“Core Web Vitals” sounds like something only developers understand. It's actually a very simple idea Google turned into an official metric: how fast and how stable your website feels to use, measured objectively.
And Google cares because people care: nobody waits ten seconds for a page to load on their phone. They leave. And if they leave, Google stops caring about your site too.
What they are, without the jargon
They're three measurements Google takes of your real website, using data from real people browsing, not from a lab. They answer three very specific questions: how long before I see something? how long before I can interact? does the page move about while I'm trying to click?
The three metrics that matter
- LCP — Perceived loading speedHow long the main element of the page takes to appear (usually a large image or headline). Under 2.5 seconds is good.
- INP — ResponsivenessHow long the site takes to react when someone clicks or taps a button. If you notice lag when you press something, this is the problem.
- CLS — Visual stabilityIf elements “jump” while the page loads (that classic accidental click on an ad that appeared out of nowhere), this is your number.
Each extra second of loading can mean a drop of up to 20% in conversions.
Why it turns straight into money
It isn't just a ranking question (although it is that too). A slow website loses sales before the visitor even sees your product. And on mobile, where most traffic already comes from, the effect is harsher still: average patience before abandoning a site is barely a few seconds.
- ✓Fewer people dropping off on the first screens of your site.
- ✓Better rankings, because Google uses these metrics as a ranking factor.
- ✓Cheaper paid ads: Google also rewards fast landing pages with a better cost per click.
No hype: not every “problem” an automated audit flags is worth fixing. We prioritise the ones that genuinely affect the real experience; we don't chase a decorative 100/100 nobody notices.
What to fix first (and what to ignore)
The biggest impact almost always comes from three places: unoptimised images, too many plugins or third-party scripts, and hosting that can't cope with real traffic. Fixing those usually moves the needle far more than chasing tenths of a second on details the user never notices.
In the audit we measure your real website, with real user data, and tell you exactly what's worth touching — and what isn't.
Frequently asked questions
What are Core Web Vitals?
Three measurements Google uses to sum up how a page loads and behaves: how long the important part takes to appear, how long it takes to respond when you tap something, and how much the page shifts about while it loads. They're the three things that annoy visitors most.
Do Core Web Vitals affect rankings?
They have an influence, but they don't decide. Google uses them as a tie-breaker: between two pages that answer the search equally well, the one with the better experience wins. A lightning-fast site with thin content won't overtake a slow one that answers the question better.
How do I measure my website's speed?
With PageSpeed Insights for a single page and with the Search Console experience report for the site as a whole. Watch out for one important difference: PageSpeed simulates a visit, while Search Console uses real user data, which is what actually counts.
How much is a slow website costing me?
In visits, every second of waiting loses people before they see anything at all. In money, it depends on your business, but it's one of the few improvements you notice across every page at once: it affects the home page as much as the product page or the contact form.
What do I fix first?
The images, almost always. They're the heaviest thing on most websites and the quickest to put right: the right dimensions, a modern format and lazy loading for whatever sits further down. Scripts and server configuration come after that.
Do you know what your current loading speed is costing you?
We measure your real Core Web Vitals and tell you, in plain language, what's worth fixing first.