If you've had a website audit recently, you've probably seen the phrase Core Web Vitals — and likely been told your scores need improving. This post explains what they actually are, why they matter, and what you can do about poor scores.
What Are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are a set of three performance metrics that Google uses to measure how good the experience of loading and using your website feels to real users. They've been a confirmed Google ranking factor since 2021.
The three metrics are:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): How long it takes for the main content of your page to appear. Google wants this under 2.5 seconds.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): How much your page layout jumps around as it loads. Google wants a score below 0.1.
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): How responsive your page is when a user taps or clicks. Google wants this under 200ms.
Do Core Web Vitals Actually Affect My Rankings?
Yes — but they're one of many factors. You're unlikely to jump to page one of Google purely by fixing your Core Web Vitals. However, all else being equal, a site with green scores will outrank one with poor scores. And critically, a slow or jumpy site directly hurts your conversion rate regardless of rankings.
Why Do Template Sites Struggle?
Most Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress sites built on heavy themes like Avada or Elementor score poorly on Core Web Vitals. They load excessive JavaScript and CSS, use unoptimised images, and rely on third-party scripts that block rendering. This is one reason we build custom-coded sites — they score significantly higher out of the box.
How to Check Your Scores
Visit PageSpeed Insights (search for it on Google) and enter your URL. You'll get a mobile and desktop score, along with specific issues to fix. Focus on the mobile score — that's what Google primarily uses for ranking.
What Causes Poor Scores?
- Unoptimised images (too large, wrong format)
- Render-blocking JavaScript and CSS
- Slow server response times (cheap hosting)
- Too many third-party scripts (chat widgets, ad trackers, social embeds)
- No lazy loading on images below the fold
- Missing font-display settings on web fonts
How We Fix Poor Core Web Vitals
Our Core Web Vitals optimisation service starts from £250. We diagnose the specific issues on your site, fix them at the code level, and confirm improvement via PageSpeed and Google Search Console. Most sites see significant score improvements within a week.
Or if you're building a new site, choose us — Core Web Vitals performance is built in from the start, not patched in afterwards. Get a free quote today.