When a webpage is created and articles are published, they become accessible to site visitors. For visitors to view these pages, they need to access them.

During this process, the page loads and content is rendered in the browser. If this loading time is long, it can cause stress. The longer the page loading time, the more likely users are to navigate away quickly.

Therefore, as a web manager, it is crucial to monitor the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric to ensure that site visitors can comfortably browse the pages.

In this article, I will discuss LCP, one of the Core Web Vitals, which is treated as an important element in SEO. Learn about LCP to improve your site management.

What are Core Web Vitals? The Impact on SEO and How to Improve

What is LCP? 

LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) measures the time it takes from when a site visitor accesses a page to when it is fully displayed. Simply put, it refers to the page load time.

For site visitors, experiencing a long wait from clicking a link to seeing the page can be stressful. Web pages that create such situations are challenging to satisfy visitors with. Consequently, Google has introduced the LCP metric, urging website operators to reduce page loading times.

This background makes LCP a crucial metric affecting Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Maximum Contentful Load Time 

Translating LCP directly into Japanese yields “Largest Content Paint.” This “largest content” refers to the content within a web page that has the most substantial volume, typically images, videos, or extensive text.

On the other hand, Google defines LCP as below.

“ The time from when the user requests the URL to when the largest content element in the viewport is rendered.

Citation: Main Web Metrics Report – Search Console Help

Here, the viewport refers to the display area on the device. Furthermore, the viewport at the time a site visitor opens the page corresponds to what is known as the First View.

Therefore, to precisely describe LCP, it measures the time taken for the most substantial content displayed in the First View to render.

Can First View Design Increase the Stay Rate on a Website?

A Type of Core Web Vital 

Initially, Google has integrated the concept of Core Web Vitals into its search algorithm. Besides LCP, Core Web Vitals include metrics known as FID (First Input Delay) and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift). Each has the following implications.

-LCP: Page loading speed

-FID: Page response speed to actions

-CLS: Metric for layout shift

In essence, Core Web Vitals are used as metrics to measure whether site visitors are having a comfortable experience using web pages. LCP is positioned as one part of these Core Web Vitals.

What are Core Web Vitals? The Impact on SEO and How to Improve

LCP Evaluation Criteria 

LCP indicates the elapsed time for page display, which is primarily measured in seconds. The evaluation of the page varies according to the elapsed time as follows.

• Less than 5 seconds = Good
• Less than 0 seconds = Needs improvement
• More than 0 seconds = Insufficient

Each duration not only affects the simple score rating but also increases the back browser rate. A high back browser rate among site visitors directly leads to the loss of potential customers. If there are issues with LCP, improvement measures are necessary.

Tools for Measuring LCP 

When measuring LCP, please use the tools listed below. 

• PageSpeed ​​Insights
• Chrome UX Report
• Google Search Console
• Chrome Devtools
• Lighthouse
• Web Vitals

PageSpeed ​​Insights 

PageSpeed ​​Insights is a tool that allows you to investigate the loading speed of web pages. By simply entering the URL of the page you want to examine, you can check metrics like LCP, making it a convenient service for easy investigation. Moreover, it helps identify other Core Web Vitals and overall improvement points for the website.

Chrome UX Report

The Chrome UX Report (Google User Experience Report or CrUX) is a tool that allows you to review a website’s user experience (UX) and performance. It displays each metric, including LCP, in report format, making it useful for detailed examination of the site’s condition.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console (Google Search Console) is a tool that allows you to check various aspects of your website such as access and index status. By clicking on “Core Web Vitals” within Google Search Console, you can monitor the progress of metrics like LCP for each page on your site.

However, please note that Google Search Console only investigates the sites that you have registered.

What is Google Search Console? Explaining How to Set Up and Use Google Search Console

Chrome Extensions

By using extensions in the Google Chrome web browser, you can easily check the Core Web Vitals, including LCP. Google Chrome can be installed from the link provided below.

Specific extensions mainly include the following.

• Lighthouse
• Web Vitals

Lighthouse

Lighthouse is an extension that measures the performance of web pages. In Lighthouse, you can investigate the following five categories.

• Performance
• Progressive Web App
• Accessibility
• Best Practices
• SEO

Among these, you can check the LCP score under the Performance category.

Web Vitals

Web Vitals is an extension that automatically displays metrics like LCP for the page you are currently viewing. With the extension turned on, it automatically shows the values, which is handy when you want to check metrics quickly.

Chrome Devtools

Chrome Devtools is a feature included with Google Chrome that allows you to analyze the web pages you are browsing. Primarily a tool for developers, Chrome Devtools enables you not only to investigate metrics like LCP but also to view the source code that makes up the page.

Factors That Can Lower LCP

Normally, when you access a web page, data communication occurs between the browser and the server, and the page content is processed and rendered. Thus, LCP consists of the following elements.

• Data communication time between the server and the browser
• Data loading time
• Data rendering time

From this, the factors that can lower LCP include the following.

• Slow server response times
• Long source code loading times
• Prolonged content data loading times
• Issues with the user’s device or browser

Slow Server Response Time 

If the server hosting your website is slow, it negatively impacts your LCP rating. Possible reasons for this are as follows.

