How Lazy Loading Above-the-Fold Images Hurts LCP and SEO

Did you know that a single web design decision can affect how quickly your website loads, how visitors experience your site, and even how high you rank in Google? For many local businesses and franchise owners, website speed and usability are not just technical details. They play a significant role in converting visitors into customers. Among several best practices in web development, the handling of images is especially critical, and one method, known as "lazy loading," has recently garnered attention for its unexpected impact on site performance, particularly concerning the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).

Imagine a customer clicking your link in Google search. The initial seconds are vital. If your site is slow to show important content, that visitor is likely to hit the back button and seek a competitor. Google's recent guidance cautions webmasters and marketers about lazy loading above-the-fold images as it may delay the LCP, resulting in lower rankings and a disruptive browsing experience. Understanding this issue can make a real difference to your website’s performance and your business's online growth.

This article breaks down why LCP matters, how lazy loading impacts it, what Google recommends, and how you can ensure your web design and development lead to a faster, friendlier experience for every visitor.

Understanding Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and Its SEO Value

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is a user experience metric that captures the time it takes for the main content of a page to become visible. It typically relates to the largest image or text block above the fold. When users visit your website, Google measures how long it takes this main content to load and present itself clearly on their screens. A good LCP stands at under 2.5 seconds, providing a smooth experience for your visitors and indicating technical health to search engines.

LCP is critical as a ranking factor because Google wants to present users with websites that load quickly and keep them engaged. Delays in this metric directly affect your SEO. A sluggish LCP may cause your site to slip in search results, reducing visibility and ultimately losing customers to faster competitors.

As local business and franchise owners rely heavily on organic traffic and initial conversions, getting LCP right is no longer optional. It becomes part of your larger digital marketing strategy to attract, retain, and convert web visitors into loyal clients.

What is Lazy Loading and Why It Is Used?

Lazy loading is a widely used web development strategy. It helps websites load only those images or assets needed for the visible part of the screen, postponing the loading of images further down until the user scrolls. This technique has become popular because it can improve initial page load times and lower bandwidth consumption, particularly on image-heavy sites.

By loading images as users encounter them, lazy loading appears to offer benefits like conserving device resources and improving speed for users on slower connections. It has become a standard for many e-commerce sites, blogs, and even local business websites.

Despite its advantages, not every scenario benefits from lazy loading. When applied to images immediately visible when a page loads, above-the-fold images, it can have unintended consequences. Google's recent statements address these pitfalls, urging web designers and business owners to pay attention to how and where lazy loading is implemented.

The Hidden Pitfall: Lazy Loading and Delays in LCP

The primary risk with lazy loading above-the-fold content stems from the time it takes for critical images to become visible. If the largest piece of content on the page is an image, and it is delayed due to lazy loading scripts, both visitors and search engines experience a slower LCP. This can disrupt the entire user journey.

Users expect to see the main banner, hero image, or product photo immediately. If lazy loading blocks these critical visual elements, it creates a jarring effect, empty spaces appear briefly before images snap into place. This not only frustrates users but also signals to Google that the site’s core content is slow to display, harming both user trust and search ranking potential.

Google’s warning is clear. Above-the-fold images should be exempt from lazy loading so that the browser loads them as early as possible. For below-the-fold content, however, lazy loading remains a recommended technique. This small adjustment can lead to meaningful improvements in LCP and all-round visitor satisfaction.

How to Audit and Resolve LCP Issues

Google provides simple yet effective methods to check if your website’s LCP is hindered by lazy loading. Start by using Search Console’s Core Web Vitals report. Search for pages with poor LCP scores. Once identified, you can review the page’s rendered HTML, either by using tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or the Inspect tool in Chrome DevTools, to see if above-the-fold images are flagged for lazy loading (often through attributes like loading="lazy").

If these visible images are set to lazy load, update your image code so that key content is loaded by default, without any delay. Only allow lazy loading for images lower down the page, which aren't part of the initial viewport. Review your website regularly as page layouts evolve and as browser capabilities update.

This thoughtful balance ensures your site still benefits from lazy loading’s strengths for secondary images while safeguarding the speed and visibility of your most critical assets. Working closely with a professional web design and development team ensures these technical standards are met with every new update or redesign. For more information on how technical optimisations can impact your business website, explore our Web Design & Development services.

Google’s Recommendations for Seamless Website Performance

Google advises that website owners and developers clearly differentiate between critical and non-critical images. Refrain from assigning the lazy loading attribute to any image, video background, or text block that lies within the initial viewport of your site. For essential above-the-fold assets, let browsers load them instantly, maximising perceived performance and improving LCP.

For images and assets that appear only as users scroll, implement lazy loading as intended. This serves both performance and bandwidth goals without disrupting user experience. Moreover, as Google’s algorithms continue to prioritise real-world experience, adhering closely to these recommendations keeps your site competitive in both speed and search rankings.

It is equally vital to revisit these settings regularly. As websites evolve and get updated with new promotions or layouts, new above-the-fold images might inadvertently be set to lazy load, affecting LCP all over again. Ongoing monitoring and technical support are essential to sustain peak performance.

Conclusion: Structuring Your Website for Lasting SEO and User Experience

Your website’s performance is not just a technical concern. For franchise owners and local businesses, it is a direct driver of engagement and growth. Lazy loading has its place in modern web design but handling it with care can mean the difference between a visitor staying or leaving, and a search engine lifting your site or letting it fall behind.

Largest Contentful Paint stands as a clear indicator of how quickly your core content is served to real visitors. Delayed LCP caused by poorly managed lazy loading affects not just your technical metrics but your bottom line and reputation. Acting on these insights involves reviewing and updating image loading strategies, auditing for issues in Google Search Console, and routinely assessing site changes for continued compliance with best practices.

If you are looking to refine your website’s technical SEO and elevate the user experience for every visitor, working with a team that understands both design and web development is your next step. At Top4 Technology, our Web Design & Development service specializes in creating fast, beautiful websites optimized for search and local discovery. Let us partner with you to ensure your online presence not only attracts but converts, setting your business up for lasting online success.

Michael Doyle

Michael is a digital marketing powerhouse and the brain behind Top4 Marketing and top4.online. His know-how and over 23 years of experience make him a go-to resource for anyone looking to crush it in the digital space. To get the inside scoop on the latest and greatest in digital marketing, be sure to read his blog posts and follow him on LinkedIn.