Most people decide within a few seconds if they will stay on a website. If the page is blank, jumps around while it loads or ignores their taps, they go back to Google and choose someone else. Website speed is not just a technical detail. It is the first impression your business makes online.
Google measures this experience with a set of metrics called Core Web Vitals. Here is what they mean in plain language and what you can do about them.
What Core Web Vitals measure
Core Web Vitals look at three parts of a visitor's experience. Google publishes the targets on web.dev:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): how quickly the main content appears. This is usually your hero image or main heading. Aim for 2.5 seconds or less.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): how quickly the page responds. When someone taps a button or opens a menu, the page should react within 200 milliseconds. INP replaced an older metric called First Input Delay in 2024.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): how stable the page is while it loads. If text jumps down as an image or banner loads in, people tap the wrong thing. Aim for a score of 0.1 or less.
Google looks at these scores for real visitors, and a page passes when at least 75 percent of visits meet the target.
Does speed affect your ranking?
Google says Core Web Vitals are used by its ranking systems, as part of a wider look at page experience described in its Search Central documentation. Helpful, relevant content still matters most. A fast site will not outrank a better answer, but when two pages are similar, the better experience has an advantage.
The bigger reason to care is your customers. A faster site keeps more people on the page long enough to call, book or buy.
How to check your website
- Go to PageSpeed Insights and enter your homepage address.
- Look at the mobile results first. Most local customers will find you on a phone.
- The top section shows real-visitor data if Google has enough of it. The section below is a lab test with specific suggestions.
- Test your most important pages too, such as your main service pages and contact page.
If your site is connected to Google Search Console, the Core Web Vitals report shows which groups of pages need work across the whole site.
The most common fixes
Resize and compress images
Oversized images are the most common cause of slow pages we see. A photo straight from a camera or phone can be many times larger than it needs to be. Resize images to the size they are shown on screen and use modern formats such as WebP or AVIF.
Load what matters first
Images further down the page can wait until a visitor scrolls to them. This is called lazy loading. The main image at the top should load right away, so it is not delayed.
Cut back on third-party scripts
Chat widgets, social feeds, pop-ups, tracking pixels and booking tools each add code that has to load. Keep the ones that earn their place and remove the rest.
Give images and embeds a set size
When the browser knows how much space an image, video or ad will take up, it can hold that space while it loads. This is the simplest way to fix layout shift.
Be careful with fonts
Custom fonts look great but add weight. Use only the styles you need and make sure text shows right away while the font loads.
Choose good hosting
Budget hosting can slow every page on your site. Quality hosting with a content delivery network serves your pages from locations closer to your visitors.
Speed is part of a bigger picture
Fast pages, clear writing, an obvious next step and accessible design all work together. If you are planning a new site, our checklist for what your website needs before it launches covers the rest, and our guide to AODA and website accessibility explains the requirements for Ontario businesses.
Want to know how your site measures up? Our website team can run a review and tell you what would make the biggest difference, or book a discovery call.
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