What Are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are a set of three specific metrics Google uses to measure real-world page experience: loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability.
The Three Key Metrics
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) — how long it takes for the largest visible element on the page to load
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint) — how quickly the page responds to a user’s interaction, like a click or tap
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) — how much visible content unexpectedly shifts around as the page loads
What They Mean for Your Rankings
Core Web Vitals are part of Google’s page experience signals, and poor scores can put a site at a disadvantage compared to competitors offering a smoother experience, particularly on mobile. Google Search Console’s Core Web Vitals report and PageSpeed Insights both show how your pages score against Google’s “good,” “needs improvement,” and “poor” thresholds for each metric.
