Google Replaces FID with INP as Core Web Vitals Metric

Imagine you're running a website that sells handmade jewelry. You've spent countless hours creating beautiful pieces and building an online store to showcase your work. You've optimized your website for search engines, designed a user-friendly interface, and even added a blog to keep your customers informed about your latest creations. You think you're doing everything right until you receive a notification from Google that you need to improve your website's Core Web Vitals.

What are Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that Google uses to evaluate the user experience of a website. They include:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - measures loading performance.
• First Input Delay (FID) - measures interactivity.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) - measures visual stability.

Google introduced Core Web Vitals in May 2020 as part of their effort to provide a better web browsing experience for users. Websites that meet the standards for Core Web Vitals can improve their chances of ranking higher in search results.

What is FID, and why is it being replaced?

First Input Delay (FID) measures the time it takes for a webpage to respond to a user's first interaction, such as clicking a button or typing in a form. A longer FID can result in a frustrating and unresponsive user experience.

However, Google announced in November 2020 that they would be replacing FID with a new metric called Input Inconsistency (INP). INP focuses on measuring the consistency of website responsiveness, rather than just the time it takes to respond to the first interaction.

This change is significant for website owners who are trying to optimize their Core Web Vitals. While FID is still an important metric, INP provides a more comprehensive evaluation of a website's interactivity.

What can website owners do to improve their Core Web Vitals?

Improving Core Web Vitals can be a complex process, but there are some practical steps website owners can take:

• Optimize images and videos to reduce loading time.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve server response time.
• Minimize the number of HTTP requests and reduce the size of CSS and JavaScript files.
• Implement caching to reduce the number of requests to the server.
• Regularly monitor and analyze your website's performance with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse.

In conclusion

1. Google is replacing First Input Delay (FID) with Input Inconsistent (INP) as a Core Web Vitals metric to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of website interactivity.
2. Website owners should take practical steps to improve their Core Web Vitals, such as optimizing images and videos, reducing HTTP requests and file sizes, and monitoring performance with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse.
3. Meeting the standards for Core Web Vitals can improve a website's search ranking and provide a better user experience.