Core Web Vitals tips for SEO developers

Google’s Core Web Vitals Tips for SEO Developers: A Comprehensive Guide

The digital world is changing, and with it, Google’s algorithm updates. In June 2021, Google released its “Page Experience” algorithm update, which affects a website’s ranking on Google search results. However, if you’re expecting a major fluctuation in rankings, you may not see it as Google will be rolling out the update gradually. In this article, we will discuss some tips to respond to the Core Web Vitals ranking signal.

Reduce JavaScript Execution

Google’s Field Input Delay (FID) measures the time it takes for a page to become interactive. If your report shows a poor FID score, you need to consider reducing and optimizing your JS execution. Google suggests that one of the ways to reduce the execution time is by deferring unused JS. You can start by cutting down unused JS using code splitting.

Implement Lazy Loading

If you display images on your site, implementing lazy loading is essential. For sites with heavy elements such as images, animations, or videos, lazy loading is considered a must. It allows the loading of images when users scroll down through the page without compromising the overall website loading speed. Implementing lazy loading improves site performance, limits bandwidth usage, improves your site’s SEO, and reduces bounce rate by keeping visitors on the page.

Optimize & Compress Images

For some websites, images are the largest element. Optimizing images makes your page significantly lighter and improves several factors such as loading speed, LCP score, UX, and search engine rankings. There are plenty of free tools available to compress your images. If you think that compression will affect the quality of the images, it isn’t true. Always save landscape images in .jpg format and graphics in .png format.

Provide Proper Dimensions for Images & Embeds

Google’s Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability. A CLS score below 0.1 is considered to be poor. To improve your CLS score, you need to have proper dimensions in place. Setting proper width and height helps the browser allocate the correct amount of space on the page while the element is loading. Also, make sure to set proper dimensions for embeds like when inserting videos from YouTube into your site.

Improve Your Server Response Time

Google suggests your server response time to be lower than 600 milliseconds. A long server response time can negatively affect your SEO and UX. To measure server response time, use Time to First Byte (TTFB). Before you begin, note down the details on your server’s current performance so you can compare the results later on. Check how fast is your web hosting, use CDN (Content Delivery Network) for your site, and review your plugins.

Pay Attention to Your Competitors

You do not necessarily have to meet or exceed Google’s Core Web Vitals guideline scores, but rather meet or exceed your competitors’ scores. Focus on the content quality of your site and its relevance in terms of the search terms you’re looking to rank for.

To Summarize It All

Google’s Core Web Vitals are an essential ranking factor that should not be overlooked. You need to respond to the Core Web Vitals ranking signal to improve your website’s performance, UX, and search engine rankings. Focus on the content quality of your site, meet or exceed your competitors’ scores, and pay close attention to the tips discussed above. Remember, you don’t have to do everything at once. Prioritize and implement one or two tips at a time, and you will see an improvement in your website’s performance. If you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts.