Core Web Vitals are Google's key metrics for a website's loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Core Web Vitals show whether a page loads quickly, responds reliably, and remains stable in a real-world usage context when people scroll, click, or read content.
For you as an entrepreneur: An entrepreneur is someone who founds, manages, and is responsible for the success of a business. This role can be challenging, but it also offers... Click to learn more . Core Web Vitals are not just a technical end in themselves. A fast and stable website helps your visitors understand more quickly whether your offer is a good fit. That's where trust is built – and trust is the foundation for better leads.
A good website loads quickly, responds reliably, and guides people to the next meaningful action without technical friction.
Core Web Vitals: Definition and current key figures
Google now evaluates Core Web Vitals using three main metrics: Largest Contentful Paint , Interaction to Next Paint , and Cumulative Layout Shift . According to Google, this set measures real-world user experience in terms of loading performance, responsiveness, and visual stability. Source: Google Search Central.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): LCP measures how quickly the most important visible main content loads. This could be a large hero image, a video, or a large block of text. According to Google, a good LCP is a maximum of 2,5 seconds.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): INP measures how quickly a page responds to interactions – for example, clicks, taps, or keystrokes. According to Google, a good INP is below [value missing in original text]. 200 milliseconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): CLS measures unexpected layout shifts. According to Google, a good CLS score is below 0,1, so that buttons, text or images don't suddenly jump around.
Previously, First Input Delay (FID) was one of the Core Web Vitals. FID is now considered obsolete: Google confirmed that Interaction to Next Paint replaced First Input Delay as a Core Web Vitals metric in March 2024 (source: Google Search Central Blog) . If you still see old SEO reports containing FID, you should put them into perspective – for current optimizations, INP is the more important metric.
Why Core Web Vitals are important for SMEs
In my work with small and medium-sized businesses, I see the same pattern time and again: Many websites look visually clean, but lose visitors within the first few seconds. Oversized images, weak hosting, blocking JavaScript, or cluttered layouts create friction before any conversation can even begin.
Core Web Vitals help you make this friction measurable. They complement overall website performance , but they don't replace a strategy. A fast website without clear positioning, good content, and clean conversion guidance remains just a fast surface.
Google categorizes Core Web Vitals as part of Page Experience. It's important to note the nuance: good scores can play a role as a ranking signal in the context of user experience, but they don't guarantee top positions. Google describes Page Experience as something that aligns with what the core ranking systems aim to reward – not as an isolated ranking factor. Source: Google Search Central.
What the values mean in practice
Scores aren't everything for a company website. What's crucial is whether your most important pages are understandable, stable, and functional. The following are particularly important:
- Start page: She needs to quickly explain who you are, what you offer, and who your offer is suitable for.
- Performance pages: You should demonstrate the concrete benefits of your offer without any waiting time.
- Contact page: It must not be a technical hurdle. Forms, maps, buttons, and phone numbers must work immediately.
- Landing pages: You need fast loading times, clear content, and stable elements so that no request is lost.
Especially for owner-managed businesses, the goal isn't a perfect score at any cost. The goal is a website that builds trust, generates valuable inquiries, and guides people respectfully through the decision-making process.
This stance is important to me because digital quality should not manipulate. Digital quality should create clarity.
How to measure Core Web Vitals effectively
Three tools are sufficient for an initial check. You don't need a large IT department for this, but you do need a clear order.
- PageSpeed Insights: Check individual important ones URLsA URL, short for Uniform Resource Locator, is an address that specifies where a resource can be reached and the method used to access it. A... Click to learn morePageSpeed Insights displays field data from real-world usage when sufficient data is available, and lab data for technical diagnostics.
- Google Search Console: Use the Core Web Vitals report to identify patterns across multiple URL groups. This is especially helpful when many similar pages are affected.
- Light house: Use Lighthouse for lab diagnostics during development. Lighthouse does not replace real user data, but it helps in finding technical causes.
The Chrome UX Report provides the real-world user data on which many Core Web Vitals analyses are based. The difference is important: lab data shows what happens under test conditions. Field data shows what real people experience with real devices, networks, and browsers.
Practical SME check: Here's how to proceed
If you want to improve your Core Web Vitals, don't start with random plugin experiments. Start with the pages that matter to your business.
- 1. Measure the most important sides: Check the homepage, main service pages, contact page and most important landing pages.
