How to Improve Core Web Vitals in Three Simple Steps

Google’s mission has always been simple: to deliver the best possible experience for users.

In recent years, that mission has expanded beyond content quality — it now includes how your website performs technically.

If your site feels slow, unresponsive, or visually unstable, Google notices — and so do your visitors.

That’s why Core Web Vitals have become one of the most critical SEO ranking factors for 2025.

The good news? Improving them doesn’t require complex engineering. With the right approach, you can significantly enhance your site’s speed, interactivity, and stability — in just three key steps.

1. What Are Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are Google’s performance metrics that measure how users experience your website. They focus on three key areas of usability:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) — how quickly the main content loads on the screen.
Ideal score: under 2.5 seconds.
First Input Delay (FID) — how fast your website responds when a user interacts (e.g. clicks, taps, or scrolls).
Ideal score: under 100 milliseconds.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) — how visually stable your page remains as it loads.
Ideal score: below 0.1.

Together, these factors define whether your site feels fast, responsive, and smooth — or frustrating and unreliable.

When your Core Web Vitals perform well, users stay longer, engage more, and convert faster.

2. Step 1: Optimise Load Speed (LCP)

Your site’s Largest Contentful Paint measures how long it takes for the main visible content (such as a hero image or headline) to appear.

If your page takes too long to load, visitors lose patience — and Google takes notice.

Here’s how to improve your LCP score:

✅ Compress and resize images — large image files are the biggest speed killer. Use formats like WebP or AVIF for smaller, faster-loading visuals.

✅ Enable lazy loading — this ensures images load only when users scroll to them.

✅ Optimise server response time — invest in reliable hosting and consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

✅ Eliminate render-blocking elements — minify CSS and JavaScript files that delay visual loading.

✅ Use caching — store frequently accessed assets locally to reduce repeated load times.

By improving load speed, you not only enhance SEO performance but also create a smoother, more professional experience for your visitors.

3. Step 2: Improve Interactivity (FID)

A fast-loading page isn’t enough — it must also respond instantly when users interact.

First Input Delay (FID) measures how quickly your website processes the first user action, like clicking a button or opening a menu.

To optimise FID:

✅ Reduce JavaScript execution time. Heavy or unnecessary scripts slow responsiveness. Audit your code and remove redundant libraries.

✅ Implement code splitting and async loading. Load only the scripts needed for initial interaction; defer the rest.

✅ Optimise third-party tools. Excess tracking scripts, ads, or chatbots can drag performance down.

✅ Use browser caching effectively. Let your users’ browsers remember frequently used resources.

✅ Design for mobile-first interaction. Ensure touch targets are large and responsive across all screen sizes.

The faster your site reacts, the more natural and satisfying it feels to use — a key signal for Google’s user-experience ranking system.

4. Step 3: Enhance Visual Stability (CLS)

Ever tried clicking a button, only for the layout to suddenly shift and make you hit something else?

That’s a Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) problem — and it’s a major UX frustration.

CLS measures how much visible content moves around during page load. A low score means your layout is stable, giving users confidence and control.

To improve CLS:

✅ Always set size attributes for images and videos. This reserves space before the media loads.

✅ Avoid inserting dynamic ads or banners without placeholders. These sudden shifts destroy stability.

✅ Use consistent fonts and fallback settings. Web fonts that load late can cause text to jump.

✅ Avoid layout adjustments with JavaScript. Use CSS transitions or animations instead.

✅ Test on multiple devices. Small screens amplify layout problems that might go unnoticed on desktop.

A visually stable website doesn’t just look better — it builds trust and professionalism.

5. How to Measure Core Web Vitals

Before you can fix performance, you need to measure it.

Google provides several free tools for assessing your Core Web Vitals:

PageSpeed Insights: Analyse performance per page and get improvement suggestions.
Lighthouse (in Chrome DevTools): Offers detailed technical diagnostics.
Search Console (Core Web Vitals Report): Tracks site-wide issues and monitors improvement over time.

Focus on both mobile and desktop results, as Core Web Vitals scores can differ dramatically between the two.

6. Why Core Web Vitals Impact SEO and Conversions

Google’s 2024 updates confirmed what marketers long suspected: user experience directly affects rankings.

A site that loads fast, feels responsive, and remains visually stable achieves:

Lower bounce rates.
Higher engagement time.
Better organic visibility.
Stronger conversion performance.

In essence, Google rewards websites that people actually enjoy using.

7. How EC Business Solutions Helps You Optimise Performance

At EC Business Solutions, we specialise in helping South African SMEs achieve top-tier website performance and ranking results.

Our team provides:

✅ Full technical SEO audits with Core Web Vitals insights.

✅ Page speed and UX optimisation for mobile and desktop.

✅ Image, code, and server configuration improvements.

✅ Ongoing monitoring to maintain performance through updates.

We turn your website into a fast, responsive, and stable digital asset — built for both people and algorithms.

8. Conclusion — Simplicity Wins

Improving Core Web Vitals doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

By focusing on speed, interactivity, and stability, you’re aligning your site with Google’s core philosophy: delivering great user experiences.

A few simple changes today can lead to measurable improvements in both your rankings and your customer satisfaction.

👉 Optimise your site for performance and long-term growth with Professional SEO Services from EC Business Solutions — where speed, trust, and visibility meet strategy.