March 2024 Core Web Vitals Change: How to Fix INP “Need Improvement” Issue

Did you also receive a Core Web Vitals INP issues email? If you own a website and haven’t seen the “INP issue” message yet, better check your inbox. The confusion is real! Not at ProCoders, of course.

So, what is it? Who does it affect? What are the consequences? And finally, how to fix the problem, find an interaction that leads to an INP issue, and return the Pass status on your CWV?

ProCoders’ Lead Engineer Alex has already gotten to the bottom of the problem and has a solution for you. We’ve already interviewed him about it!

Email Text:

Core Web Vitals INP issues detected on your sites

Google is transitioning to a new metric to measure the responsiveness of sites, called Interaction to Next Paint (INP), which will replace FID as a Core Web Vital in March 2024.

What Is This INP in Google Core Web Vitals?

INP (Interaction to Next Paint) measures a webpage’s overall responsiveness to user interactions, including:

• Clicks
• Taps
• Keyboard inputs 

throughout their visit. 

The metric calculates the time it takes for the page to respond to these actions, considering the longest observed one and disregarding outliers.

Why Did I Get the Core Web Vitals Email?

INP (Interaction to Next Paint) is a forthcoming metric that will replace FID (First Input Delay) as one of the Web Core Vitals starting March 2024. Currently, INP is not included, but Search Console provides INP data to assist you in preparing for its implementation.

So, if we were to answer a question like “Which are currently the most important core web vitals metrics?” we’d say it’s INP because it’s new and people don’t know what to do about it.

Who Does the “Check Core Web Vitals” Issue Affect?

Everyone. If you own a website and want it to rank well in Google, you have to check your INP status and fix it as soon as possible. It’s better to do it before March 2024 when it launches.

We also recommend keeping the other 5 metrics in mind because they work as a complex. One “Poor” status will fail the whole benchmark. Focusing only on INP out of panic of the unknown may jeopardize other crucial factors affecting user experience and, as a consequence, your search engine ranking.

What Are the Consequences of the Core Web Vitals Update?

Failure to fix INP (Interaction to Next Paint) can result in a drop in Google rankings and the Fail status of the Vitals benchmarks. It’s crucial to address this metric to ensure optimal website performance and maintain a positive UX and your ranking.

Testing Core Web Vitals with the new metric is a must from now on. And we know exactly how to do it.

ProCoders’ Solution: How to Fix the INP Issue?

The first thing to do is a Core Web Vitals audit. That report should be your starting point as you’ll see what the website is missing out on. The next step is to choose the right approach to fix all the weaknesses found during the audit.

Alex recommends focusing on a combination of solutions that may hit several targets at once.

It can be anything, including:

• Minimizing JavaScript and employing lazy loading techniques
• Streamlining rendering by optimizing CSS, HTML, and DOM sizes
• Balancing client-side rendering and improving server response times
• Prioritizing interactivity with efficient event handlers and reduced delay
• Optimizing website responsiveness, thus enhancing user experience

The final step is to implement all the new updates and wait for the results!

There’s a lot of work ahead as we start optimizing the websites of our clients already to be just on time by March 24 to meet the Google Core Web Vitals update like an old friend. If you want the same outcome, you need a professional look at your site. 

ProCoders offers highly flexible working models that cater to projects of all sizes:

• For larger projects, you can hire a team of developers to get the results as quickly as possible
• Smaller projects can benefit from hiring a single developer for a short-term engagement (2-3 weeks), to return control over the CWV to you

ProCoders Tips for the INP Problem in Core Web Vitals WordPress (Or Another CMS)

• Keep in mind that the metric shows the worst INP case on the page
• Remember that the Core Web Vitals ranking factor is important in WordPress SEO services, but it’s one of at least 200 such points that make up your Google ranking, so don’t forget about them as well
• Keep an eye on all 6 Vitals as you can’t pass with one “Poor” status
• It’s much easier to fix the INP metric on the first try if you work with development specialists
• Hire WordPress developers with knowledge of CWV so that you’re safe from any issues

Conclusion

The Core Web Vitals Google email surely confuses a lot of website owners. But with ProCoders, you’re never alone when a tech problem arises. Don’t let INP issues impact your website’s ranking and user experience! Our specialists will find the solution to fix the problem. 

We offer everything from a step-by-step manual to a dedicated team of experts that will start working on your website in days!