- 2. Check mobile performance first: Mobile devices often have slower networks and weaker processors. Therefore, mobile data usually shows problems more clearly.
- 3. Identify slow templates: If all service pages use the same structure, the problem often lies in the template – not in a single URL.
- 4. Prioritize causes according to business impact: Optimize first what affects large numbers of visitors or prevents direct inquiries.
- 5. Measure again after each change: Performance optimization is not a one-off fix, but a controlled process.
If you want to delve deeper into specific measures, you will find further practical starting points in the article on optimizing website speed .
Typical causes of poor Core Web Vitals
Most problems don't arise from a single major mistake, but from many small technical compromises. This is especially true for WordPress. WordPress is an open-source CMS for websites, blogs, and online stores. The main disadvantages of WordPress are plugin dependency, ongoing maintenance, security risks, potential website performance issues, and technical... Click to learn more. Regarding performance, I frequently see the same causes in projects.
- Oversized hero images: Large, uncompressed images worsen the LCP because the main content becomes visible too late.
- Weak hosting: Slow server responses hinder any further optimization. Hosting is often the first bottleneck.
- Too much JavaScript: Blocking JavaScript can degrade interactivity and increase INP.
- External Fonts: Poorly integrated fonts can increase loading times and cause layout shifts.
- Missing caching: Without caching, pages have to be completely rebuilt unnecessarily often.
- Too many plugins: Each PluginDefinition of a plugin: A plugin (also called a plug-in or plug-in) is an additional program (software) that is integrated into an existing software application to extend its functionality... Click to learn more It can generate additional scripts, styles, and database queries.
- Page builder ballast: Some page builders generate a lot of code for relatively simple layouts. This also aligns with the classification in the article about... Page Builder: Between Freedom and Limitation.
In practice, my priorities are usually clear: first images and server/hosting, then JavaScript, fonts, caching, and unnecessary plugins. This order prevents you from investing a lot of time in details while the biggest bottleneck remains.
Core Web Vitals and Strategic Web Design
A website must be technically sound, but technology alone doesn't sell. Core Web Vitals are one aspect of website quality. Other aspects include positioning, information architecture (definition of information architecture: Information architecture (IA) refers to the structural design and organization of information within a website or application. It determines how content... Click and learn more ), content, UX design, trust, language, and clear navigation.
At Berger+Team, we don't consider performance in isolation. In our work on web design and development, we combine technical implementation with website strategy. UX (User Experience) describes the entire experience a user has when interacting with a software application, website, product, or service. Click to learn more . UI ( User Experience ) encompasses all strategically published digital content on websites, in online shops, on social media channels, in newsletters, and in other digital environments. If you want to know more, click to learn more. We also focus on conversion management. The result should not only load faster but also be more intuitive and enable better decision-making.
This also applies to machine-readable website quality. A fast, clearly structured site helps not only people, but also search engines and AI systems to better understand content. Nevertheless, humans remain the benchmark: If your website isn't helpful for real visitors, no technical score will benefit you in the long run.
FAQ about Core Web Vitals
Are Core Web Vitals a ranking factor?
Core Web Vitals are one aspect of page experience and can play a role in Google's ranking systems. However, they don't replace good content, clear search intent – sounds dry, right? But in the digital world, it's a real game-changer. Imagine you're searching for "best pizza in..." Click to learn more , authority, internal structure, and a compelling user experience.
What constitutes a good INP?
According to Google, a good Interaction to Next Paint time is under 200 milliseconds . If your INP is too high, your website will feel sluggish, even if it appears to have already loaded.
What makes a good LCP?
A good Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) takes a maximum of 2,5 seconds . Large images, slow hosting, delayed loading of important content, and unnecessary code are particularly common culprits that slow down the LCP.
What makes a good CLS?
A good Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is below 0,1 . A low CLS ensures that content doesn't jump around when loading and that visitors don't accidentally click on the wrong buttons.
Why are mobile and desktop so different?
Mobile performance is often worse because smartphones have less processing power and mobile networks are unreliable. Therefore, you should take mobile metrics especially seriously, even if your desktop metrics look good.
How often should I check Core Web Vitals?
Check Core Web Vitals for major changes to design, plugins, hosting, tracking, images, or templates. For active business websites, a monthly check of the Google Search Console is advisable to prevent problems from growing unnoticed.
