In this Google PageSpeed experiment, we’re testing W3 Total Cache’s Lazy Load Google Maps feature with the Google Maps Easy plugin in order to understand its impact on website performance.
+10
Points
In this test, using the Lazy Load Google Maps feature added +10 points on mobile devices to the Google PageSpeed Performance score! Read the documentation to learn how to use the Lazy Load Google Maps tool.
Upgrade to W3 Total Cache Pro and improve your PageSpeed Scores today!
Our goal is to explore this feature and understand exactly how it helps enhance page load times. To do this, we have set up two websites: a control website and an experimental website.
Control Website
Our control website is a simple installation using the Twenty Twenty-Four WordPress theme and Google Maps Easy to pull in a full-width Google Map, which should give us a slight increase in our page load speeds.
The purpose of adding the Google Map is to allow us to test the “Lazy Load Google Maps” tool when we set up our experimental website.
Control Website: https://wordpress-speed-test.com/051524_site1/
Experimental Website
We duplicated our control website into a new sub-folder to create an experimental website that mirrors the original one, allowing us to test the two sites side by side.
On the experimental website we installed W3 Total Cache Pro with the Lazy Load Google Maps tool enabled, specifically for the Google Maps Easy plugin.
Experimental Website: https://wordpress-speed-test.com/051524_site2/
With this method, we hope to compare the performance of both websites directly, giving us valuable insights into the real benefits of using the Lazy Load Google Maps feature. Review the results of our testing below.
-72%
Decrease
In this test, using the Lazy Load Google Maps displayed a 72% decrease on the Total Blocking Time Performance score on mobile devices! Read the documentation to learn how to use the Delay Scripts tool.
Upgrade to W3 Total Cache Pro and improve your PageSpeed Scores today!
Desktop
Mobile
Performance
Performance score
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
95.5 |
98 |
+2.5
|
+2.62%
|
|
|
Points per Metrics
First Contentful Paint
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
10 points |
10 points |
0 points
|
0%
|
No change. |
Largest Contentful Paint
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
22.75 points |
23.75 points |
+1 points
|
+4.4%
|
|
|
Total Blocking Time
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
29.5 points |
30 points |
+0.5 points
|
+1.69%
|
|
|
Cumulative Layout Shift
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
25 points |
25 points |
0 points
|
0%
|
No change. |
Speed Index
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
8.5 points |
9.5 points |
+1 points
|
+11.76%
|
|
|
Metrics
First Contentful Paint
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
0.6 s |
0.63 s |
+0.03 s
|
+4.17%
|
|
|
Largest Contentful Paint
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1.13 s |
0.98 s |
-0.15 s
|
-13.33%
|
|
|
Total Blocking Time
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
60 ms |
12.5 ms |
-47.5 ms
|
-79.17%
|
|
|
Cumulative Layout Shift
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
0 |
0 |
0
|
No change. |
Speed Index
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1.43 s |
1.03 s |
-0.4 s
|
-28.07%
|
|
|
Diagnostics
Largest Contentful Paint element
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1117.5 ms |
992.5 ms |
-125 ms
|
-11.19%
|
|
|
Potential savings from render-blocking resources
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
245 ms |
210 ms |
-35 ms
|
-14.29%
|
|
|
Potential savings by serving images in next-gen format
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Time third-party code blocked the main thread for
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
65 ms |
0 ms |
-65 ms
|
-100%
|
|
|
Potential savings from unused CSS
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Potential savings from unused JavaScript
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
88 KiB |
65 KiB |
-23 KiB
|
-26.14%
|
|
|
Potential savings if Minifying CSS
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
# of static assets without an effecient cache policy
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
15 |
1 |
-14
|
-93.33%
|
|
|
JavaScript execution time
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
0.45 s |
0.07 s |
-0.38 s
|
-85.19%
|
|
|
Main-thread work
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1.03 |
0.3 |
-0.73
|
-70.73%
|
|
|
# of long main-thread tasks
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
2 |
1 |
-1
|
-50%
|
|
|
Initial server response time
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
357.5 ms |
327.5 ms |
-30 ms
|
-8.39%
|
|
|
# of large layout shifts
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1 |
1 |
0
|
0%
|
No change. |
# of user timings
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
# of animations found
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Network payload
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1184.75 KiB |
733 KiB |
-451.75 KiB
|
-38.13%
|
|
|
DOM size
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
364 |
127 |
-237
|
-65.11%
|
|
|
# of chains found
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
14 |
13 |
-1
|
-7.14%
|
|
|
Defer offscreen images
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
0 |
Passed audit |
Minify JavaScript
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
2 KiB |
2 KiB |
0 KiB
|
0%
|
No change. |
Properly size images
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Efficiently encode images
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Enable text compression
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Preconnect to required origins
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Preload key requests
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
0 |
0 |
0
|
No change. |
Preload Largest Contentful Paint image
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Avoid multiple page redirects
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Use video formats for animated content
