Yeah, this is still one of those “boring but worth it” SEO jobs.
In my experience, the biggest wins in 2026 are still pretty simple:
### 1) Fix the LCP element first
Usually it’s the hero image, slider, or big heading block.
What’s worked for me:
– convert hero images to **WebP/AVIF**
– make sure the **actual LCP image is not lazy-loaded**
– preload the hero image if it’s above the fold
– serve it from a decent CDN
– keep the image dimensions tight, don’t upload some massive 3000px file for a 900px slot
A lot of sites try to “optimize everything” but the real win is just fixing that one top element.
### 2) Cut third-party junk
This is still a huge one. Ads, chat widgets, heatmaps, tag managers, social embeds, cookie banners… they add up fast.
I usually look at:
– what scripts are loading on every page
– which ones can be delayed until interaction
– what can be removed completely
Honestly, half the time a site feels slow because of stuff the owner forgot was even there.
### 3) Fonts: keep it stupid simple
Fonts are still a sneaky CLS/LCP problem.
Best move:
– use 1–2 font weights max
– self-host if possible
– preload the main font
– use `font-display: swap`
– avoid fancy font stacks if the site doesn’t need them
I’ve seen sites gain a nice bump just by cleaning up font loading.
### 4) Don’t overdo lazy loading
Lazy loading is good until it breaks the above-the-fold experience.
Common mistake:
– lazy-loading the main image
– lazy-loading too many visible elements
– using a plugin that lazy-loads everything blindly
For real sites, I usually exclude:
– hero image
– logo
– critical above-the-fold images
### 5) WordPress plugins are often the real culprit
This is the part people don’t want to hear.
If a site is running:
– page builder
– popup plugin
– analytics plugin
– related posts plugin
– table plugin
– schema plugin
– 3 different caching plugins
…yeah, it’s gonna drag.
Best fix is usually not “better optimization,” it’s **fewer plugins**.
### 6) INP: