact on the comfort of users using the website.
The most important indicators influencing the website quality evaluation are the Core Web Vitals. What will be taken into account is the loading range, interactivity and visual stability of the page. Let’s get into the details, Core Web Vitals are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – This is the time needed to load the largest element on the page, visible immediately after its activation – content, graphic content or video. Loading time should not exceed 2.5 seconds.
- First Input Delay (FID) – is the time counted from the moment of the user’s first interaction with the page, for example clicking a link, to the moment when the page responds to that interaction. FID should not exceed 100 milliseconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – CLS measures the cumulative layout changes that have occurred over the lifetime of the page. A change of layout is always discussed when a visible element changes its position. This indicator should be maintained at the level of 0.1.
Page quality – other factors
LCP, FID, CLS These are not all the indicators determining the quality of a website, among others we can mention such as:
- Adaptation to mobile devices
- properly implemented HTTPS protocol
- lack of invasive elements that may hinder the use of the website
- search security
Useful tools
Although the algorithm will come into force only in a few months, it is worth taking care of the optimization of the website already now:
- Google Search Console
- PageSpeed Insights
- Chrome DevTools
- Google Lighthouse
It is a good idea to start optimization activities as soon as possible, because the quality of the website, as you can guess, will have an impact on search engine positions. It is worth checking if the SSL certificate has been implemented on the website, if the website is properly displayed on mobile devices, if it does not display any inconvenient ads and if the loading time is not too long.
Summary
As of May 2021, Core Web Vitals will be a significant ranking factor for Google, and thus will have a big impact on a site’s positions in Google search. Core Web Vitals – LCP, FID, CLS, will evaluate to what extent a website is user-friendly.