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Remove duplicate modules in JavaScript bundles
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Avoid serving legacy JavaScript to modern browsers
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Largest Contentful Paint image was not lazily loaded
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Avoids document.write()
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Image elements have explicit width and height
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Has a <meta name="viewport"> tag with width or initial-scale
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Uses passive listeners to improve scrolling performance
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
0 |
Passed audit |
All text remains visible during webfont loads
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
0 |
Passed audit |
Performance
Performance score
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
66 |
76 |
+10
|
+15.15%
|
|
|
Points per Metrics
First Contentful Paint
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
6.75 points |
7 points |
+0.25 points
|
+3.7%
|
|
|
Largest Contentful Paint
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
2 points |
5 points |
+3 points
|
+150%
|
|
|
Total Blocking Time
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
24.25 points |
29.75 points |
+5.5 points
|
+22.68%
|
|
|
Cumulative Layout Shift
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
25 points |
25 points |
0 points
|
0%
|
No change. |
Speed Index
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
8 points |
10 points |
+2 points
|
+25%
|
|
|
Metrics
First Contentful Paint
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
2.45 s |
2.45 s |
+0 s
|
+0%
|
No change. |
Largest Contentful Paint
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
6.53 s |
5.38 s |
-1.15 s
|
-17.62%
|
|
|
Total Blocking Time
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
287.5 ms |
80 ms |
-207.5 ms
|
-72.17%
|
|
|
Cumulative Layout Shift
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
0.02 |
0.02 |
-0
|
-1.19%
|
No change. |
Speed Index
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
4.03 s |
2.75 s |
-1.28 s
|
-31.68%
|
|
|
Diagnostics
Largest Contentful Paint element
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
6512.5 ms |
5382.5 ms |
-1130 ms
|
-17.35%
|
|
|
Potential savings from render-blocking resources
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1042.5 ms |
880 ms |
-162.5 ms
|
-15.59%
|
|
|
Potential savings by serving images in next-gen format
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
14 KiB |
Passed audit |
Time third-party code blocked the main thread for
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
447.5 ms |
62.5 ms |
-385 ms
|
-86.03%
|
|
|
Potential savings from unused CSS
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Potential savings from unused JavaScript
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
87 KiB |
65 KiB |
-22 KiB
|
-25.29%
|
|
|
Potential savings if Minifying CSS
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
# of static assets without an effecient cache policy
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
16 |
1 |
-15
|
-93.75%
|
|
|
JavaScript execution time
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1.38 s |
0.28 s |
-1.1 s
|
-80%
|
|
|
Main-thread work
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
2.55 |
0.9 |
-1.65
|
-64.71%
|
|
|
# of long main-thread tasks
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
7.75 |
5 |
-2.75
|
-35.48%
|
|
|
Initial server response time
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
310 ms |
322.5 ms |
+12.5 ms
|
+4.03%
|
|
|
# of large layout shifts
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
2 |
2 |
0
|
0%
|
No change. |
# of user timings
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
# of animations found
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Network payload
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
1309 KiB |
733 KiB |
-576 KiB
|
-44%
|
|
|
DOM size
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
346 |
127 |
-219
|
-63.29%
|
|
|
# of chains found
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
14 |
13 |
-1
|
-7.14%
|
|
|
Defer offscreen images
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
0 |
Passed audit |
Minify JavaScript
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
2 KiB |
2 KiB |
0 KiB
|
0%
|
No change. |
Properly size images
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
71 KiB |
Passed audit |
Efficiently encode images
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Enable text compression
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Preconnect to required origins
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Preload key requests
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized | Difference |
0 |
0 |
0
|
No change. |
Preload Largest Contentful Paint image
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Avoid multiple page redirects
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Use video formats for animated content
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Remove duplicate modules in JavaScript bundles
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Avoid serving legacy JavaScript to modern browsers
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Largest Contentful Paint image was not lazily loaded
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Avoids document.write()
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Image elements have explicit width and height
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Has a <meta name="viewport"> tag with width or initial-scale
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
Passed audit |
Passed audit |
Uses passive listeners to improve scrolling performance
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
0 |
Passed audit |
All text remains visible during webfont loads
Standard site |
W3TC Optimized |
0 |
Passed audit |
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