Back to SEO Glossary
Core Web Vitals

What Is Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are a set of specific page experience metrics that Google uses as ranking signals: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) measuring loading speed, INP (Interaction to Next Paint) measuring interactivity, and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) measuring visual stability.

Why Core Web Vitals matters for SEO

Since Google's March 2026 core update, Core Web Vitals are scored site-wide (not per page), meaning a few slow pages can drag down your entire domain. Pages with FCP under 0.4 seconds earn 6.7x more AI citations than slower pages. CWV directly affects both traditional rankings and AI search visibility.

Pro tip on Core Web Vitals

Target LCP under 2.0s, INP under 200ms, CLS under 0.1, and FCP under 0.4s. Optimize images (WebP/AVIF, lazy loading), minimize JavaScript, enable compression (brotli/gzip), use a CDN, and fix layout shifts from dynamic content or ads.

Related terms

LCPLCP is the loading speed component of Core Web VitalsINPINP is the interactivity component of Core Web VitalsCLSCLS is the visual stability component of Core Web VitalsPage SpeedPage speed encompasses CWV metrics plus additional performance measures

Learn more

Technical SEO Audit Checklist Google March 2026 Core Update

CrawlRaven checks Core Web Vitals across your entire site, not just individual pages. Fix the worst offenders first to improve your domain-wide CWV score.

Try CrawlRaven Free