Sneha Jasrasaria Quick answer
Core Web Vitals are Google’s measures of real user experience: Largest Contentful Paint (how fast the main content loads), Interaction to Next Paint (how quickly the page responds to taps) and Cumulative Layout Shift (how much the layout jumps). Fast, stable pages rank and convert better. Most fixes involve smaller images, fewer scripts and better hosting.
Key takeaways
- LCP measures loading, INP responsiveness, CLS stability
- Images are the most common cause of slow pages
- Fewer plugins and scripts usually means faster pages
- Test with PageSpeed Insights and Search Console
A slow website costs you customers before they even see what you offer. Google measures this with three numbers called Core Web Vitals.
The three Core Web Vitals
| Metric | What it measures | Good target |
|---|---|---|
| LCP, Largest Contentful Paint | How fast the main image or text appears | 2.5 seconds or less |
| INP, Interaction to Next Paint | How fast the page reacts to taps and clicks | 200 ms or less |
| CLS, Cumulative Layout Shift | How much things jump while loading | 0.1 or less |
How to check your site
- PageSpeed Insights: enter any URL for a report on mobile and desktop.
- Google Search Console: the Core Web Vitals report shows real user data across your site.
Common causes and fixes
Slow LCP
- Huge images. Resize to the size shown, compress and use WebP or AVIF.
- Slow hosting. Cheap shared hosting can add seconds.
- Render-blocking files. Defer scripts that are not needed immediately.
- Hero image loaded late. Preload the main image and do not lazy-load it.
Poor INP
- Too many third-party scripts: chat widgets, trackers, sliders.
- Heavy page builders that add lots of code.
High CLS
- Images without width and height.
- Ads or banners that push content down.
- Fonts that swap and change size.
Quick wins for WordPress sites
- Compress and resize images before upload.
- Use a caching plugin or server caching.
- Remove plugins you do not use.
- Lazy-load images below the fold.
- Use a lightweight theme instead of heavy page builders.
Why it matters beyond SEO
On mobile data, every extra second increases the chance someone leaves. A fast landing page means your ad budget goes further. Read how to build a landing page that converts.
Images: the biggest quick win
Resize images to the largest size they are shown at, compress them, and serve modern formats like WebP. Add width and height so the layout does not jump. Lazy-load images below the first screen, but load the main hero image immediately.
Need a faster website?
We build lightweight, fast-loading websites. See our website service.