What are Core Web Vitals and why are they important?

Core Web Vitals are three Google-defined metrics that measure the user experience from different angles. LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) captures how quickly the largest visible content appears, in other words when the page feels loaded. INP (Interaction to Next Paint) measures how promptly the page reacts to clicks, taps and input. CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) rates how calmly the layout stays during loading, that is whether buttons jump away from under the finger.

Since June 2021 these three values have been a confirmed ranking factor and therefore relevant to every website owner, not just SEO specialists. They translate abstract user perception into measurable numbers that can be improved in a targeted way. On our dedicated Core Web Vitals page we explain each metric in detail and show the typical causes of poor values.