In 2021, Google made Core Web Vitals an official ranking factor. That means your website’s speed and interactivity directly affect where you appear in Google search results. This guide explains what Core Web Vitals are, what the scores mean, and — most importantly — what to do if your site is failing them.
What Are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are three (now four) specific measurements Google uses to assess the real-world experience of using your website. They are measured from actual user data, not just lab conditions. Google calls this “page experience” and uses it as a ranking signal alongside content quality.
LCP — Largest Contentful Paint
What it measures: How long it takes for the largest visible element on the page — usually a hero image or heading — to load fully after someone clicks your link.
Good score: Under 2.5 seconds
Needs improvement: 2.5–4 seconds
Poor: Over 4 seconds
Why it matters: This is what visitors feel as “the page loading.” A slow LCP means people see a blank or partial page for seconds — and most will leave.
Most common causes in India: Unoptimised hero images, slow server response times (cheap hosting), no CDN.
INP — Interaction to Next Paint
What it measures: How responsive your page is when a visitor clicks a button, taps a menu, or fills in a form. It replaced First Input Delay (FID) in 2024.
Good score: Under 200ms
Needs improvement: 200–500ms
Poor: Over 500ms
Why it matters: A page that visually loads quickly but then freezes when you tap something feels broken. INP captures that lag.
CLS — Cumulative Layout Shift
What it measures: Whether your page elements jump around while loading. If you have ever been about to tap a button and it suddenly moved as an image loaded — that is a CLS problem.
Good score: Under 0.1
Needs improvement: 0.1–0.25
Poor: Over 0.25
Why it matters: Layout shifts are extremely frustrating on mobile and indicate that the page is not properly specifying image dimensions and font loading.
How to Check Your Core Web Vitals
The easiest ways to check your scores:
- Ariham SiteScan — free audit including performance scores
- Google Search Console → Core Web Vitals report (shows real user data for your site)
- PageSpeed Insights at pagespeed.web.dev
Always check your mobile score — that is the one Google primarily uses for ranking.
Most Common Core Web Vitals Issues for Indian Websites
- Hero images not converted to WebP (kills LCP)
- No image lazy loading below the fold
- Missing width/height attributes on images (causes CLS)
- Web fonts loading without a fallback (causes CLS)
- Excessive JavaScript blocking interactivity (hurts INP)
- Cheap shared hosting with slow Time to First Byte (TTFB)
What Good Scores Mean for Your Business
A website that passes Core Web Vitals — all metrics in the green — ranks higher in Google search results and converts more visitors. The performance advantage is particularly large on mobile, which is where 70%+ of Indian web traffic comes from.
Ariham Technologies builds all websites to pass Core Web Vitals on mobile. If your current site is failing, we offer performance optimisation as a standalone service. Get in touch or run a free audit to see where you stand.
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