Understanding Core Web Vitals Scores: A Guide for WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Joomla, Duda, and Drupal Users

Optimising Core Web Vitals scores is essential for improving your website’s performance and user experience. Incorporating them into your overall digital marketing strategy can significantly enhance your site’s ranking on search engines, leading to increased traffic and engagement. This guide provides actionable insights tailored to popular CMS platforms such as WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Joomla, Duda, and Drupal, ensuring you can effectively boost your site’s performance.

Core Web Vitals Explained

Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics launched by Google to measure a website’s user experience. They focus on loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. The three key metrics are:

1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – measures loading performance. An ideal LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of when the page first starts loading.

2. First Input Delay (FID) – measures interactivity. A good FID score is less than 100 milliseconds.

3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – measures visual stability. A CLS score of less than 0.1 ensures minimal unexpected layout shifts.

Why Core Web Vitals Matter

Improving Core Web Vitals can enhance user experience, resulting in higher engagement and better search engine rankings. Google uses these metrics as part of their ranking criteria, making them crucial for SEO. Websites that perform well on these metrics are more likely to retain users and convert visitors into customers.

Optimising Core Web Vitals for Different CMS Platforms

At Springhill Marketing, we have compiled a list of essential pointers to help you improve your Core Web Vitals scores. Regardless of your preferred CMS, consider implementing these strategies to get better SEO results.

WordPress

1. Leverage Caching and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): Utilise plugins such as WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache to reduce server response times. CDNs like Cloudflare can deliver your content more quickly to users around the globe.

2. Optimise Images: Use image optimisation plugins such as Smush or ShortPixel to reduce the size of your images without compromising quality. Consider next-gen formats like WebP for better performance.

3. Minimise JavaScript and CSS: Plugins such as Autoptimize can help minify and defer CSS and JavaScript files. This will help reduce the amount of code the browser needs to load and execute.

Wix

1. Utilise Wix’s Built-In Tools: Wix automatically compresses images and provides CDN services to enhance loading times. Make sure you’re leveraging these tools to their full extent.

2. Simplify Page Designs: Keep your page designs clean and straightforward to reduce the amount of visual content that needs to be loaded, thereby improving LCP and CLS.

3. Monitor Site Performance: Wix provides tools to monitor your site’s performance. Regularly check your site’s speed and make adjustments as necessary.

Squarespace

1. Enable AMP: Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) can significantly improve loading times on mobile devices. Enable AMP in your Squarespace settings for blog posts and key landing pages.

2. Optimise Images: Squarespace automatically creates several sizes of each image you upload. Use the smallest image size that works for each context to reduce LCP.

3. Custom CSS and JavaScript: Minimise custom code where possible. Ensure any custom CSS or JavaScript is efficient and necessary to avoid impacting your site’s FID and CLS.

Joomla

1. Use Caching: Enable Joomla’s built-in caching mechanisms to reduce server load times. This can be configured in the Global Configuration settings.

2. Optimise Extensions: Regularly review and update your Joomla extensions. Remove any unnecessary plugins or modules that may be adding extra load to your pages.

3. Optimise Images: Use Joomla extensions such as JCH Optimise to compress and optimise images, improving your site’s LCP score.

Duda

1. Leverage Global CDN: Duda provides a global CDN to improve loading times for your visitors, regardless of their location. Ensure this is enabled in your settings.

2. Minimise Third-Party Widgets: Limit the use of third-party widgets and scripts, as they can significantly impact your FID. Only include essential features on your site.

3. Image Optimisation: Use Duda’s image optimisation tools to automatically resize and compress images, improving both LCP and CLS scores.

Drupal

1. Use Performance Modules: Modules such as Boost can create static versions of your pages, significantly reducing server load times.

2. Optimise Database: Regularly optimise your database to ensure it runs efficiently. This can be done using modules such as DB Maintenance or by manually cleaning up your database.

3. Optimise Images and CSS/JavaScript: Use modules such as ImageAPI Optimise to compress images and Advanced CSS/JS Aggregation to minify and defer CSS and JavaScript files.

Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

Regularly monitor your site’s Core Web Vitals scores with tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or the Web Vitals extension for Chrome. These tools provide detailed reports and suggestions for improvements.

Use Analytics

Leverage robust analytics tools to track site performance. Pay attention to metrics such as bounce rates, average session duration, and conversion rates, as these can provide insights into how your site’s performance impacts user behaviour.

Stay Updated

Keep up with the latest updates and recommendations from Google regarding Core Web Vitals. SEO is an ever-evolving field, and staying in the know will help you maintain a competitive edge.

Test and Iterate

Continuously test different optimisation strategies to see what works best for your site. A/B testing can help you determine the changes that have the most significant impact on performance and user engagement.

Conclusion

Optimising Core Web Vitals is not just about improving your site’s performance. It’s also about providing a better experience for your users. Whether you’re using WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Joomla, Duda, or Drupal, implementing the strategies outlined in this guide will help you enhance your website’s user experience, leading to higher engagement, better search engine rankings and greater online success.

If you need help improving site performance to ensure you remain Google-friendly, we at Springhill Marketing are happy to assist you. Get in touch with our team, and we’ll provide you with digital marketing solutions tailored to your business.