
Core Web Vitals are coming – are you ready?
Core Web Vitals are coming – are you ready?
Got a website and want it to be found by searchers in Google? Then pay attention: Rankings are about to change in a BIG way.
Google is expected to release new metrics for ranking sites sometime this year. Is your website ready to be ranked in a totally new way?
I’m going to break down what that means and what you can do to make sure your site soars to the top of search results when the change takes place.
What are Core Web Vitals and how do they change the SEO game?
To understand Core Web Vitals you need to first understand what search bots look at when they decide whether to display your site to searchers. Previously, Google has been looking at our sites and making sure they hit 3 main SEO points:
1. Mobile-Friendly Code
The first metric Google has classically ranked sites for is mobile responsiveness, meaning that users can view a site just as well on phones as on computers. Responsiveness means the design, sizing and layout “responds” to the screen size of the user to display it best.
2. Safe Browsing Experience
Google wants to see that SSL is in place. SSL encrypts user data as it goes from the site to the server & back again, thwarting thievery and hacks of the info we share as users, like email addresses, credit card numbers and other personal data.
3. Easy to read and view
Pop-ups get in the way of browsing. Google calls these “interstitial intrusions”, meaning any extra content that appears over the webpage – like a pop-up window. Yes, pop-ups are bad for SEO. Still confused? Check out this guide on “interstitial intrusion” from SEO Journal.
Here’s how everything you know about SEO is going to change:
So we’re already aware of these 3 things, and most of the websites that are still doing well in search today are doing just fine with the above. But now Google is bringing in 4 new metrics – called Core Web Vitals – that are going to shake things up. Meet the new metrics:
4. Site Loading Time
5. Easy Site Interactions
6. Layout loading & shifting

TL/DR: You can no longer have an old-fashioned, text-based website that has all the right content but archaic design and slow load time and have it found in search. When these new metrics come into play, sites that don’t measure up will loose visibility fast. Google is cutting the cord – everyone needs to catch up with modernity in how their website looks, loads and functions to be seen as valid and valuable by Google.
How do you know how your site measures up now?
There are various tools you can use to evaluate the strength of your current site for Core Web Vitals compliance. Click on the following links and insert your full URL to start a scan:
Not liking what you’re seeing?
If your scores are lacking and you need help fixing issues on your site, take action NOW before Core Web Vitals ranking goes live and becomes a real impediment to people finding your site. Follow the instructions on the report you’ve generated, or sign up for my SEO Report Card service, which includes a full site scan for all vulnerabilities, an easy-to-read report on where your site shines and where it needs help, and a live hour-long call with me to review the results and make a plan to fix them. Learn more here >