How to improve Core Web Vitals for a faster news website

Google’s Core Web Vitals (CWV) are key performance metrics that influence both user experience and search rankings. For news websites, where speed and stability are crucial, optimising CWV ensures that readers can quickly access articles without frustrating delays or layout shifts. Improving these metrics leads to:

• Higher search rankings as Google prioritises fast, user-friendly sites.
• Lower bounce rates by reducing page load time and interaction delays.
• Better ad revenue as faster sites tend to have higher engagement.
• Increased reader retention by offering a seamless experience.
• Higher mobile performance as CWV plays a major role in mobile search rankings.
• Better accessibility since improved loading speeds benefit users with slower internet connections or older devices.

The three Core Web Vitals to focus on are:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures how quickly the main content loads.
• First Input Delay (FID): Assesses site interactivity and responsiveness.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Evaluates visual stability to prevent unexpected shifts.

Step 1: Optimise Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) for faster loading

LCP measures the time it takes for the largest visible content element (e.g., an article headline, feature image) to load. A good LCP score is under 2.5 seconds. To improve LCP:

• Optimise server response time: Use fast, reliable hosting and implement a CDN (e.g., Cloudflare, Fastly) to serve content closer to users.
• Enable caching: Implement browser and server-side caching to speed up repeated visits.
• Optimise images: Use next-gen formats like WebP, lazy loading, and responsive image sizes to reduce load time.
• Minimise render-blocking resources: Defer non-essential JavaScript and CSS files to prevent delays in loading primary content.
• Preload key resources: Use <link rel="preload"> to prioritise loading the most important elements first.
• Use server-side rendering (SSR): Where applicable, render pages on the server rather than the client to improve perceived load speed.
• Eliminate unnecessary redirects: Reduce HTTP redirects that increase load time.

Step 2: Improve First Input Delay (FID) for better interactivity

FID measures how quickly a page responds to user interactions (e.g., clicking a link, tapping a button). A good FID score is under 100ms. To optimise FID:

• Reduce JavaScript execution time: Minimise unused JavaScript, defer non-essential scripts, and break up long tasks to prevent blocking interactions.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): Serve assets from a geographically distributed network to speed up delivery.
• Optimise third-party scripts: Limit the number of third-party trackers, widgets, and ads that slow down interactivity.
• Use browser-friendly frameworks: If using JavaScript frameworks like React or Vue, implement server-side rendering (SSR) or hydration techniques.
• Reduce main-thread work: Avoid long-running JavaScript tasks that prevent smooth user interactions.
• Enable lazy execution of scripts: Load scripts asynchronously and defer those that aren’t immediately necessary.
• Use web workers: Offload heavy JavaScript computations to background threads.

Step 3: Minimise Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) for visual stability

CLS measures how much visible content shifts unexpectedly during page load. A good CLS score is under 0.1. To reduce CLS:

• Specify image dimensions: Always define width and height attributes or use CSS aspect-ratio to reserve space for images.
• Preload fonts properly: Load fonts asynchronously to prevent layout jank.
• Reserve space for ads and embeds: Set static dimensions for banner ads, iframes, and other embedded content to avoid sudden shifts.
• Use CSS animations wisely: Avoid animations that trigger reflows, such as those affecting width, height, or position.
• Delay ad loading intelligently: Ensure ad scripts don’t push content around as they load.
• Prevent Flash of Unstyled Content (FOUC): Use font-display: swap; to ensure text appears immediately.
• Test layout shifts with WebPageTest: Identify elements causing CLS and adjust accordingly.

Step 4: Monitor and test performance improvements

Regular testing ensures ongoing optimisation. Use these tools to measure Core Web Vitals:

• Google PageSpeed Insights: Provides real-time CWV scores and actionable insights.
• Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools): Helps diagnose performance bottlenecks.
• WebPageTest: Offers detailed load-time breakdowns.
• Google Search Console (Core Web Vitals Report): Tracks historical CWV performance and alerts for issues.
• GTmetrix: Gives in-depth analysis and waterfall breakdowns of page loads.
• Real User Monitoring (RUM): Collects live user data to measure actual performance across different devices.
• Synthetic Performance Testing: Simulates different network conditions to evaluate load speed under various scenarios.

Final thoughts

Optimising Core Web Vitals is essential for news websites aiming to rank higher in search results, improve engagement, and retain loyal readers. By addressing LCP, FID, and CLS, publishers can create a faster, more reliable browsing experience. Regular performance audits and technical refinements ensure that site speed remains competitive as web standards evolve. Prioritising CWV improvements doesn’t just benefit search rankings but also enhances user experience, leading to better retention and overall site success.