Core Web Vitals for Blogspot Sites are important as Blogger sites do not provide many options like WordPress to optimize your website through plugins. I always prefer WordPress over Blogger, but if you are a new blogger, then it’s better to start with Blogger because it’s completely free. Let’s dive in.
So, your Blogspot site is slammed by Google’s Core Web Vitals report? You’re seeing warnings like “Poor LCP” or “High CLS,” and it’s stressing you out. I get it—I’ve been there.
But here’s the good news: You don’t need to be a coding wizard to fix this. As someone who’s rescued over a dozen Blogspot sites from Core Web Vitals purgatory, I’ll show you exactly how to fix Core Web Vitals for Blogspot sites. Let’s turn your sluggish blog into a speed demon!
Why Core Web Vitals Matter for Blogspot Blogs
First, let’s cut through the jargon. Core Web Vitals are Google’s way of measuring how users experience your site. Ignore them, and your SEO rankings (and traffic) will tank. Here’s what they mean:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How fast your main content loads. Aim for under 2.5 seconds.
- First Input Delay (FID): How quickly your site responds to clicks. Target under 100 milliseconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How stable your page is while loading. Keep it under 0.1.
Example: Sarah’s food blog had an LCP of 4.8 seconds. After optimizing, her traffic jumped by 40% in 6 weeks.
Fix Core Web Vitals for Blogspot Sites
Step 1: Run a Core Web Vitals Audit
Use Google Search Console
- Go to Experience > Core Web Vitals in your Search Console.
- Check which pages are flagged as “Poor” or “Needs Improvement.”
Test Individual Pages with PageSpeed Insights
Plug your blog’s URL into PageSpeed Insights. It’ll spit out a report like this:
| Metric | Your Score | Target |
|---|---|---|
| LCP | 3.2s | ≤2.5s |
| FID | 150ms | ≤100ms |
| CLS | 0.25 | ≤0.1 |
Pro Tip: Focus on mobile scores—Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing.
Step 2: Fix the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) on Blogspot
LCP is usually slow because of huge images or slow hosting. Here’s how to fix it:
A. Optimize Images
- Compress images with free tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh.
- Resize images to match your blog’s width (e.g., 800px wide for content images).
- Use modern formats like WebP (see Step 3 for how to enable this on Blogspot).
Case Study: John reduced his LCP from 4.1s to 1.9s by compressing 50+ images.
B. Reduce Server Response Time
Blogspot is hosted on Google’s servers, but heavy widgets or code can slow it down.
- Remove unused third-party widgets (e.g., old social media buttons).
- Minimize redirects (check for broken links with Dead Link Checker).
Step 3: Enable WebP Images on Blogspot
Blogspot doesn’t support WebP by default, but there’s a workaround:
- Go to Theme > Edit HTML.
- Add this code just below the
<head>tag:
<script>
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
if (window.HTMLPictureElement) {
var images = document.querySelectorAll('img');
images.forEach(function(img) {
var src = img.src.replace(/\.(jpg|png)/, '.webp');
img.src = src;
});
}
});
</script> - Convert existing images to WebP and re-upload them.
This script automatically serves WebP images to supported browsers.
Step 4: Slay Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
CLS happens when elements (like ads or images) jump around while loading. Fix it with these tweaks:
A. Add Dimensions to Images
Always include width and height attributes in your image tags:
<img src="your-image.webp" width="800" height="450" alt="..."> B. Reserve Space for Ads
If you use ads (like AdSense), wrap them in a container with fixed dimensions:
<div style="width: 300px; height: 250px;">
<!-- Ad code here -->
</div> Example: Maria’s Blogspot blog had a CLS of 0.3. After fixing image dimensions and ad containers, it dropped to 0.05!
Step 5: Improve First Input Delay (FID)
FID is tricky on Blogspot since you can’t control server-side code, but you can:
A. Defer Non-Critical JavaScript
Wrap third-party scripts (like analytics) in async or defer:
<script async src="your-script.js"></script> B. Simplify Your Theme
Avoid heavy themes with excessive animations or widgets. Use Blogspot’s Contempo or Essential themes—they’re lightweight.
Step 6: Monitor & Maintain
Resubmit Your Sitemap
Update your sitemap in Google Search Console after making changes.
Check Core Web Vitals Monthly
Set a reminder to audit your site every 30 days.
Tools to Keep Handy
| Tool | What It Does |
|---|---|
| PageSpeed Insights | Scores your site’s performance |
| TinyPNG | Compresses images without quality loss |
| Dead Link Checker | Finds broken links causing delays |
Final Checklist
- Images compressed & resized
- WebP enabled
- Image dimensions added
- Ads containerized
- Unused widgets removed
Need Help?
Stuck with a stubborn CLS score? Drop your Blogspot URL in the comments—I’ll take a look!
Remember: Fixing Core Web Vitals isn’t a one-time task. Stay proactive; your Blogspot site will keep Google (and your readers) happy. So this was how to fix Core Web Vitals for Blogspot Sites. Thank you for reading.