Core Web Vitals
Three site performance metrics: LCP (main content load < 2.5s), INP (interaction responsiveness < 200ms), CLS (visual stability < 0.1). Google factors these into rankings.
In practice
A site that passes gets a ranking 'bonus.' A site that fails may lose positions. Impact: 5-15% on organic traffic, plus a direct hit to CR — LCP over 4s loses 25% of visitors.
Common misconception
'Core Web Vitals only affect SEO, not sales.' They affect sales directly. LCP over 4s means 25% of visitors leave before the page even loads.
How to fix it
Failing Core Web Vitals? (1) LCP: compress images, use a CDN, add lazy loading, (2) INP: reduce JavaScript, defer scripts, (3) CLS: set image dimensions in HTML.
Example
A kitchenware store: mobile Core Web Vitals failed. LCP was 5.8s (images over 2MB). Compressing to WebP plus lazy load brought LCP to 2.1s. Mobile organic traffic +28% within two months.
Priority
Test at pagespeed.web.dev now. If it fails, this is high priority. On Shopify, a heavy theme and unnecessary apps are the usual culprits.
Related terms
Keep learning. Metrics that touch the same area:
- SEO – Search Engine OptimizationSEOThe process of optimizing for high rankings in organic search results. Includes: technical SEO (speed, structure), on-page (content, keywords), off-page (inbound links).
- Google Search Console (GSC)SEOA free Google tool: keywords, clicks, impressions, CTR, ranking, crawl errors, and indexing issues.
- Keyword ResearchSEOThe process of identifying what your target audience searches for: search volume, competition, and search intent (informational/transactional/navigational). The foundation of all SEO and paid advertising.
- On-Page SEOSEOImprovements made directly on a page: H1-H3 headings, meta descriptions, URLs, content, alt text, internal links, schema markup. Fully within your control.
- BacklinksSEOLinks from external sites — a 'vote of confidence' in Google's eyes. Quality links (from authoritative sites) impact ranking. Quantity matters less than quality.
- Product FeedSEOA structured file (XML/CSV) with details for every product, sent to Google Shopping, Facebook Catalog, and Amazon. Feed quality directly impacts ROAS.
Jimmy tracks your Core Web Vitals, automatically
WhatsApp alerts when something important changes. No dashboards, no hassle.