Fix Cumulative Layout Shifts in WordPress to Skyrocket PageSpeed Score

Imagine this: You’re visiting a website, excited to read an article or browse some products. As you scroll, the content jumps around like a hyperactive squirrel, making it nearly impossible to focus on what you’re looking for. Annoying, right? This frustrating experience is caused by something called cumulative layout shifts (CLS). These unexpected shifts in your website’s layout can seriously disrupt the user experience, driving visitors away faster than you can say “page speed.”

But it’s not just about keeping your visitors happy. A high CLS score can also tank your PageSpeed score, which directly impacts your search engine rankings. In a world where milliseconds matter, fixing CLS is crucial for maintaining a smooth, engaging, and professional website.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the ins and outs of cumulative layout shifts, uncover the common culprits behind these pesky jumps, and arm you with effective strategies to fix them. Whether you’re an expert developer or a WordPress newbie, you’ll find actionable tips to enhance your WordPress site’s performance and keep your users coming back for more. So, let’s get started and put those layout shifts in their place!

Understanding Cumulative Layout Shifts

Think of CLS as the unwanted jitterbug on your website. It’s the unexpected movement of web elements while the page is still loading, causing content to jump around. 

Imagine clicking on a link, only to have it shift and make you click something else – infuriating, right? This not only disrupts the visual experience but also frustrates users trying to engage with your content.

How CLS Affects User Experience

Nobody likes a shaky ride – smooth browsing is key! When elements on your page shift unpredictably, it creates a jarring experience that can confuse and annoy visitors. This can lead to higher bounce rates as users abandon your site in search of a more stable experience elsewhere. 

A smooth, stable layout keeps visitors happy and encourages them to stay longer, explore more, and potentially convert.

The Impact of CLS on SEO and Rankings

Google hates jitters, and so should you. A high CLS score can negatively impact your PageSpeed score, which is a critical factor in Google’s ranking algorithm. In other words, excessive layout shifts can hurt your site’s visibility in search results, making it harder for potential visitors to find you.

Find: Fastest WordPress Themes (With PageSpeed Scores)

Moreover, with Google’s emphasis on user experience metrics, fixing CLS is not just about pleasing visitors; it’s essential for maintaining good SEO and keeping your site competitive. A stable layout ensures better rankings and more organic traffic.

Few Common Causes of Cumulative Layout Shifts in WordPress

Several factors can cause layout shifts in WordPress, disrupting the user experience. Here are some common culprits:

Unoptimized Images

Unoptimized images are like surprise party guests who show up unannounced and take up too much space. When images load without defined dimensions, they cause surrounding content to shift unexpectedly. This is a common culprit of CLS, disrupting the layout and user experience.

Late-Loading Fonts

Fonts that load late can cause a visual swap that jolts your content. When a custom font takes its sweet time to load, the browser might use a fallback font temporarily. Once the custom font finally appears, it can push text around, causing noticeable shifts on the page.

Dynamic Content

Dynamic content, like pop-ups or AJAX-loaded elements, can be a major source of layout shifts. Elements that load dynamically without allocated space beforehand can push other content out of place, creating a disjointed browsing experience. Ensuring space is reserved for such content can help mitigate these shifts.

Ads and Embeds

Ads and embedded content, like videos and iframes, are notorious for causing layout shifts. Do you know Ads that load at different times or resize themselves can disrupt the layout significantly. 

Similarly, iframes that change dimensions after loading can push other elements around, leading to a jarring user experience. Properly managing the space for these elements is crucial to prevent unexpected shifts.

Strategies to Fix Cumulative Layout Shifts

To improve your website’s stability and user experience, follow these strategies to fix cumulative layout shifts:

Step 1: Identify Shifting Elements

Pinpoint where the shifts occur using tools like Cumulative Layout Shift Debugger and PageSpeed Insights. Enable the Layout Shift Regions checkbox in Chrome Dev Tools to highlight problematic areas.

Step 2: Adjust CSS Loading

Disable asynchronous CSS loading in your cache plugin settings to prevent FOUC and web font shifts. Consider loading only critical CSS to ensure essential styles are applied first.

Step 3: Localize Font Hosting

Host fonts locally using tools like Transfonter or the OMGF plugin. This avoids fallback font issues and ensures fonts load faster and more consistently.

Step 4: Optimize Font Display

Add font-display: swap to your CSS to ensure fallback fonts are used immediately, reducing the visual impact of slow-loading custom fonts. Use the String Locator tool to find and update problematic font code.

Step 5: Standardize Fonts in Oxygen Builder

Set a default font, like ‘Mulish,’ in Oxygen Builder to maintain a consistent appearance: body { font-family: ‘Mulish’, Arial; }. This helps stabilize the layout by using a single font family across the site.

Step 6: Define Media Dimensions

Specify width and height attributes for images, videos, and iframes to ensure they take up the correct amount of space as they load. This prevents content from shifting around as media elements appear.

Step 7: Use Transform for Animations

For animations, use the transform: translate() property instead of changing width and height directly. This technique keeps the layout stable while elements move, reducing the chance of layout shifts.

Step 8: Allocate Space for Ads

Reserve sufficient space for advertisements by setting specific dimensions in your HTML or CSS. This prevents ads from pushing content around when they load: <div class=”ad” style=”min-width: 300px; min-height: 250px;”></div>.

Step 9: Choose Lightweight GDPR Plugins

Select lightweight GDPR/CCPA plugins to minimize layout shifts caused by heavy compliance tools. Lightweight plugins load faster and are less likely to disrupt the page layout.

Step 10: Hard Code Navigation Elements

Hard code headers and menus into your CSS to ensure they load consistently and reduce layout shifts. Using hard-coded navigation elements prevents them from shifting positions as the page loads, providing a stable user experience.

