Step-by-Step Guide to Improving Your Website’s Core Web Vitals
Step 1: Access the Core Web Vitals Report
Open Google Search Console.
Navigate to the “Core Web Vitals” section under the Enhancements menu.
Step 2: Understand the Report
Overview Page: This page shows general trends for your site on both mobile and desktop platforms.
Summary Pages: Detailed pages for mobile and desktop that list URLs needing improvement or having poor performance.
Issue Details Page: Provides specific information about performance issues for each URL.
Step 3: Analyze the Data
Performance Status: URLs are categorized into three statuses: Poor, Need Improvement, and Good.
Metrics:
LCP, Largest Contentful Paint: Measures loading performance. Good if 2.5s or less, Needs improvement if 4s or less, Poor if more than 4s.
INP, Interaction to Next Paint: Measures interactivity. Good if 200ms or less, Needs improvement if 500ms or less, Poor if more than 500ms.
CLS, Cumulative Layout Shift: Measures visual stability. Good if 0.1 or less, Needs improvement if 0.25 or less, Poor if more than 0.25.
Step 4: Drill Down to Specific Issues
Toggle Tabs: Click on the “Poor,” “Need improvement,” or “Good” tabs to view URLs in each category.
Examples Table: Click on URLs in the table to see more details about the specific issues affecting them.
Step 5: Run External Tests
Use tools like PageSpeed Insights, Chrome Lighthouse, or AMP Page Experience Guide to get specific recommendations for each URL.
These tools provide actionable insights and suggestions for improvement.
Step 6: Fix Identified Issues
LCP Issues:
Optimize images and videos.
Minimize render-blocking resources such as CSS and JavaScript.
Improve server response times.
INP Issues:
Ensure all user interactions are quick to respond.
Optimize JavaScript execution.
CLS Issues:
Set size attributes for images and videos.
Avoid inserting content above existing content.
Ensure ads, embeds, and iframes have reserved space.
Step 7: Validate Fixes
After implementing fixes, return to the Core Web Vitals report.
Click on the “Start Tracking” button to begin a 28-day monitoring session.
During this period, Google will check if the issues are resolved based on real user data.
Step 8: Monitor Validation Status
Statuses:
Not Started: Validation not yet initiated.
Started: Validation in progress, no issues found yet.
Looking Good: Validation in progress, issues found so far are fixed.
Passed: All issues fixed and validated.
Failed: Some issues remain after validation.
Track Progress: Check the validation details page for the status of individual URLs.
Step 9: Share and Export Data
Sharing: Use the Share button to grant access to specific issue details to others.
Exporting: Use the Export button to download report data for analysis and record-keeping.
Step 10: Ongoing Maintenance
Regularly monitor the Core Web Vitals report to catch and address new issues promptly.
Keep optimizing your website to maintain good performance across all metrics.
By following these steps, you can effectively use the Core Web Vitals report to improve your website’s user experience and performance, leading to better search rankings and happier visitors.