Optimize Core Web Vitals with Ahrefs Site Audit in 2025

Mastering Core Web Vitals with Ahrefs Site Audit in 2025

Core Web Vitals remain a crucial aspect of technical SEO in 2025, with Google continually refining how these metrics impact user experience and rankings. Ahrefs Site Audit has evolved into one of the most comprehensive tools for analyzing and improving these vital performance indicators. Here’s how to leverage it effectively:

Understanding Core Web Vitals in 2025

Core Web Vitals consist of three key metrics that measure real-world user experience:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – Measures loading performance. Aim for 2.5 seconds or faster.
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP) – Measures interactivity and responsiveness. INP replaced First Input Delay (FID) in March 2024, with good scores being 200ms or less.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – Measures visual stability. Keep it under 0.1 for optimal user experience.

Remember that Google evaluates these metrics at the 75th percentile of page loads, meaning you need consistency across most user experiences, not just occasional good performance.

Setting Up Ahrefs Site Audit for Core Web Vitals Analysis

1. Log into your Ahrefs dashboard and navigate to Site Audit
2. Create a new project or select an existing one
3. Under “Advanced settings,” ensure the “Core Web Vitals” option is enabled
4. Set crawl scope to include important pages (I’ve found 5,000 URLs is sufficient for most mid-sized sites)
5. Run your audit and wait for completion

Unlike some tools that provide limited sampling, Ahrefs now analyzes Core Web Vitals across your entire crawled website, giving you a more comprehensive view of performance issues.

Interpreting Your Core Web Vitals Report

Once your audit completes, navigate to the “Performance” section. Ahrefs provides color-coded metrics that instantly highlight problem areas:

• Green – Pages meeting the “good” threshold
• Orange – Pages needing improvement
• Red – Pages performing poorly

The dashboard also shows the percentage of pages that pass Core Web Vitals assessment. I’ve noticed that sites with scores below 70% typically see measurable traffic improvements after optimization.

One underused feature: click on any metric to see the exact URLs affected, sorted by importance based on your site structure and internal linking.

Turning Insights into Actions

Ahrefs Site Audit doesn’t just identify problems—it suggests specific fixes:

For Poor LCP:

• Optimize server response times
• Implement proper image sizing and formats (WebP typically outperforms older formats)
• Prioritize above-the-fold content loading
• Consider implementing proper font loading strategies

For Poor INP:

• Minimize JavaScript execution
• Break up long tasks into smaller ones
• Implement proper event handling
• Remove unnecessary third-party scripts

For Poor CLS:

• Set explicit dimensions for media elements
• Reserve space for dynamic content
• Avoid inserting content above existing content

A less obvious tip: the “Issues” tab often reveals technical problems indirectly affecting Core Web Vitals, like render-blocking resources or excessive DOM size.

Monitoring Improvements Over Time

After implementing changes, schedule weekly audits to track progress. Ahrefs now provides a historical view of Core Web Vitals metrics, allowing you to correlate improvements with traffic changes in their Rank Tracker.

While Core Web Vitals may not be the strongest ranking signals, they significantly impact user experience metrics like bounce rate and conversion. In my experience, sites that improve from red to green typically see 15-20% improvements in engagement metrics within 3-4 weeks.

By systematically addressing the issues identified in your Ahrefs Site Audit, you’ll not only improve your technical SEO foundation but deliver the kind of user experience that both visitors and search engines reward in 2025.