Critical Google Update – Core Web Vitals

Is your company’s website mobile-friendly and quick to load? If it isn’t, you’re losing business.

Google announced that starting May 2021, Core Web Vitals are becoming ranking signals for search results.

What are Core Web Vitals?

Google uses loading, interactivity, and visual stability as its three main core web vitals when ranking a website or search result.

The “page experience” signal combines Core Web Vitals with the following signals:

• Mobile-friendliness
• Safe-browsing
• HTTPS-security
• Intrusive interstitial guidelines

Core Web Vitals were introduced earlier this and are designed to measure how users experience the speed, responsiveness, and visual stability of a page.

What does this mean for my website?

The following are defined as Core Web Vitals:

• Largest Contentful Paint: The time it takes for a page’s main content to load. An ideal LCP measurement is 2.5 seconds or faster.
• First Input Delay: The time it takes for a page to become interactive. An ideal measurement is less than 100 ms.
• Cumulative Layout Shift: The amount of unexpected layout shift of visual page content. An ideal measurement is less than 0.1.

Improve your online presence and be set up for success

Ignoring Google’s Core Web Vitals can hurt your business. Making sure your website loads quickly, efficiently, and responsively is the #1 way to set yourself apart from your local competitors.

Fill out the sidebar form or reach out to our digital marketing strategist, Kelli Connolly, to get a full report on your website’s performance.

Aaron Hockel

Aaron Hockel is a Partner and the VP of Digital Marketing at AltaVista Strategic Partners. A University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) alumnus, Aaron crafts digital marketing strategies that drive success for clients, leveraging his deep industry knowledge.