Step 11: Preload Essential Resources

Preload critical resources such as fonts and CSS to ensure they load quickly and consistently. This helps prevent layout shifts by making sure essential elements are available as soon as the page starts rendering.

Step 12: Optimize External Scripts

Use async and defer attributes for third-party scripts to manage their loading order without causing layout shifts. This ensures that these scripts do not block the rendering of other crucial elements.

Step 13: Implement Lazy Loading

Apply lazy loading for images and videos so they load only when they come into the viewport. This reduces initial load times and prevents layout shifts caused by late-loading media.

Step 14: Maintain Aspect Ratios

Define aspect ratios for media elements using CSS aspect ratio boxes. This reserves the necessary space on the page and prevents layout shifts when the media loads.

Step 15: Continuous Monitoring and Updates

Regularly monitor your website using tools like Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix new layout shifts. Keeping your site updated with the latest performance best practices ensures ongoing stability and a better user experience.

Essential WordPress Plugins to Combat CLS

Using the right plugins can significantly reduce cumulative layout shifts and improve your site’s performance. Here are some essential plugins:

Image Optimization Plugins

Image optimization plugins compress and optimize images to load faster without compromising quality, preventing layout shifts caused by slow-loading images.

• Smush: Compresses images automatically on upload. It also offers bulk optimization to streamline your image management.
• Imagify: Offers powerful image compression and optimization. Its easy-to-use interface makes image optimization straightforward and efficient.

Font Management Plugins

Manage and optimize font loading to prevent layout shifts caused by late-loading fonts.

• OMGF: Hosts Google Fonts locally to speed up font loading. It ensures fonts are preloaded, minimizing the chance of layout shifts.
• Font Awesome: Optimizes the loading of icons and web fonts. Its lightweight nature helps keep your site fast and responsive.

Caching and Performance Plugins

These plugins improve overall site speed by caching content and optimizing resource loading, which helps reduce layout shifts.

• WP-Optimize: A powerful caching plugin that also optimizes CSS and JavaScript loading. Its user-friendly setup makes it accessible for non-technical users.
• W3 Total Cache: Enhances site performance through caching, minification, and more. It offers extensive customization options to suit various website needs.

Read More: How Server-Side Caching Improves Your WordPress Performance

Tools to Measure and Monitor CLS

Monitoring cumulative layout shifts is essential for maintaining a stable and user-friendly website. Here are some effective tools to help you measure and monitor CLS:

Core Web Vitals Checker

Seahawk’s Core Web Vitals Checker tool focuses on the core metrics that impact user experience, including CLS. It provides detailed insights and recommendations to improve your site’s performance. Using it regularly ensures you stay on top of any shifts that might occur.

Google PageSpeed Insights

Google PageSpeed Insights evaluates your website’s performance on both mobile and desktop devices. It provides a comprehensive report on CLS and other key metrics, along with actionable suggestions for improvement. This tool is essential for understanding how your site performs in real-world conditions.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse is an open-source, automated tool for improving the quality of web pages. It includes audits for performance, accessibility, and SEO, with a specific focus on layout stability through CLS measurement. Running Lighthouse audits helps you identify and fix issues that could cause layout shifts.

Other Useful Tools

Several other tools can help you monitor CLS and improve overall site performance:

• Web Vitals Extension: A Chrome extension that provides real-time feedback on core web vitals, including CLS, as you browse your site.
• GTmetrix: Offers in-depth performance reports with insights into layout shifts and other key performance indicators.
• Chrome DevTools: Built-in browser tools that allow you to diagnose and debug CLS issues by highlighting layout shifts during page load.

By utilizing these tools, you can effectively measure and monitor CLS, ensuring a smoother, more stable browsing experience for your users.

Best Practices for Ongoing CLS Management

Maintaining a low Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) score is crucial for providing a smooth user experience. Here are some best practices for ongoing CLS management:

Regular Monitoring and Audits

Consistently use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse to monitor your site’s CLS. Regular website audits help you catch and fix issues before they impact your users.

Keep Plugins and Themes Updated

Ensure that all plugins and themes are up-to-date. Developers often release updates that fix performance issues, including those that cause layout shifts.

Optimize New Content

When adding new content, especially images, videos, or ads, always specify dimensions and preload necessary resources. This prevents unexpected shifts as the content loads.

Use Staging Environments

Test changes in a staging environment before applying them to your live site. This allows you to identify and address any potential CLS issues without affecting your users.

Implement Incremental Changes

Make changes incrementally and monitor their impact on CLS. This helps you pinpoint specific adjustments that may cause layout shifts.

Educate Your Team

Ensure that everyone involved in content creation and website management understands the importance of CLS. Provide guidelines and training on best practices for maintaining layout stability.

Stay Informed

Keep up with the latest web performance trends and updates. Follow industry blogs, attend webinars, and participate in forums to stay informed about new tools and techniques for managing CLS.

Know More: Best WordPress Website Maintenance Service Providers

Use a Performance Budget

Set a performance budget that includes limits for CLS. This helps keep your team focused on maintaining high performance and prevents layout shift issues from creeping into your site.

Don’t Let Your Guard Down – Keep Improving!

Managing cumulative layout shifts is an ongoing process that requires vigilance and continuous improvement. By regularly monitoring your site, keeping your tools and content optimized, and staying informed about the latest best practices, you can maintain a smooth and stable user experience. Remember, a little proactive maintenance goes a long way in keeping your website performing at its best. 

Don’t let your guard down – keep refining and enhancing your site to ensure it remains user-friendly, fast, and free of disruptive layout shifts. Your visitors will thank you, and so will your search rankings!