Core Website Metrics: What You Need to Know

Many website owners are so focused on getting traffic that they neglect optimizing their core metrics. Search engine optimization is essential, but it’s not enough! You must ensure your site performs well in other areas to rank higher in search results. This article provides steps you can take today to improve your SEO and user experience with Core Web Vitals.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) Metrics

While keywords are still critical in solving the SEO puzzle, you can’t ignore the importance of page speed and LCP metrics. 

LCP is a metric that determines how long it takes for your browser to download all the pixels on a web page (contentful paint). It helps to measure any issues with images, scripts, or stylesheets slowing down content delivery. A higher score means that the web page was able to render faster. 

The most common LCP metrics are the first contentful paint (FCP) and DOM Content Loaded time. Both determine how long it takes for the browser to render any content on a web page after loading its assets. The higher your score for these types of metrics, the better.

Total Blocking Time (TBT) Metrics 

The total blocking time metric is a new LCP metric that measures how long it takes for your browser to completely load the DOM content and all assets, including images, stylesheets, scripts, etc. The lower your score on this type of metric, the better.  

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) Metrics

The cumulative layout shift metric is a new LCP metric that measures how long your browser can render all web page content below the fold. The lower your score on this type of metric, the better.

Steps You Can Take To Improve Core Metrics

To improve your core web metrics, you can take steps to help with the performance of your website. Here are a few approaches worth investigating:

Cache Busting – Cache busting occurs when a new version of an asset gets updated on your site and needs to get displayed to users who have cached files. 

Minimize Javascript – Minimizing Javascript will help your site load faster. 

CSS Files – CSS file size is a significant factor in how long it takes to download and render the page for users. The lighter the weight of the style sheet, the quicker the rendering time will be, which means better metrics across all core web metrics.

Upgrade Your Server Technology – Your server technology is one of the most critical pieces to help your website perform well. You want to be sure your hosted server has the resources to load your site quickly on different devices and browsers. Search engines almost always give preferential treatment to websites that are always online, always load quickly, and don’t generate many errors. 

What To Expect After Improving Vital Core Metrics

You’ll want to monitor your core metrics if you make changes to improve them. It could take some time to reflect on these changes, so monitoring these critical components’ performance and making necessary adjustments is essential. 

If you have any questions about improving search visibility or creating a better user experience, contact us today!