Let’s talk Core Web Vitals. You’ve probably heard the buzzwords “Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)” “First Input Delay (FID)” and “Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)” right? Those are the original three Core Web Vitals that Google introduced a few years back to help website owners understand how well their sites were performing for users. But things have changed. Google has decided to shake things up and introduce a new metric: Interaction to Next Paint (INP).

Think of INP as the new sheriff in town ready to take over for FID.

Why the switch? Well Google realized that FID wasn’t always the best indicator of how responsive a website actually was.

It didn’t really account for how smooth a user’s experience was when they interacted with the site like clicking a button or scrolling down the page.

Enter INP the metric that focuses on the responsiveness of a website specifically in how long it takes for a site to respond to a user’s interaction.

Yo, you know how Google is always changing the game? Well, they just dropped a new Core Web Vital called INP. It’s all about how responsive your website is when someone clicks something, like, you know, when you’re about to buy something. A bad INP score can mean your site is clunky and slow, which is a total buzzkill. Want to learn more about INP and how to get that green score? Check this out 🤓🚀

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Diving Deep into INP

Imagine you’re browsing a website ready to check out a product or submit a form but you’re stuck in a digital limbo waiting for the site to respond.

That’s exactly what INP aims to measure.

It looks at the time it takes for a page to start responding to an interaction—like a click or a tap—and then displays that information as a score.

What Does a Good INP Score Look Like?

For a website to be considered fast and responsive Google recommends that the INP score should be under 200 milliseconds.

Think of it this way: If a page takes more than 200 milliseconds to respond to an interaction it can start feeling clunky slow and frustrating for users.

That’s why aiming for a green score under 200 milliseconds is crucial.

Understanding INP Measurement

To measure INP Google analyzes all the interactions that happen on a page.

This can be anything from a user clicking on a button to typing in a search field.

The metric then calculates the duration between when the interaction starts and when the next paint occurs which is when the page begins to visually update in response to the user’s action.

The Importance of INP: Why You Should Care

Having a good INP score isn’t just a good practice—it’s a necessity for keeping your website in Google’s good graces.

Remember that Core Web Vitals are becoming increasingly important for SEO so having green scores across the board is a vital part of driving organic traffic to your website.

Tips for Keeping Your INP Scores Green:

So you’ve got your eye on a green INP score.

Great! Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of how to achieve it.

1. Optimize for JavaScript

You’ve probably heard the saying “less is more” before and it applies to JavaScript in the world of INP.

The amount of JavaScript code you have running on your website can directly impact its responsiveness.

Here’s how to keep your JavaScript in check:

Minimizing JavaScript: The less JavaScript your site has to execute the faster it can respond. Consider simplifying your code removing unnecessary scripts and combining smaller scripts into larger ones. This can significantly improve your loading times.
Prioritizing Critical JavaScript: Think about what JavaScript code is absolutely necessary for your website to function. If there’s non-critical JavaScript that can wait consider loading it after the initial page load. This way you don’t bog down your site with unnecessary processing.
Deferring JavaScript Execution: Deferring JavaScript means delaying its execution until the page has fully loaded. This way your website can respond to interactions more quickly without waiting for lengthy JavaScript processes to complete.

2. Optimize for Images

Images are one of the largest file sizes on websites which can have a big impact on loading times.

To improve your INP you can:

Compression: Always compress your images to reduce their file size without compromising on quality. There are free and paid image optimization tools available online and you can even find plugins specifically designed for image compression within WordPress.
Lazy Loading: Lazy loading is like a superpower for images. It loads images only when they’re in the viewport instead of loading all of them at once. Think of it as a more efficient way of using your website’s resources.

3. Minimize Layout Shifts

Remember CLS? The sudden shifting of elements on a page while it’s loading can be a real user experience killer.

To minimize CLS and keep your INP score high:

Plan for Images: Make sure you include placeholder elements for images that will appear on your page later. This prevents unexpected layout shifts when those images finally load.
Be Careful with Ads: Keep an eye on how ads are being displayed on your website. Ads that suddenly pop up and change the layout can be a major culprit of CLS so make sure your ads are seamlessly integrated into your design.

4. Prioritize User Experience

At the end of the day INP is all about user experience.

So the best way to keep your scores green is to put yourself in your users’ shoes.

Ask yourself:

How quickly does my website respond to my interactions?
Is it frustrating to click a button and then wait for a long delay?
Do elements on my website shift around in an unexpected way?

By analyzing your site from a user’s perspective you can gain valuable insights into how to improve its responsiveness and keep those INP scores green.

INP: The Future of Website Performance

INP is here to stay.

Google is emphasizing this new metric as a crucial factor for SEO ranking so make sure you prioritize it in your website optimization efforts.

By focusing on JavaScript optimization image optimization minimizing layout shifts and taking a user-centric approach you’ll be well on your way to a more responsive and enjoyable website experience—and that’s what will truly keep your users coming back for more.

Keeping Your Core Web Vitals Scores Green—Are You Ready for INP?