How do Core Web Vitals influence your online store's ranking?

In the world of e-commerce, every second counts. Online store ranking increasingly depends on offering a fast, stable, and intuitive experience. This is where Core Web Vitals come into play, a set of key metrics that Google uses as a ranking factor and that directly influence the visibility of your e-commerce site.

Below, from Click Online 360, an SEO agency with extensive experience in eCommerce projects, we explain why these metrics can make the difference between an online store that sells... and one that doesn't take off.

What are Core Web Vitals and why do they matter for SEO?

Core Web Vitals are three metrics that measure a website's performance in key aspects of user experience:

• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) : Measures how long it takes for the largest visible content (such as a main image or banner) to load. An optimal value is less than 2.5 seconds.

• INP (Interaction to Next Paint) : This replaces the FID metric since March 2024. It evaluates the responsiveness of the entire session, not just the first click. It must be under 200 milliseconds.

• CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) : Measures unexpected changes in the layout while the page loads. A good value is less than 0.1.
  
  

For any online store, these metrics are crucial. A poor score can lead to user frustration, abandoned shopping carts, and lost sales. It also negatively impacts your online store's ranking in Google search results.

How to measure your online store's Core Web Vitals

There are tools to understand the status of your website, which allow you to analyze your URL and view both laboratory and real-world metrics using data from Chrome users.

Additionally, web audits show you detailed LCP, INP, and CLS values and offer personalized technical recommendations.

At Click Online 360, we use various tools to accurately analyze each eCommerce store and prioritize the actions that truly improve performance and conversion.

Steps to improve Core Web Vitals and boost your online store

1. Audit your site

A technical website audit will allow you to get a clear breakdown of critical points, without the need for advanced development knowledge. This will allow you to make data-driven decisions.

2. Optimize heavy images and resources (improve LCP)

Most loading times come from poorly optimized images. Use formats like WebP, enable lazy loading, and compress your files. If you work with WooCommerce or Shopify, there are plugins that automate this process.

3. Reduce main thread blocking (improves INP)

Minimize unnecessary JavaScript scripts, load files asynchronously, and prioritize essential resources. Lower latency translates into a better user experience... and improved online store rankings.

4. Avoid unexpected movements (CLS improvement)

The trick is to reserve the space that elements like images, sliders, or ads will take up. Use fixed values in your CSS and you'll prevent the design from "jumping" while loading.

5. Activate caching and use a CDN

Especially if you have customers in different locations, a CDN reduces load times worldwide. Additionally, browser caching speeds up the experience for returning users.

Click Online 360: Technical SEO experts for online stores

At Click Online 360, we specialize in improving online store rankings from a technical, strategic, and data-driven perspective. Our approach combines SEO auditing, Core Web Vitals analysis, performance improvement, and continuous optimization to achieve what every online store desires: more traffic, more conversions, and more sales.

We work with e-commerce businesses of all sizes, adapting strategies to the real needs of each digital business.

Speed, stability and experience = better positioning

Core Web Vitals are much more than numbers: they reflect how a user experiences your online store. Improving them means offering a smooth, reliable, and fast shopping experience, which not only improves conversions but also improves your online store's search engine ranking.

Remember: every millisecond counts. And in eCommerce, the difference between success and abandonment is often decided by the first click.