Google has announced that Interactions to Next Paint (INP), a new metric for measuring website interactivity, is now included as a key element in Search Console’s core Web Vitals report.
As of March 12, INP replaced First Input Delay (FID) as a core web vital, signaling a change in the way Google evaluates user experience.
The INP metric, introduced as an experimental measure in May 2022, captures the time between a user’s interaction with a page (such as clicking a button) and when the browser can render the resulting changes on the screen. Does.
This approach aims to provide a more comprehensive assessment of interactivity than FID, which only measures the time to first paint after initial user interaction.
Developing web metrics for better user experience
Google’s Web Vitals initiative, launched in 2018, provides metrics to help developers optimize important aspects of the user experience. FID was one of the original metrics introduced as part of this effort. However, over time, Google recognized the limitations of FID in fully capturing interactivity, leading to the development of INP.
After a transition period as a ‘pending metric’, INP replaces FID as the core web vital. This change reflects Google’s ongoing commitment to refining its methods for evaluating and improving the web user experience.
Adopting the INP transition
With the INP transition approaching, web developers are advised to assess their website’s current INP performance and take steps to optimize for the new metrics.
To evaluate the current INP score, you can use tools like PageSpeed Insights and Chrome’s User Experience Report. Google recommends aiming for the “good” range, which represents performance at the 75th percentile of page loads.
Developers should diagnose and resolve issues that impact INP, such as long-running JavaScript tasks, excessive main thread activity, or overly complex DOM structures.
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Implications for web development and search ranking
The adoption of INP as a core web vital impacts web development practices and SEO.
As Google incorporates Core Web Vitals into its ranking system, websites with strong INP scores may see positive changes in search rankings and user engagement metrics.
Web development practices may evolve to prioritize optimizing interaction readiness. This may require developers to reevaluate the application architecture, streamline code, and refine design elements to reduce interaction delays.
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Summary
By replacing the FID metric with INP, Google aims to provide a more comprehensive assessment of website interactivity.
As you navigate this change, you can now use the Search Console to monitor INP performance and take steps to resolve any issues impacting scores.
general question
What is Interaction to Next Paint (INP) and why is it important?
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP) is a performance metric in Google’s Core Web Vitals report that measures the responsiveness and interactivity of a website.
- This provides a more complete assessment of the user experience by capturing the time between a user’s action (for example, clicking a button) and when the browser updates the screen to reflect that action.
- INP is important because it provides a detailed view of a website’s performance, which impacts user satisfaction and ranking in Google’s search results.
How can marketers and web developers optimize websites for INP?
- To optimize for INP, evaluate current website performance using a tool like PageSpeed Insights or Chrome’s User Experience Report.
- Address issues affecting INP, such as reducing long JavaScript tasks and reducing main thread activity.
- Consider design modifications and code optimizations that reduce interaction latency, ensuring a fast and smooth user experience across the entire site.
What does the change from FID to INP as core web vitals mean for SEO?
- The shift from First Input Delay (FID) to Interaction with Next Paint (INP) as a core web vital reflects Google’s continued refinement in measuring user experience for ranking purposes.
- Since Core Web Vitals are part of Google’s ranking factors, websites with better INP scores may see better search rankings and user engagement.
- This change signals that web developers and SEO professionals should tailor their optimization strategies to prioritize INP, thus aligning with Google’s evolving standards for user experience.