core-web-vitals

Google Web Vitals: Why They Matter When Designing a Website

house admin Mar 23, 2023

As a website designer, it is important to understand the importance of Core Web Vitals when designing a website. Core Web Vitals are a set of user-centered metrics that measure the loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability of a website. These metrics are essential in providing a positive user experience and improving your website's search engine optimisation (SEO).

In May 2021, Google announced that Core Web Vitals would become a ranking factor in its search algorithm. This means that websites that perform well on these metrics are more likely to rank higher in search results, which can ultimately drive more traffic to your website.

So, what are the three Core Web Vitals, and how can you optimise your website for them?

  1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) LCP measures the loading speed of the largest element on a web page. This could be an image, a video, or a block of text. A good LCP score is under 2.5 seconds. To optimize for LCP, you can reduce the size of large elements on your page by compressing images, optimizing videos, and reducing the amount of text.
  2. First Input Delay (FID) FID measures the time it takes for a user to interact with a web page after it has loaded. A good FID score is under 100 milliseconds. To optimise for FID, you can reduce the number of JavaScript files on your page and prioritize essential scripts to load first.
  3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) CLS measures the visual stability of a web page as it loads. A good CLS score is under 0.1. To optimise for CLS, you can set the size of images and other elements on your page so that they do not shift during loading.

In addition to optimising for these Core Web Vitals, there are other factors you should consider when designing your website for optimal performance. These include using a content delivery network (CDN), minimizing HTTP requests, and enabling caching.

In summary, Core Web Vitals are a crucial aspect of website design that should not be overlooked. By optimising your website for these metrics, you can improve your user experience, drive more traffic to your site, and ultimately improve your search engine rankings.