The Hidden Truth: Why Well-Performing Websites Fail Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that assess the user experience on a website. They are crucial because they help website owners improve the speed, responsiveness, and stability of their websites, leading to an enhanced user experience and higher search engine rankings.

The three main Core Web Vitals are:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures the time it takes for the largest piece of content on a page to load.
  • First Input Delay (FID): Measures the time it takes for a website to respond to a user’s first interaction.
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures the amount of unexpected movement of content on a page as it loads.
  • Input Responsiveness (INP): INP is a recently announced Core Web Vital that measures the time it takes for a webpage to respond to user inputs, such as clicking a button or scrolling. A good INP score indicates that the page is responsive and provides a smooth user experience.
With Google's Core Web Vitals, we observe a consistent rise in impressions on search results.
With Google’s Core Web Vitals, we observe a consistent rise in impressions on search results.

How Core Web Vitals are Measured by Google

It’s important to note that Core Web Vitals are not measured at the time a test like Google Page Speed is run. Instead, they are based on the historical performance of web pages based on real-world users visiting them. This means that even if a page scores poorly on Google Page Speed, it may still pass the Core Web Vitals test if real users are experiencing good performance.

Why Some Poor-Performing Websites Pass the Core Web Vitals Test

Some websites with poor performance may pass the Core Web Vitals test due to the use of browser caching. When users visit a page repeatedly, their browser stores the page’s files in its local cache. This can improve loading speed for repeat users, even if the server performance is slow.

Bad website perfomance with good google vitals
Poor performance with the proper settings can also meet Google Core Web Vitals requirements.

Why Some Well-Performing Websites Fail the Core Web Vitals Test

Conversely, some websites with good performance may fail the Core Web Vitals test due to the use of a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare. While CDNs can improve performance for large, high-traffic websites, they can slow down smaller websites due to the additional latency they introduce.

Improving Core Web Vitals

To enhance your website’s Core Web Vitals, it’s essential to pinpoint the root cause of its subpar performance. This could stem from your hosting package, website code, or plugins. To address these issues effectively, consider collaborating with a professional developer and your hosting provider.

Additionally, SystemFreaks offers an All-Inclusive site optimization service that can help you:

  • Identify performance bottlenecks: Our team will analyze your website’s performance and pinpoint the specific areas that need improvement.
  • Optimize website code: We’ll optimize your website’s code to reduce page load times and improve overall responsiveness.
  • Configure hosting settings: We’ll work with your hosting provider to ensure your website is hosted on a server that meets your performance requirements if their server is not up to the task help migrate on Systemfreaks Super Fast Web-hosting.
  • Monitor and maintain performance: We’ll continuously monitor your website’s performance and make ongoing adjustments to maintain optimal speed and responsiveness.

By taking advantage of SystemFreaks’ site optimization service, you can significantly improve your website’s Core Web Vitals, enhance user experience, and boost your search engine rankings.

Conclusion

Core Web Vitals are essential for providing an optimal user experience. By understanding how they are measured and taking the necessary steps, you can improve your website’s performance and secure higher search engine rankings.