# What is Core Web Vitals?

What is Core Web Vitals? Three site performance metrics: LCP (main content load < 2.5s), INP (interaction responsiveness < 200ms), CLS (visual stability <…

## How it works 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.

## Related metrics

- Page Speed — Core Web Vitals are a breakdown of page speed
- Technical SEO — a core component
- Mobile UX — measured separately for mobile and desktop
- Google Search Console — displays a Core Web Vitals report

## 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.

## Real-world 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.

## Where to start

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.

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Category: SEO · From the [Jimmy OS KPI Glossary](https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi.md) · Source page: https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi/core-web-vitals