Improve Core Web Vitals
By Dori Fussmann ·
This how-to is the sibling of the Core Web Vitals guide. It assumes you already know what LCP, INP, and CLS measure and walks through the template changes that usually move field data.
Reserve space and preload the hero
Give the hero an explicit width and height, keep the aspect ratio in CSS, and preload the actual file the first viewport uses. Do not swap a tiny placeholder for a heavier crop after hydration.
Schedule scripts after the first paint
Defer non-critical JavaScript, break long tasks, and keep third-party tags off the critical path. INP regressions usually come from a cheap-looking widget that does expensive work on every tap.
Where Things Stand
As of August 2026, the highest-leverage article-template work is still hero preload, font-display swap, reserved media boxes, and fewer long tasks on first interaction.
Further reading: technical seo foundations · core web vitals complete guide.
Sources: Understanding Core Web Vitals and Google search results · What are Google Core Web Vitals? Learn Technical SEO · Core Web Vitals.
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About the author
Founder, The Night Ventures
Dori Fussmann is a seasoned finance and operations executive with deep expertise in entrepreneurship, business strategy, and data-driven decision-making. As Chief Financial Officer of BlueMark, Dori leads the firm's financial strategy and planning, operational excellence, and growth execution – helping ensure the organization's continued leadership in impact verification and intelligence. Before joining BlueMark, Dori was the Founder and CEO of The Vets, a U.S. home pet care company. Earlier in his career, Dori spent several years in investment banking at Citi, Ion Pacific, and Morgan Stanley, advising on mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and strategic financing transactions across consumer and technology sectors. Dori also serves as a mentor in Cornell Tech's Runway Startups Program, supporting early-stage founders working on applied technology solutions. Dori also serves as a mentor in Yale's Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking (Tsai CITY) Thematic Mentoring Program, advising student founders and venture teams on business model development, go-to-market strategy, product positioning, and commercialization pathways. Fluent in English and Hebrew and proficient in German, Dori earned dual degrees in Accounting and Business Management (B.A.) and Law (LL.B.) from the Interdisciplinary Centre (IDC) Herzliya.