A long page with dozens of images doesn't need to load every single one the instant a visitor arrives — most of them aren't even visible yet. Lazy loading takes advantage of that.
Instead of loading every image on a page immediately, lazy loading waits until an image is about to scroll into the visible area, then loads it just in time — saving bandwidth and speeding up the initial page load significantly.
Modern browsers now support lazy loading natively through a simple HTML attribute, meaning developers no longer need extra JavaScript libraries just to implement the basic technique.
Content that's above the fold (visible immediately) generally shouldn't be lazy loaded — doing so can actually delay the visible content the visitor sees first, working against the technique's own purpose.
NOXEL SEO's technical scan checks whether images below the fold use lazy loading effectively.
It shouldn't if implemented correctly — lazy loading should only apply to content below the visible area, not the initial visible content.
Modern browsers support a native HTML attribute for basic image lazy loading, requiring no extra library for simple use cases.
When implemented correctly, no — search engines generally handle modern lazy loading techniques well, though poor implementation can occasionally cause issues.
Content visible immediately when the page loads (above the fold) shouldn't be lazy loaded, since that would delay what the visitor sees first.
No — videos, embedded content, and entire below-the-fold sections can also benefit from lazy loading techniques.
Yes, often — by reducing the amount of content loaded immediately, it can improve loading-related metrics like LCP.
See lazy loading implementation checked automatically for below-the-fold content.
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