What are Core Web Vitals & how to improve them in 2024?

Are you tired of sluggish websites that take forever to load? Well, so are your website visitors. That’s why Google has emphasized that website speed and user experience are critical ranking factors. With the advent of Core Web Vitals, website owners have even more reason to focus on their website performance in 2024.

Here are some Core Web Vital updates that you surely wouldn’t want to miss!

Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that Google uses to evaluate the user experience on websites. They include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). These metrics are related to page speed and user interaction, significantly impacting your website’s search engine ranking. Google updates and collects data on Core Web Vitals every 28 days, meaning that the Snapshot report reflects the scores measured by Google during the past 28 days. Therefore, any recent improvements made to these scores will not be immediately reflected in the Core Web Vitals report.

So, how can you improve your Core Web Vitals in 2024?

1. Optimize Your Images and Videos
   
   
   
   • LCP measures the time it takes for the largest element on your webpage to load, usually an image or video. If your images or videos are large and uncompressed, they can significantly slow down your website. Optimize your images by compressing them, reducing their size, and using a lazy loading plugin to speed up page load times.
   
   
   
   


2. Minimize JavaScript and CSS
   
   
   
   • FID measures how long it takes for a user to interact with your website, such as clicking a button or filling out a form. Excessive JavaScript and CSS can slow down user interaction times. Minimize your JavaScript and CSS, remove any unused code, avoid multiple page redirects, and defer non-critical scripts to improve your FID score.
   
   
   
   


3. Prioritize Visual Stability
   
   
   
   • CLS measures the visual stability of your website by calculating the amount of unexpected layout shifts that occur while the page is loading. Avoid sudden changes in layout, use placeholders for images and ads, and minimize the use of pop-ups to improve your CLS score.
   
   
   
   


4. Use a Website Speed Test Tool
   
   
   
   • To understand your website’s Core Web Vitals, use a website speed test tool like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom. These tools provide detailed insights into your website’s performance and give recommendations on how to improve your Core Web Vitals.
   
   
   
   


5. Use Browser Cache
   
   
   
   • Set up a cache-control header to specify how long the browser should cache your content. Using a cache plugin or a Content Management System (CMS) with caching options can be helpful. Additionally, consider compressing your files to reduce their size and speed up downloads.
   
   
   
   


6. Upgrade Web Hosting
   
   
   
   • Choose a hosting provider that offers Solid State Drives (SSDs) or use a caching plugin that can simulate SSD performance. Optimize your website code and database queries to reduce server response times and consider using a dedicated IP address or a Virtual Private Server (VPS) to improve website security and performance.
   
   
   
   

Conclusion

Core Web Vitals are critical for your website’s success in 2024. By optimizing your images and videos, minimizing JavaScript and CSS, prioritizing visual stability, and using website speed test tools, you can improve your website’s user experience and search engine rankings. Start optimizing your website for Core Web Vitals now to give your users the speedy, seamless experience they deserve!

Reach out to us for further technical consultation in optimizing your website’s performance.

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