Core Web Vitals are Google's metrics for page experience. Since 2021, they've been a confirmed ranking factor. Here's how to fix each one.
What Are Core Web Vitals?
Three metrics that measure real user experience:
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) — How fast the main content loads. Target: under 2.5 seconds.
FID / INP (First Input Delay / Interaction to Next Paint) — How fast the page responds to clicks. Target: under 200ms.
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) — How much the page jumps around while loading. Target: under 0.1.
Fix LCP: Make Your Page Load Faster
Optimize images: Use WebP format, add width/height attributes, lazy-load below-the-fold images.
Preload critical resources: Use <link rel="preload"> for your hero image and main font.
Reduce server response time: Use a CDN (Cloudflare is free), enable compression, upgrade hosting if needed.
Eliminate render-blocking CSS/JS: Inline critical CSS, defer non-essential JavaScript.
Fix INP: Make Your Page Responsive
Break up long tasks: Use requestIdleCallback() or setTimeout() to split heavy JavaScript.
Remove unused JavaScript: Audit with Chrome DevTools Coverage tab. Many sites ship 60-70% unused JS.
Use web workers: Move heavy computation off the main thread.
Fix CLS: Stop Layout Shifts
Always set dimensions: Add width and height to all images and videos.
Reserve space for ads: Use min-height on ad containers.
Avoid injecting content above existing content: Banners, cookie notices, and chat widgets should not push content down.
Use font-display: swap: Prevents invisible text while web fonts load.