Google doesn't measure how fast your site loads, but how fast it feels. That's something different.
Core Web Vitals are three metrics that Google uses to assess the experience of real visitors: LCP measures how quickly the largest element is visible, INP how quickly the page responds to a click, and CLS how much the layout shifts during loading. They weigh in on the search results.
IN COMMON LANGUAGE
The three values
LCP, largest contentful paint, measures when the largest visible element is finished. That is usually the headline or main image. Under 2.5 seconds is considered good.
INP, interaction to next paint, measures how quickly the page responds when someone clicks or taps. Under 200 milliseconds is good. This is the value that punishes heavy scripts mercilessly.
CLS, cumulative layout shift, measures how much the layout shifts during loading: the button that slides away just as you're about to click it. Below 0.1 is good, and this is usually the easiest to solve: give images dimensions.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why we work without page builders
These three values are the reason we build by hand. Every page builder and every plugin adds scripts that are invisible on a large screen with a fast connection, and on a phone exactly ruin these scores.
Important to know: Google measures with real visitors, not in a test tool. A perfect score in a test while your visitors have a slow experience doesn't count.
- LCP under 2.5 seconds — how quickly the most important thing becomes visible.
- INP under 200 milliseconds — how quickly the page responds to a click.
- CLS below 0.1 — how much the classification still changes.
- Dimensions for each image — the simplest solution for staggered layout.
- As few scripts as possible — every script costs responsiveness.
- Measuring with real visitors — a test score is an indication, not a truth.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
More about Core Web Vitals
How much influence do these scores have on my ranking?
They carry weight, but less weight than content. If two pages answer a question equally well, the faster one wins. A slow page with the best answer doesn't automatically lose: but it does lose visitors who don't wait.
Where do I measure this?
Search Console shows the values of real visitors across your pages. Testing tools like Lighthouse measure one simulation and are useful for finding causes, but Search Console is what really counts.
Why does my site rank poorly when it feels fast?
Probably because you are testing it on a fast connection and a good device. The scores come from your real visitors, including older phones on mobile internet. That's usually the fairer view.
CONTINUE READING
Of course, continue reading about this subject.
A site that quickly stays?
Send us your address. We measure the three values and say which is the biggest cause.