🚀 Why Lazy Loading Can Hurt Your Core Web Vitals (LCP) #web #website

Description

In a recent Google podcast, Martin Splitt highlighted something many developers overlook: 👉 Default lazy loading can actually delay Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) — a key ranking factor in Google’s Core Web Vitals. 🔍 Key takeaways: If your hero image or key above-the-fold content is lazy-loaded, the browser may wait until it’s scrolled into view… which never happens until it’s already on screen. Result? Slower LCP. Some JavaScript libraries go a step further and block indexing or slow down rendering, making matters worse. The fix: Ensure critical images and content above the fold load eagerly, while deferring only non-essential elements. Always verify with tools like Lighthouse or Chrome DevTools to confirm your adjustments are improving LCP. 💡 Optimization tip: Lazy load strategically — not blindly. What saves bandwidth below the fold might cost you performance and visibility above it. Have you checked whether your site’s lazy loading is helping or hurting your LCP? #CoreWebVitals #SEO #WebPerformance #Google #LCP