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Ensuring your website provides a smooth user experience is essential, especially when it comes to visual stability. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is a key metric that measures unexpected layout shifts during page load. Google Search Console offers valuable tools to identify and fix CLS issues. This guide will walk you through how to audit your website for CLS problems using Google Search Console.
Understanding CLS and Its Impact
CLS is part of Google’s Core Web Vitals, which evaluate user experience on your site. High CLS scores indicate that elements on your page move unexpectedly, frustrating users and potentially harming your search rankings. Common causes include images without size attributes, dynamically injected content, or ads that load late.
Accessing Google Search Console
To start auditing your site for CLS issues, log into your Google Search Console account. If you haven’t set it up, you should verify your website ownership first. Once inside, navigate to the ‘Core Web Vitals’ report under the ‘Experience’ section.
Locating CLS Data
Within the Core Web Vitals report, you’ll see three main metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Click on the CLS tab to view detailed data about your site’s layout stability.
Analyzing CLS Issues
Google Search Console provides a list of URLs that experienced layout shifts. Pay attention to the ‘CLS score’ and the specific pages with high scores. You can also see the number of instances and the severity of shifts. This information helps prioritize fixes for your most problematic pages.
Identifying Problematic Elements
Review the affected URLs to identify common issues. Typical causes include:
- Images without dimensions specified
- Ads or embeds that load late
- Dynamically injected content that shifts layout
- Fonts or styles that load after content
Fixing CLS Issues
To reduce CLS, implement the following best practices:
- Always specify width and height attributes for images and videos.
- Reserve space for ads and dynamic content in your layout.
- Use font-display: swap in your CSS to prevent layout shifts caused by font loading.
- Implement lazy loading for images and iframes to improve load stability.
Monitoring Your Improvements
After making adjustments, return to Google Search Console and monitor the Core Web Vitals report over time. Improvements in CLS scores indicate successful fixes. Regular audits help maintain a stable and user-friendly website, boosting both user experience and search rankings.