• Low server specifications
• Overloading the server capacity
• High traffic volume on the server

Long Source Code Load Times

If it takes a long time to load source codes such as JavaScript or CSS, this will increase your LCP score. Reasons for this are as follows.

• The presence of unnecessary code
• Complex code behaviors
• Large file sizes of JavaScript or CSS

Long Content Data Load Times

Long loading times for content data adversely affect LCP. This issue is straightforward.

• There is large content in the first view

Issues with the User’s Device or Browser 

If the device or browser the user is using to view the page has problems, it can slow down page display speeds. Common causes include the following.

• Low device specifications
• Use of outdated OS or browser versions

In this case, the problem generally lies on the visitor’s side, limiting the site operator’s possible interventions. If anything, you could avoid using file formats or programming languages that are not widely supported.

Methods to Improve LCP 

To enhance LCP, consider the following strategies.

• Review your server
• Optimize your source code
• Optimize images
• Implement lazy loading
• Use AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

Reviewing the Server 

If the cause of low LCP is related to the server, actions such as server maintenance or changing servers may be necessary. Points to consider for server maintenance include the following.

• Reducing data to free up server capacity
• Utilizing caching features

If your website is using a vast amount of data, it might be straining the server capacity. A lack of server capacity can cause delays in handling traffic. Therefore, eliminate unnecessary data.

Servers have caching capabilities that save cached data to provide to visitors who return to your site, thereby reducing server load.

If you need to change servers, consider the following.

• Moving to a different server
• Implementing a CDN (Content Delivery Network)

If your server’s specifications are insufficient, you may need to change to a different server. Consider moving to a new server.

Additionally, there are methods such as utilizing a CDN (Content Delivery Network). Using a CDN can also help by using dispersed cache servers to reduce the load on your server and speed up responses.

Optimizing Source Code 

If JavaScript or CSS source codes are causing low LCP scores, you need to tidy up the code.

As websites operate over time, the amount of code tends to increase, so check for unnecessary codes and remove non-essential parts.

Also, compressing JavaScript or CSS files can reduce data size and positively impact LCP.

Optimizing Images 

Typically, the largest content on web pages is image files. Reducing the file size of images can help lower the LCP score.

Especially focus on optimizing images that are likely to be in the first view such as the following.

• Site logos used in the header
• Main visuals of the page

Image optimization can be achieved through format changes and compression.

Using Lazy Load 

Lazy Load is a JavaScript library that delays image loading, which can be used to improve LCP scores.

When a web page opens, all images are loaded simultaneously. By implementing Lazy Load, you can prioritize the loading of essential image data.

This means that prioritizing the loading of images around the first view can enhance the page display speed.

Considering AMP 

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is a technology that stores cached pages indexed by search engines on Google’s servers to significantly improve page load speeds. Therefore, incorporating AMP can greatly boost your LCP score.

However, there are considerations when implementing AMP on your website.

• Increased number of pages to manage
• Restrictions on source code usage
• Potential for layout disruptions
• Possible decrease in conversions

Given these risks, please consider adopting AMP while prioritizing LCP.

What is AMP? It doesn’t affect search rankings but can improve user experience.

FAQs on LCP 

Here are some frequently asked questions about LCP:

Q: Should I check my LCP?

A: Yes, you should.

LCP is a metric that measures the speed of web page display. Addressing LCP issues not only benefits SEO but also enhances usability for site visitors.

Q: Why is LCP important? 

A: Shortening page load times is crucial for ensuring that site visitors can comfortably browse pages.

Conversely, slow page load times can stress visitors, increase the likelihood of them hitting the back button, and reduce the number of times the web page is used. Therefore, if LCP scores are low, improvements are necessary.

Q: What does LCP stand for? 

A: LCP stands for Largest Contentful Paint.

Translated into Japanese, it means “Largest Content Paint.”

Q: Is there an easy way to check LCP?

A: You can easily check LCP using PageSpeed ​​Insights .

PageSpeed ​​Insights does not require account creation or tool downloads. Simply visit the following link and enter the URL of the page you want to measure to get the results.

Q: Are there effective ways to improve LCP? 

A: First, it’s necessary to identify the reasons why LCP is rated poorly.

To improve LCP, it is essential to eliminate the factors that are negatively impacting it. The appropriate method of improvement may vary depending on the cause.

Our company also offers proposals for improving site display speed and performs correction work, so please consult us using the form below.

Summary

LCP quantifies the web page load time. Reducing page display time not only allows site visitors to comfortably browse pages but also provides an advantage in SEO. First, measure the LCP of your operating website using a tool and check if the metrics are not too high. If LCP is rated poorly, identify the causes and consider improvement measures.

Author Profile

Mr. Takeshi Amano, CEO of Admano Co., Ltd.

Mr. Takeshi Amano is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Nihon University. With 12 years of experience working in the advertising agency industry, he discovered SEO and began his research during the early days of SEO. He self-taught and conducted experiments and verifications on over 100 websites. Using this expertise, he founded Admano Co., Ltd., which is currently in its 11th year of operation. Mr. Amano handles sales, SEO consulting, web analytics (holding the Google Analytics Individual Qualification certification), coding, and website development. The company has successfully managed SEO strategies for over 2000 websites to date.