As you may have heard, Google will be using a scoring system for website quality called "Core Web Vitals" as a ranking factor for organic search results. You may be wondering though, how do I get a better score and what actually matters when it comes to optimizing my website and performance.

In this episode of PressThis, we interview Adam Humphreys of Making 8 about his thoughts on the role of Core Web Vitals in SEO, how to interpret your CWV scores, and why your website's true performance is the best measure of your success.

If you're scratching your head around Core Web Vitals optimization and WordPress, don't miss this episode of PressThis. Listen now!

Want a sneak peek? Check out some of Adam's favorite speed optimization approaches...

WordPress Optimization Plugins:
- WP Rocket is amazing at compressing down sites
- Imagify made by the WP Rocket team converts those heavy images into Webp or alternatively Shortpixel
- Asset Cleanup Pro (comprehensive WordPress tool that removes unused code from pages that are also recommended by WP Rocket

WordPress Host with a CDN:
Focus on fully managed WordPress with excellent service that updates plugins and is pushing cutting-edge technology. WP Engine over the years has really stood up to that.

A light theme and generally speaking a flattened site without sliders. UX shows sliders are a no-go and not recommended.

Measure!
Google Site Kit plugin with GA4 Google Analytics 4 tied in and Google Search Console integrated into Google Analytics. CallRail to measure the number of calls.

Important to remember the top 100 sites often don’t show changes indexed for up to 90 days so don’t expect immediate results in search rankings once all Google updates are rolled out. The benefits immediately show for clients and those with 2.5 second load time or less on mobile will be rewarded the most in tie-breaker situations.