Google, which first announced under the name Core Web Vitals that page opening speed and page loading optimizations will have greater importance in May 2021, is based on 3 main metrics in this measurement.
Google now prioritizes these 3 main metrics more;
The user who logs into a website has to wait for the relevant page to load,
The user who logged into the site accidentally clicks on something they do not want on the relevant page.
It aims to minimize negative user experiences, such as one element on the page loading slower than others.
You can think of the metrics above as obstacles that come your way when you are trying to get somewhere. Imagine coming across a street that is being excavated and trying to continue on that road. Just as trying to reach your destination accompanied by a muddy road that slows you down, ripped sidewalks, and construction noises causes a person to have an instant stress level increase, obstacles encountered when a user enters a website also lead to an increase in negative user experience. Users with negative experiences may have a significantly lower desire to visit the same site again.
A study shows that delays reduce the return rates of users. A 2-second delay on a website that has not been spent before is the most obvious factor in the user's intention not to return.
This situation also makes Google a sensitive point regarding user intent.
Likewise, the same sensitivity continues to apply to mobile users. Mobile users tend to maintain their attention for an average of 4 to 8 seconds. Therefore, mobile users’ intention to stay on the site is equally important as those who access the site from a desktop.
So, what are the metrics in these Core Web Vitals that Google cares about so much? Let's take a look at them:
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
LCP, which is the Turkish acronym for the largest paintable content, measures the loading performance of the largest paintable content loaded when a web page is visited by a user. For a good user experience, the LCP should be within 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load. The most confusing thing about this metric is that the largest content is overseas chinese in worldwide data often confused with the largest paintable content. The distinction to be noted is not the opening time of the largest content on the page, but the number of seconds it takes for the largest paintable content on the page to open.
First Input Delay (FID)
It shows how long it takes for a user to interact with your page. The shorter the time it takes for a site to respond to user interaction, the faster the site image reaches the user. Google's ideal FID values are 100 ms and below. Sites with a FID value of 300 ms and above are considered weak by Google and are unsuccessful in terms of site speed optimization.
Cumulative Layout Shit (CLS)
This value is related to the visual stability and the time it takes for the elements on the page to load simultaneously. An element that takes longer to load than others may cause users to click on another element that they do not want to. Since this would be a negative experience for users, Google has also based the CLS value in its Core Web Vitals metrics to prevent visual shifts on the page.
Other Factors Affecting Search Signals
Mobile Friendly: This value measures whether websites are optimized for mobile devices.
Safe Browsing: Safe browsing takes care of any viruses on the website so that users can navigate the page safely.
HTTPS: This context represents that the website has an SSL certificate to indicate that it is secure.
Non Intrusive Interstitials: Deals with pop-up ads that cover the content on the site and prevent the user from reading these contents when using a mobile device.
Possible Effects of Core Web Vitals on Websites
These updates made by Google specifically for site speed optimization will neither be the first nor the last. It will make it mandatory to keep positive user experience at the forefront and improve sites accordingly with regular updates. This issue in particular will become more important as the stability of the pages' rankings and quality scores become more and more permanent, and its effects will become increasingly permanent.
If the website is not ready for Core Web Vitals metrics, it is very likely to be negatively affected. In order not to be negatively affected by this situation and to take the necessary precautions, you can provide the necessary controls through the tools in the list below.
What Precautions Can Be Taken?
Since Google will continue to make these updates regularly, having site speed optimization handled by a professional SEO team is of course one of the healthiest ways to maintain organic traffic volume.
However, if you want to manage this process on your own, you may need to pay attention to the following metrics:
Audit your website regularly . Scan the website regularly to make it ready for Google updates. This will ensure that you receive the least negative impact from Google updates.
Pay attention to Core Web Vitals metrics. Check your site speed regularly to ensure your pages rank at the top of the SERP and maintain that volume. You can use the free tools I mentioned above for this.
Ways to Check Your Website's Compliance with Core Web Vitals Metrics
There are many free tools available to check the current state of your site and check its compliance with Core Web Vitals metrics.
Google Search Console : You can review the page groups that need optimization here. In the category called Enhancements, it directs you to a tab where the site will be evaluated according to the Core Web Vitals elements. Google Search Console shows the list of URLs on the site that need improvement according to the Core Web Vitals metrics.
