What are Google’s Core Web Vitals?

The Core Web Vitals are a set of particular elements that Google deems crucial in the entire user experience of a webpage. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift are the three specific page speed and user interaction parameters in Google’s Core Web Vitals.

In a nutshell, Google’s Core Web Vitals are a subset of characteristics that will get considered for evaluating Google’s “Page Experience” score.

With that, here is everything to know about Google’s Core Web Vitals.

Why is Google’s Core Web Vitals Important?

Beginning June 2021, Google gets set to make “Page Experience” an official Google search ranking factor.

Page Experience will be a combination of elements that Google deems relevant for user experience, such as:

• HTTP
• Mobile-friendliness
• Lack of interstitial pop-ups
• Safe-browsing

Google’s Core Web Vitals will account for a significant portion of the Page Experience criterion. Indeed, based on Google’s announcement and the term itself, it is safe to assume that Google’s Core Web Vitals will account for most of a website’s Page Experience rating.

It is also worth noting that a high page experience score will not automatically propel a website to the top of Google’s search results. Google quickly pointed out that Page Experience is only one of about 200 characteristics used when ranking sites in search.

However, Google’s Core Web Vitals remains salient, and improving it as early as now rather than later can only lead to beneficial outcomes.

What Happens to Google AMP?

Previously, web admins believed that Google’s Core Web Vitals indicated that Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) were no longer required, but Google engineers appeared to leave this open-ended. However, the matter is finally settled: AMP will continue to exist. Google says that if your site is completely functional with AMP, it is a good factor for passing Google’s Core Web Vitals guidelines.

Moreover, Google’s Core Web Vitals will also allow non-AMP pages to appear in Google News Feeds if they match and meet Google’s Core Web Vitals standards. Traditionally, having an AMP version of a blog available was the only way to appear in Google News Feeds. With recent modifications, Non-AMP pages can now join Google News streams as long as they are and keep in compliance with Google’s Core Web Vitals standards.

Since both Google’s Core Web Vitals and AMP aim to drive towards a mobile-friendly standard, it appears that AMP is superfluous if every page on the planet is compliant with Google’s Core Web Vitals. However, it seems that there is more going on than just “mobile-friendliness,” such as Google News Reader compatibility.

Furthermore, AMP acts as a framework that guarantees that a site meets Google’s Core Web Vitals standards, but not using AMP and maintaining a site to Google’s Core Web Vitals standards is possible and is even referred to as “doing it manually.” Thus, technically speaking, web admins do not need AMP right now, but it makes their lives a whole lot simpler and easier.

Google’s Core Web Vitals Are Excellent Features Anyway

Google’s Core Web Vitals characteristics that make Google happy also make website users and visitors happy.

Even if Google did not set such a criterion, marketers still desire a pleasant user experience on their website. Users who have a positive user experience are less irritated and dissatisfied, and websites with a positive user experience are more likely to convert. Ultimately, the brand image of a website gets enhanced by well-maintained and easy-to-use websites.

Google’s Core Web Vitals should not cause too much disruption for the ordinary webmaster or website owner. Most Content Management Systems (CMS), such as WordPress and its plug-in community, already have mobile usability features and up-to-date technology built-in. Additionally, most web design tools, including Microsoft Visual Studio, Adobe InDesign, and Xara, are required to keep up with mobile technologies.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Google’s Core Web Vitals will be applied page by page. As a result, it is not just a matter of having your website pass; all of its pages should work as well. However, you can always deal with legacy content and nonstandard files using the “robots.txt” method to exclude certain pages.

Conclusion

Google’s Core Web Vitals does not only make Google happy but the website users and visitors as well. As Google’s Core Web Vitals essentially drive websites to their fullest potential, web admins must think that compliance with it is nothing of a chore but an opportunity towards greater website performance.