LCP

LCP, or Largest Contentful Paint, is one of the key metrics used by Google Page Speed Insight to evaluate the performance of websites. LCP measures the time that elapses from when a page begins to load until the largest visible piece of content is displayed on screen. The lower the LCP time, the better the page is optimised for performance.

Why is LCP important?

LCP is an important factor because it directly affects the user’s perception of page performance. Pages with a low LCP will appear to load faster, which can lead to higher user satisfaction and engagement. In addition, Google considers LCP as one of the ranking factors, meaning that pages with a better LCP score may rank higher in search results.

What elements influence LCP?

LCP can be influenced by various elements of a page, such as:

• Images
• Block backgrounds
• Text elements, such as headings and paragraphs

The largest visible element on the page will be taken into account in the LCP calculation.

Optimising the LCP

Here are some tips to help optimise the LCP on a page:

• Use image compression and optimise image size to speed up loading.
• Use the lazy loading technique, loading images only when they are visible to the user.
• Optimise the loading order of resources, giving priority to the most important elements.
• Use CDN (Content Delivery Network) servers to reduce delays in delivering resources to the user.

Measuring LCP

LCP can be measured using various tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse and Chrome DevTools. Using these tools makes it easy to monitor LCP performance and identify areas that need improvement.

Summary

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is a key indicator of page performance used by Google Page Speed Insight. Optimising the LCP can lead to a better perception of the page by users, as well as improving its position in search results.

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