Introducing INP: The Newest Metric to Core Web Vitals | Friday SEO Tip

Today’s tip is about a recent update Google made to Core Web Vitals. On March 12, Google replaced First Input Delay (FID) with Interaction to Next Paint (INP). FID was a metric that tracked in milliseconds how long it took a browser to start processing a visitor’s initial interaction. INP is now the Core Web Vital metric that evaluates a page’s responsiveness by monitoring event latency. Check out the video above to learn more.

If you want to gain a deeper understanding of Core Web Vitals and why they’re such an important ranking signal—and you don’t mind a bit more technical jargon—check out this episode of the Search Off the Record podcast.

Not sure how to check your site’s Core Web Vitals? Head over to Google Search Console and click on Core Web Vitals, which is located in the side menu on the left. And if you want even more data, click “Try PageSpeed Insights,” as demonstrated in the video above. This will yield a pretty detailed report about your site’s performance. (Be warned: You may need to bring in your tech team to help you interpret it!)

On another note, I wanted to share something I noticed recently. On the first page of the SERPs, you may start seeing a section called “Discussions and forums.” This directs users to threads on sites like Reddit and Quora, where real people are discussing your query. Consequently, engaging with your target audience on relevant forums may be a great way to bolster your online presence.