Core Web Vitals are Google's way of measuring how a page feels to a real visitor. They affect your search rankings, but more importantly, they affect whether people stick around and buy.
The three you need to know
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
How long until the main thing shows up? Usually your hero image or headline. Aim for under 2.5 seconds.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
When I tap something, how quickly does it respond? Laggy buttons and menus feel broken. Aim for under 200 milliseconds.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
Does stuff jump around while loading? We've all tapped the wrong button because an advert loaded late. Aim for a score under 0.1.
The usual culprits
- Huge, uncompressed images.
- Too many third-party scripts: chat widgets, trackers, pop-ups.
- Cheap, slow hosting.
- Images and adverts without reserved space.
Where to check yours
Pop your URL into Google PageSpeed Insights. It shows real-world data from Chrome users plus a list of suggested fixes.
Scores looking a bit red? Get in touch for a free performance check.
