Core Web Vitals and SEO - are they a ranking factor or not? [updated november 2024+ FAQ]

Does Google still use Core Web Vitals for rankings in 2024?

Yes, Core Web Vitals remain a ranking factor, but the approach has evolved from penalizing slow pages to rewarding fast ones.

The journey of performance metrics in SEO is fascinating. Back in July 2018, Google first introduced page speed as a mobile ranking factor, focusing solely on penalizing the slowest pages using simpler metrics. Fast forward to 2024, and we've seen a significant evolution:

• The approach shifted from penalizing slow pages to rewarding fast ones
• Metrics became more user-centric with Core Web Vitals
• The focus expanded beyond pure speed to overall user experience

But one thing hasn't changed since 2018: "The intent of the search query is still a very strong signal, so a slow page may still rank highly if it has great, relevant content."

“In general, we (Google) prioritize pages with the best information overall even if some aspects of page experience are sub-par. A good page experience doesn’t override having great, relevant content.”

How much do Core Web Vitals really affect Google rankings?

Core Web Vitals act as a tie-breaker between pages with similar content quality, but here's the crucial part: you must pass ALL three metrics to gain any ranking advantage - there's no partial credit.

Think of it as a pass/fail system - having two "Good" scores and one "Poor" score is effectively the same as failing all three. This matters most in competitive markets where content quality alone doesn't determine clear winners.

Google has published an entire video discussing the connection between the Core Web Vitals and SEO:

What are the Core Web Vitals thresholds for 2024?

Here are the three metrics you need to focus on:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Under 2.5 seconds
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Below 200 milliseconds (replacing FID in March 2024)
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Less than 0.1

What's the difference between PageSpeed scores and Core Web Vitals for SEO?

Only real user Core Web Vitals data affects SEO. PageSpeed scores and Lighthouse data don't influence rankings at all.

PageSpeed Insights vs Real User Data

• PageSpeed Insights provides both lab and field data
• Only the field data (real user measurements) affects rankings
• Lab data (including Lighthouse scores) is useful for development but doesn't impact SEO

Where to Find SEO-Relevant Core Web Vitals Data

• Google Search Console shows the data that affects rankings
• Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) is the source of this data
• Focus on field data in PageSpeed Insights, not the performance score

Which browsers does Google use for Core Web Vitals ranking data?

Only Chrome desktop and Android Chrome data count. Other browsers, including Chrome on iOS, don't affect your Core Web Vitals scores for SEO.

Here's why:

• Only Chrome desktop and Android Chrome users contribute to ranking data
• Other Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Opera) don't contribute
• Firefox and Safari data don't influence rankings
• Chrome on iOS uses WebKit (Safari's engine), so it can't collect Core Web Vitals data

Do subdomains share Core Web Vitals scores for SEO?

No, Core Web Vitals are measured separately for each domain and subdomain.

This means:

• Different domains (e.g., rumvision.com vs. rumvision.nl) have separate scores
• Subdomains (e.g., blog.rumvision.com) are treated as distinct from their parent domain
• Each property needs its own optimization strategy

Pro tip: If your domain meets CrUX's criteria (being publicly discoverable), ALL pages contribute to your origin data - even admin interfaces. For most sites with significant public traffic, this won't materially affect your scores. Consider using Firefox or Safari for admin work to prevent these sessions from being included in CrUX data.

How do Single Page Applications handle Core Web Vitals?

SPAs face unique challenges: only the initial page load counts for Core Web Vitals, while subsequent route changes don't affect your scores.

This creates an interesting paradox:

• Only initial page loads contribute to Core Web Vitals measurements
• Subsequent route changes (soft navigations) don't affect your scores
• Front-loading resources for faster navigation (a common SPA strategy) doesn't help your Core Web Vitals metrics

How does global performance affect local SEO rankings?

Poor performance in any country affects your global rankings. Yes, slow performance in Australia could hurt your rankings in New York.

Unlike other metrics, Core Web Vitals data isn't segmented by country for ranking purposes. This makes global performance optimization crucial for maintaining consistent rankings across all markets, if they are all on the same domain.

Do Core Web Vitals affect mobile and desktop rankings differently?

Yes, Google evaluates Core Web Vitals separately for mobile and desktop searches, meaning your site can rank differently on each platform.

This creates an opportunity to optimize specifically for each experience, potentially gaining an advantage in both spaces. The thresholds remain the same for both platforms.

How long does it take for Core Web Vitals improvements to affect SEO?

Expect a 28-day delay between making improvements and seeing them reflected in your rankings.

This happens because:

• Google needs 28 days of real user data to validate improvements
• Only real Chrome users (excluding iOS) contribute to this data
• Data must be processed and aggregated before affecting rankings

What do real businesses achieve by improving Core Web Vitals?

While direct ranking impacts are hard to measure, businesses see significant performance improvements:

E-commerce Success Stories

• Vodafone: 31% improvement in LCP led to 8% more sales
• Swappie: Achieved 42% higher mobile revenue after optimization
• eBay: Just 100ms faster load times resulted in 0.5% more "Add to Cart" actions
• Renault: Every 1-second LCP improvement reduced bounce rates by 14% and increased conversions by 13%

Mobile Impact (Google Research)

• 70% of people research products on mobile before purchasing
• 62% of users who have a negative mobile experience are less likely to make future purchases
• 60% prefer doing business with mobile-friendly websites

Should you invest in Core Web Vitals optimization in 2024 and 2025?

Focus on optimizing for whatever experience you think would be best for your users, and trust that Google's ranking algorithm will reward those efforts accordingly.

We've seen organizations try to "game" Core Web Vitals - blocking users from certain countries to improve scores, over-optimizing beyond "Good" thresholds, or sacrificing functionality for speed. These approaches ultimately hurt both users and business results.

Instead:

• Focus on genuine user experience improvements
• Use Core Web Vitals as guidelines, not strict rules
• Remember that content relevance still trumps performance
• Let performance optimization flow naturally from user needs

The real value of Core Web Vitals isn't just in potential ranking improvements - it's in building a faster, more enjoyable web for your users. Do that well, and the SEO benefits will follow naturally.

Because having good Core Web Vitals is about much more than just SEO. It's about optimizing the user experience. The speed-related user experiences can affect a website's earnings, which means that optimizing Core Web Vitals has value beyond a ranking position.

“The other thing to keep in mind with Core Web Vitals is that it’s more than a random ranking factor, it’s also something that affects your site’s usability after it ranks (when people visit). If you get more traffic (from other SEO efforts) and your conversion rate is low, that traffic is not going to be as useful as when you have a higher conversion rate (assuming UX/speed affects your conversion rate, which it usually does)."

John Mueller, Search Advocate at Google

Getting more out of Core Web Vitals than just SEO? Contact us to discuss the possibilities for your business.

Karlijn Löwik

General Director / CEO

• {label:mailto}
• linkedin-square