Slow Websites Cost More Than You Think

The Data

• Conversions drop up to 20% for every 1-second delay in mobile load time
• 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load
• Core Web Vitals became an official Google ranking factor in June 2021

Why It Matters

Google doesn't just recommend fast sites—they now penalize slow ones in search rankings. Since June 2021, Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, and INP) directly affect where you appear in search results.

The Problem

After the June 2021 Google Page Experience update, Link-Assistant.com noticed a significant drop in organic traffic. Their Core Web Vitals scores had degraded from "good" (green) to "needs improvement" (amber).

The Impact

• 30% decrease in organic clicks within one week of CWV degradation
• Traffic continued declining for months
• Direct correlation observed between CWV scores and search visibility

The Results

When URLs returned to "green" status, organic clicks recovered to previous levels. The team documented a "remarkably vivid correlation between organic impressions and a good Core Web Vitals score."

The Problem

CoinStats knew many of their pages had "Poor" Core Web Vitals scores. High bounce rates and declining search traffic indicated serious performance issues.

The Diagnosis

Using performance analysis tools, they discovered the main issue: slow Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) caused by Base64-encoded images embedded directly in HTML, which dramatically increased page size and loading times.

The Solution

Replaced Base64 images with conventional image sources, reducing page weight significantly.

The Results

• 300% increase in URLs with "Good" Core Web Vitals scores
• 300% increase in search impressions
• Improved bounce rates and user engagement

The Problem

An early childhood education non-profit approached SiteCare in May 2023 because their website was slow and user experience was suffering. They had seen a steep decline in website traffic and visibility in search engines.

The Stakes

• Lower traffic meant lower direct donations
• Website traffic was a key metric for securing funding from outside donors
• Their important messaging was losing traction

The Results

• All URLs achieved "Good" Core Web Vitals for Mobile and Desktop
• 35,000 additional search impressions per month
• 7,000 additional sessions per month
• Higher rankings than ever before for important keyphrases

The Study

SISTRIX analyzed rankings across thousands of websites to measure the actual impact of Core Web Vitals on Google search visibility.

Key Findings

• Pages meeting all Google CWV requirements rank 1 percentage point better than average
• Pages failing at least one CWV requirement rank 3.7 percentage points worse
• The gap between passing and failing sites: 4.7 percentage points in visibility

Why This Matters

In competitive niches, a 4.7 percentage point difference in visibility can mean the difference between page 1 and page 2—and page 2 might as well be invisible.

The Situation

Even experienced marketing professionals weren't immune. Weidert Group, an inbound marketing agency, saw their own website traffic drop after the June 2021 Core Web Vitals update.

The Response

They documented their recovery process publicly, sharing that page-by-page optimization was required for a large, established site.

The Lesson

If a marketing agency's site can be affected, any site can. The fix requires systematic attention to performance, not just good content.