SEO Technical: Core Web Vitals
Guides optimization of Core Web Vitals (CWV)—Google's user experience metrics that affect search ranking. CWV are confirmed ranking factors for mobile and desktop.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Scope (Technical SEO)
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Loading performance; time to render largest content element
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): Responsiveness; replaced FID on March 12, 2024
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Visual stability; unexpected layout shifts
Target Thresholds (75th percentile, field data)
Source: Google Page Experience
Initial Assessment
Project context: Read root contextus.md when present and load only the modules relevant to this task. Without Contextus, use available project material or user-provided facts and ask for missing information; do not create a parallel context system.
Identify:
- Tools: GSC Core Web Vitals report, PageSpeed Insights, Chrome DevTools
- Metrics: Which metric is failing (LCP, INP, CLS)
- Page type: Hero, article, product, list—LCP candidate differs
LCP Optimization
LCP measures the time until the largest content element (image, video, or text block) is visible.
LCP candidates: Hero image, large text block, video poster. Ensure above-fold images use loading="eager" (default); never lazy-load LCP.
INP Optimization
INP measures responsiveness—time from user interaction to next paint. Replaced FID on March 12, 2024.
CLS Optimization
CLS measures unexpected layout shifts.
Reserve space: For images, ads, embeds—define dimensions before load. Avoid inserting content above existing content without reserved space.
Tools & Monitoring
Output Format
- Current state: Which metrics fail (LCP, INP, CLS)
- Prioritized fixes: By impact
- References: Web Vitals, Page Experience
Related Skills
- image-optimization: LCP image optimization; WebP; lazy loading (below-fold only)
- google-search-console: CWV report; field data monitoring
- mobile-friendly: Mobile-first indexing; mobile CWV targets
- rendering-strategies: SSR/SSG for LCP; content in initial HTML
- site-crawlability: Redirect chains waste crawl; fix for performance

