What does each metric measure?
| Metric | What it measures | Good value according to Google |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | How long the main element takes to appear, such as the hero image or large headline | 2.5 s or less |
| INP (Interaction to Next Paint) | How long the page takes to react to a tap or click | 200 ms or less |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | How much elements move around while the page loads | 0.1 or less |
Google assesses these values using real-user data from Chrome and uses the 75th percentile of visits as its benchmark, measuring mobile and desktop separately (web.dev). INP replaced the FID metric in March 2024 (web.dev).
How much does speed affect sales?
A Deloitte study commissioned by Google analyzed the sites of 37 brands in Europe and the United States and found that improving mobile speed by just 0.1 seconds increased conversions by 8.4% in retail and 10.1% in travel (Deloitte, Milliseconds Make Millions). Portent analyzed more than 100 million page views across 20 sites and found that conversion rates drop as load time increases, for both online stores and lead generation sites (Portent).
The numbers vary by industry, but they all point the same way: every second of waiting makes some of your visitors leave.
Why are sites built with page builders often slow?
Visual page builders like Elementor or Divi load the code for all their modules on every page, even if the page only uses a few. Add plugins for forms, sliders, and effects, and the browser has to download and run far more than it needs. The impact is most noticeable on mid-range phones and slow connections.
A custom theme is built with only what the site actually uses. Stylesheets and scripts are trimmed to the essentials, images are served in lightweight formats like WebP or AVIF, and fonts are hosted on the same server. That makes it easier to pass Core Web Vitals, although the end result also depends on the hosting, the images, and the third-party services the site uses.
How do I measure my site’s speed?
- Go to PageSpeed Insights and paste the address of your homepage.
- Look at the real-user data section first. If your site gets little traffic, Google will only show you the lab test.
- Also check the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console, which groups together every page with issues.
- Test from your own phone on mobile data, not just on the office Wi-Fi.
Which fixes deliver the most?
- Compress and resize images, and lazy-load the ones further down the page.
- Reserve space for images and ads so nothing jumps around (improves CLS).
- Remove unused plugins and unnecessary third-party scripts.
- Use hosting with caching and a content delivery network.
- Reduce the JavaScript that runs when people tap buttons and menus (improves INP).
In short
- LCP, INP, and CLS measure loading, responsiveness, and visual stability.
- Aim for 2.5 s, 200 ms, and 0.1 in real-user data.
- Small speed improvements have a measurable impact on sales.
- A custom theme avoids the code bloat of page builders.
Frequently asked questions
Are Core Web Vitals a ranking factor?
Yes, they're part of Google's page experience signals. They carry less weight than content relevance, but between two similar pages they can make the difference.
Do I need a score of 100 on PageSpeed?
No. The lab score is a guide. What matters is that your real-user data is green on all three metrics.
Is WordPress slow?
WordPress can be very fast. What usually slows it down is the theme, the page builder, and the number of plugins, not the platform itself.
How often should I check my site's speed?
Once a month and after every major change, like a new plugin or a redesign.
Will better hosting fix everything?
It helps with server response time, but it can't make up for heavy images or excess code. You need to work on both.
Answers from the AiDo Creative teamWebsites
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