No-Nonsense Breakdown: Chrome’s New Core Web Vital – INP
Breaking it down simply, the tech giants over at web.dev recently dropped some news that’ll shake up how website responsiveness gets measured. They’re introducing something called Interaction to Next Paint, or INP for short – and it’s kind of a big deal.
What does it mean?
Basically, up until now, websites were judged on their “first impression” through a metric called First Input Delay (FID). It was all about how long it takes for a site to start responding when someone first clicks or taps on it. The issue? FID didn’t really tell the whole story about a site’s responsiveness throughout a visitor’s entire stay.
Enter INP. This newbie takes a broader look by considering all interactions during the page’s life, focusing on the slowest ones to give a more accurate picture of what users experience. Think of INP as that thorough friend who doesn’t miss a thing, ensuring every part of the visit is smooth.
Is there anything you should do about it?
Short answer: Yes. As INP moves from the experimental stage to join the Core Web Vitals by March 2024, it’s time to start tuning in. This change means that INP will play a significant role in how sites are ranked and perceived in terms of user experience. Keeping an eye on your site’s INP scores will be key to ensuring it meets Google’s forthcoming standards for speed and responsiveness.
For those who aren’t knee-deep in web development or SEO tactics on the daily, it might sound a bit daunting. But fear not. Whether it’s optimizing for these new standards or getting your site to the top of its game, turning to an SEO agency or a website development agency can help simplify these complexities. Ensuring your site is responsive and user-friendly has always been crucial, and with INP, it’s clear this focus isn’t going away anytime soon.
Still, wondering about INP and how it impacts your site? Get the full scoop directly from the source at web.dev.
