iProspect Reveals the Top UK Brands to Benefit from the New Google Core Web Vitals SEO Metrics

By iProspect on

iProspect, a dentsu company, recently launched its Core Web Vitals (CWV) Evaluation Tool in the UK, weeks ahead of the anticipated switch on of the new SEO ranking metrics being introduced by Google.

This free to use tool monitors and tracks across 15 major industries, including eCommerce & Shopping, Automotive and Fashion, as well as comparing scores of the Top 1500 sector websites.

Core Web Vitals are three new metrics Google intends to use to measure the page experience of site visitors. The iProspect CWV Evaluation Tool, which uses data going back to January 2021, shows industry trends in performance experience along with daily impact scores per sector and also for individual websites.

From June, Google will start to use these metrics as a ranking signal in mobile search, which means all things being equal, pages with better Core Web Vitals scores will outrank those with poorer scores.

Overall, less than one-in-five (19%) mobile websites will currently benefit and, evaluating the scores per industry, there is huge contrast between sectors when comparing those in good-standing for the change. The industry which is presently the least likely to benefit is Fashion & Apparel, with just 4% of the websites achieving the ‘good’ grading, whereas Government sites are leading the way at 45%, closely followed by Financial Planning (29%).

iProspect Core web vitals

James Bailey, UK CEO at iProspect, which recently relaunched as a digital-first end to end media agency, said: “A better webpage experience has always helped visitors both use and fall in love with a brand, but now it will help with a brand’s SEO too. Considering the recent surge in digital commerce across the country and the globe, it’s still surprising just how many firms are still behind the curve when it comes to being ready for this change, especially those in the Fashion industry. Many of these firms are needing to rely heavily on DTC shopping and ecommerce right now, they can’t afford to lose position in search.”

Whilst there are some big-name brands that are scoring well against the Core Web Vital benchmark, such as Amazon (amazon.co.uk), Monzo Bank (monzo.com) and Axa Insurance (axa.co.uk), 47% of all websites tracked are still under-performing significantly and a full 81% of sites will miss out on improved Google ranking positions from mid-June.

Factors Impacting Performance 

The three metrics forming Core Web Vitals, which are reviewed and compared on the iProspect CWV Evaluation Tool are related to speed (LCP), responsiveness (FID) and visual stability (CLS):

  • Largest Contentful Paid (LCP) is the time it takes for the largest piece of content to become visible on the page – whether that’s text, an image, a banner, or a video
  • First Input Delay (FID) is the reaction time of the page, after a visitor tries to do something – for example tapping a button, a link, or typing in a text box
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures the visual stability of a page as it renders on screen, whereby it calculates the distance all items on the page move – often because of images, pop-ups, or ad banners

Bailey adds; “As an agency we’re plugged in; to our clients and to the industry. It is through this joined up approach, through our smart insights and specialists we’re able to anticipate what’s next and critical for our client’s business to accelerate their brand growth in the short and long term. This representation and interpretation of the impact of Core Web Vitals for key brands, as well as whole industry sectors, is testimony to that.

Try the live iProspect CWV Evaluation Tool and see the top-performing brand websites.

Share This Post

You may also like...