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Core Web Vitals Update: INP Now Heavily Weighted for Mobile Local Searches
Google's May 2026 algorithm update increased the ranking weight of Interaction to Next Paint (INP) specifically for mobile local search results. Slow-responding websites are losing positions — fast ones are gaining.
SEO researchers tracking the May 2026 Google algorithm update identified a significant increase in the ranking impact of INP (Interaction to Next Paint) for mobile local search results specifically. INP measures how quickly your website responds to a user tapping a button or link — a score below 200ms is "Good", 200–500ms is "Needs Improvement", above 500ms is "Poor".
Websites scoring "Poor" on INP are seeing ranking drops of 3–8 positions in mobile local SERPs compared to equivalent competitors with good INP scores. For a coffee shop, salon, or fitness studio, losing 5 positions on "coffee shop near me" in your city can mean the difference between being on page 1 and page 2 — effectively invisible.
The most common INP culprits on local business websites: heavy contact forms with multiple JavaScript validation scripts, chat widgets (Intercom, Tidio) that add significant interaction delay, and image-heavy menu or gallery pages without lazy loading. Removing or deferring these elements typically drops INP from 600ms+ to under 200ms without affecting the user experience.
Test your website's INP score right now at web.dev/measure. If you score "Needs Improvement" or "Poor", the quickest fix is removing or disabling chat widgets temporarily and checking if that alone improves your score. Then run a Google PageSpeed Insights report and action the top 3 recommendations.
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Source: Moz Blog · 2026-05-29
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