If your website loads slowly or feels clunky on mobile, it’s probably hurting your Google rankings. It can be frustrating, especially if you’ve put in time writing good content or building your brand. That’s where Core Web Vitals come in, the performance metrics Google uses to judge how user-friendly your website really is.
The good news is, fixing these issues doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what Core Web Vitals are, the most common problems that affect them, and how to improve them step by step.
What Are Core Web Vitals: Quick Recap
Core Web Vitals are three key metrics that measure how quickly your site loads, responds to user actions, and stays visually stable while loading. These metrics are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The Time it takes for the main content to load.
- First Input Delay (FID): The Time it takes for the site to react to the first click or tap.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How much the layout shifts unexpectedly while loading.
These metrics focus on real-world user experience and are considered ranking signals by Google.
Common Issues That Hurt Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals can drop for many reasons. Here are some of the most common issues that slow sites down or make them feel unstable:
- Large, Unoptimised Images: Images that aren’t compressed or are too large in file size take longer to load and delay the appearance of your main content.
- Heavy or Poorly Loaded JavaScript: Excessive scripts can delay how quickly a page becomes usable. They can also block important elements from loading.
- Unstable Layout Elements: Content that shifts while loading, like ads or images without defined sizes, leads to a poor CLS score.
- Slow Server Response Times: If your server takes too long to respond, everything on your page gets delayed, including images, text, and scripts.
- No Lazy Loading: Loading all images and videos at once, even the ones not immediately visible, increases load time unnecessarily.
How to Fix Core Web Vitals: Step-by-Step
Let’s break down how you can fix each of the main Core Web Vitals. You don’t need to be a developer to make meaningful changes, especially if you use WordPress or a similar platform.
1. Optimise Your Images
Images are one of the biggest culprits of slow websites. Start by compressing your images without sacrificing quality. Use tools like TinyPNG or plugins like ShortPixel if you’re on WordPress. Also, convert your images to modern formats like WebP, which are much lighter in file size.
Be sure to also specify width and height in your HTML or CSS. This prevents layout shifts and improves your CLS score. Lazy loading images that are below the fold will also reduce the initial load time significantly.
2. Minimise JavaScript and CSS
JavaScript can block pages from becoming interactive quickly. Minify your JavaScript and CSS files to remove unnecessary code and reduce file sizes. Tools like Autoptimize or WP Rocket can do this with just a few clicks.
You should also defer non-essential scripts so that they load after the page becomes interactive. This speeds up FID and makes the site feel more responsive. Removing unused scripts entirely can make a huge difference.
3. Use Lazy Loading for Media
Lazy loading means images, videos, and iframes only load when they come into view. This reduces the initial page size and allows your most important content to load faster. It’s now supported natively in most browsers, so it’s easy to implement.
If you’re using WordPress, lazy loading is available by default in recent versions. For other platforms, adding the loading “lazy” attribute to media elements can do the job.
4. Improve Server Response Time
If your server is slow, your entire site will feel sluggish, no matter how well-optimised the rest is. Consider upgrading your hosting to a provider that specialises in performance. Shared hosting may be affordable, but it often comes at the cost of speed.
You can also use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare to serve your content from servers closer to your visitors. This helps reduce load time, especially for global audiences.
5. Fix Layout Shifts
One of the easiest ways to fix layout shifts is by reserving space for all visual elements. Define the height and width of images, ads, and embedded videos to prevent them from shifting around while the page loads.
Avoid inserting new elements dynamically at the top of the page as it loads. If you need to load extra content, do so in a way that doesn’t push existing content around. Stable layout means a better CLS score and happier users.
How Fixing Core Web Vitals Helps SEO
Optimising your Core Web Vitals has real SEO benefits. While it won’t replace great content or strong backlinks, it supports your overall performance and improves rankings in competitive spaces.
- Lower Bounce Rates: When your site loads faster and feels stable, visitors are more likely to stay and explore.
- Better Mobile Experience: Mobile users expect speed. Improving LCP and FID helps meet their expectations, leading to longer sessions and higher conversions.
- Improved Engagement: A fast site encourages users to browse more pages, which helps your SEO signals and supports strategies like the skyscraper technique.
- Boosted Technical Credibility: Fixing Core Web Vitals builds trust with Google’s algorithm and helps avoid penalties caused by poor usability or toxic backlinks.
Conclusion on How to Fix Google Core Web Vitals
Improving Core Web Vitals isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about making your site faster, more stable, and better for users, which ultimately helps your SEO efforts. From faster loading to better engagement, the changes you make today can lead to long-term wins.
At BestSEO, we specialise in technical SEO, performance optimisation, and on-site audits. Whether you need help identifying Core Web Vitals issues, improving load speed, or fixing advanced problems like canonical tag conflicts or broken redirects, our team is here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Fix Google Core Web Vitals
What’s the Fastest Way to Improve Core Web Vitals?
Start with image compression and lazy loading. These are often the easiest and most effective fixes that show quick results.
Do Core Web Vitals Matter More on Mobile or Desktop?
Google prioritises mobile-first indexing, so mobile performance has a stronger influence on rankings. Always test your site on both.
Can I Improve Rankings Without Fixing Core Web Vitals?
Yes, especially if your content is strong. But improving site performance gives you an edge, especially in competitive niches where content is similar.
How Do Core Web Vitals Affect Link Building?
High-performing pages attract more links. During link prospecting, having a fast and stable site makes your content more appealing to potential referrers.
Do Core Web Vitals Impact My Content Strategy?
Indirectly, yes. If you’re targeting high keyword search volume topics with long-form guides, a fast-loading site ensures users stay engaged and read through your evergreen content.
