Why Google’s Core Web Vitals Matter

Google is constantly refining its search algorithms. Occasionally when there is a significant change to how the algorithm operates, Google will warn the industry that a change is coming, and it’s always wise to heed those notices. Google has given sufficient warning of a new change, the launch of Core Web Vitals as an algorithmic signal coming into effect in early 2021. Pay attention to Core Web Vitals, because the update may have a significant impact on your site’s search engine optimization (SEO).

What Are Core Web Vitals?

Google defines Core Web Vitals as “… 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.” To break this down into techy talk, the foundation of Core Web Vitals consists of:

• Largest Contentful Paint which measures perceived load speed and marks the point in the page load timeline when the page’s main content has likely loaded.
• First Input Delay which measures responsiveness and quantifies the experience users feel when trying to first interact with the page.
• Cumulative Layout Shift which measures visual stability and quantifies the amount of unexpected layout shift of visible page content.

According to Google, businesses that incorporate Core Web Vitals into the user experience may see an improvement in user engagement. Core Web Vitals may also influence search ranking: for the better (if you incorporate them) and for the worse (if you don’t).

Why Core Web Vitals Matter

In what we see as a very positive step forward, the development of Core Web Vitals means that Google is further turning its focus to prioritising sites that are objectively measured to have a better user experience. This is a sensible change. As users, we all prefer to browse sites with a great user experience.

This isn’t the first time Google has prioritised user experience factors in its algorithm, most notably the changes around page load times and mobile friendliness have made a notable difference to a site’s SEO. Core Web Vitals take the focus on user experience to a whole new level, being far more accurate and modern in how user experience is evaluated. For example, sites with the annoying (and confusing) tendency to have buttons that shift position will be deprioritised in the search rankings.

Contact Investis Digital

At Investis Digital, our developers and products are geared up to be ready for this significant change by Google. Reach out to discuss how an SEO program can help you prepare for this and future Google updates