There are several ways you can improve the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric for your WordPress website:
Optimize images: Large images can slow down the loading speed of your pages. Use tools like Photoshop or Kraken.io to optimize and compress your images before uploading them to your website.
You can also use TinyPNG.com to bulk-optimize the images. Don’t forget to resize the image before optimizing the images to the desired size. To resize images you can use IrfanView
Enable lazy loading: Lazy loading delays the loading of images and other media until they are needed, which can improve the LCP of your pages. You can enable lazy loading in WordPress by installing a plugin like Lazy Load or BJ Lazy Load.
Lazy Load Plugins:
Smush
Image optimization & Lazy Load by Optimole
Minimize the use of external scripts: External scripts, such as tracking and advertising scripts, can slow down the loading speed of your pages. Consider whether each script is necessary and, if not, remove it.
Use a content delivery network (CDN): A CDN stores copies of your website’s static files (e.g. images, CSS, JavaScript) on servers around the world, so they can be served to users from a location that is closer to them. This can reduce the time it takes for your pages to load and improve the LCP.
Enable server-side caching: Server-side caching stores a copy of your website’s pages in the server’s memory, so they can be served to users faster. This can improve the LCP of your pages and reduce the load on your server.
To enable server-side caching using .htaccess, you can use the following code snippet:
<IfModule mod_expires.c>
ExpiresActive On
ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType text/html "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/pdf "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType text/x-javascript "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresDefault "access plus 2 days"
</IfModule>
This code snippet will set the expiration date for various types of files. For example, it will set the expiration date for JPEG images to one year from the time they were last accessed, and for HTML files to one month from the time they were last accessed.
You can modify the expiration times and file types to suit your needs. For example, if you want to set the expiration date for all file types to one month from the time they were last accessed, you can use the following code:
<IfModule mod_expires.c>
ExpiresActive On
ExpiresDefault "access plus 1 month"
</IfModule>Make sure to place this code in your .htaccess file, which is located in the root directory of your website. If the file does not exist, you can create it using a text editor.
By following these tips, you can improve the LCP of your WordPress website and provide a better user experience for your visitors. It’s also a good idea to regularly monitor the LCP of your pages using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to identify areas for improvement.
