Glossary
Core Web Vitals
A set of Google metrics measuring loading performance (Largest Contentful Paint), interactivity (Interaction to Next Paint) and visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift). Haryes builds every page to pass all three on a mid-tier Android device on a Kenyan mobile connection.
In plain terms
Three measurements of what using a page actually feels like: how long until the main content appears, how quickly the page responds when you tap something, and whether the layout jumps around while it loads. They replaced older speed scores because those measured the server rather than the person waiting.
They are measured on real visits, not in a laboratory, which means your scores reflect the devices and connections your actual audience uses rather than the laptop your developer tested on.
Why it matters in Kenya
That distinction decides most Kenyan sites. A page that passes on office fibre routinely fails on a mid-range Android over mobile data, which is how the majority of visitors arrive. Weight is also a direct cost to the visitor here, because they are paying for the megabytes a bloated page downloads.
What to do about it
Four checks you can run on your own site this week.
- Test on a real mid-range Android over mobile data, not a resized browser window
- Compress and size images for the device rather than uploading what came off the camera
- Remove scripts the page does not use, including tags left from finished campaigns
- Re-check quarterly: a fast site drifts slow as content and tags accumulate
More terms
Other words you will meet when commissioning web, e-commerce or search work in Kenya.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)The time from navigation start until the largest content element in the viewport is rendered.
- Topical AuthorityThe degree to which a website is recognised by search engines as a comprehensive, trustworthy source on a subject, built by covering a topic in connected depth rather than publishing isolated pages.
- Semantic SiloA group of pages tightly interlinked around one theme (typically a hub, pillar pages and spoke pages) that concentrates topical relevance and internal link equity on the subject.
