Yep, still the same big hitters in 2026: **image weight, script bloat, and bad theme/plugin setups**.
What’s been working best for me on real sites:
### 1) Fix LCP first
Usually the hero image or top section is the problem.
– Convert hero images to **WebP/AVIF**
– Preload the LCP image if it’s above the fold
– Don’t lazy-load the main hero image
– Use proper dimensions so the browser can reserve space
– If the hero is a background image, I usually replace it with a real `` when possible
On a few affiliate sites, just cleaning up the top image and reducing render-blocking CSS made a noticeable difference in PageSpeed and actual load feel.
### 2) Kill the junk scripts
This is where a lot of WordPress sites get wrecked.
– Delay or remove third-party scripts you don’t need
– Cut down on ad scripts, chat widgets, social embeds, and tracking junk
– Load analytics/tag managers only if they’re actually pulling weight
– Use a script manager plugin or custom code to disable scripts per page
Honestly, a lot of “slow site” issues are just plugin garbage. I’ve seen sites go from awful to decent by removing 3–4 bloated plugins.
### 3) INP is mostly about JS and interaction bloat
For INP, I’ve had the best luck with:
– Reducing heavy JS from sliders, popups, page builders
– Avoiding too many DOM elements on one page
– Keeping forms and menus lightweight
– Deferring non-critical JS
– Not stacking 5 different marketing tools on every page
If the site feels laggy when clicking around, Google usually sees that too.
### 4) CLS is usually easy wins
This one is still mostly about layout stability:
– Set width/height on images and embeds
– Reserve space for ads
– Don’t inject banners at the top after load
– Use font-display: swap
– Avoid late-loading elements that push content down
Fonts are a sneaky one. I still see sites shifting because they’re loading 4 font weights from somewhere random.
### 5) Don’t overdo lazy loading
Lazy loading is good, but people mess it up.
– Lazy-load below-the-fold images only
– Don’t lazy-load the LCP image
– Be careful with background