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PageSpeed Insights Updates to Lighthouse 8.4 – Helps Improve LCP via @sejournal, @martinibuster

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PageSpeed Insights now uses Lighthouse 8.4.0 which features two brand new audits. The most important addition helps publishers diagnose a widespread problem that negatively impacts the Largest Contentful Paint metric. This new audit will help publishers achieve better Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) scores.

Largest Contentful Paint

There has been a longtime issue with Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) that the newest version of Lighthouse, 8.4.0 will help diagnose.

It was discovered that lazy loading images was a good approach for making the main main part of the content visible and interactive on a mobile device faster.

Previous to lazy loading the images that were below the fold (not visible in the browser screen viewport) would download in the background.

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That had the effect of slowing down the visibility and interactivity of the content that was in the site visitor’s viewport.

When images that are outside of the mobile viewport load in the background they actually slow down the rendering of the visible part of the web page.

By adding the Lazy Load HTML attribute to images the browser would know to not download the images (that are outside of the viewport) until later.

This has the effect of increasing the Page Speed.

But lazy loading elements that are in the Largest Contentful Paint viewport has a negative effect and this is one of the things that Lighthouse 8.4.0 addresses.

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Negative Impact of Lazy Loading All Images

WordPress 5.4 introduced native lazy loading of images. Before implementing the change the developers tested the speed improvements and discovered that adding the lazy load HTML attribute to all images resulted in a speed gain.

However that was an imperfect implementation of the lazy load attribute because WordPress was now adding the lazy load attribute to the featured image which is an element that is generally in a site visitor’s viewport when visiting a web page.

That added a negative impact to the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric and introduced a slight negative user experience.

The gains from adding lazy load outpaced the losses from the hit to the LCP metric, so WordPress proceeded with this.

Google however noticed that after implementation of lazy loading in the WordPress core that the Lowest Contentful Paint (LCP) scores started dropping a little bit.

In an article that Google published on Web.dev about the performance effect of too much lazy loading, they researched the data of actual websites and discovered that sites with too much lazy loading suffered from poor LCP scores.

They discovered that aggressive lazy loading implementations was the reason and they learned that this was an issue specific to WordPress sites.

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Google confirmed that WordPress scores for LCP were indeed dropping.

The authors concluded:

“…the lazy-loading technique used by WordPress very clearly helps reduce image bytes but at the cost of a delayed LCP.”

Lighthouse 8.4.0 Adds LCP Lazy Load Audit

Publishers may have seen their Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) scores dropping and not understand why they were getting worse. Lighthouse 8.4.0 solves this issue by adding an audit specifically for diagnosing this problem.

All images in the Largest Contentful Paint viewport, the part of the web page that a visitor sees first, should not be lazy loaded.

Lighthouse 8.4.0 will detect if there are any elements in the LCP viewport that are lazy loaded.

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A Chrome Developer page describes how Lighthouse 8.4.0 works:

“Lighthouse will now detect if the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) element was a lazy-loaded image and recommend removing the loading attribute from it.”

The official Lighthouse 8.4.0 developer page describes the new functionality:

“Detect when the LCP element is lazy-loaded. Above-the-fold images that are lazily loaded render later in the page lifecycle, which can delay the largest contentful paint.”

New Mobile Viewport Audit

Lighthouse 8.4.0 will also add a new audit that detects if no mobile viewport meta tag in the head section.

This is important because failure to add this meta tag can result in a lower First Input Delay score.

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The documentation explains the importance of this new audit:

“In a recent study of data from the HTTP Archive, over half of the sites that received a score of 90 or higher in Lighthouse, but failed at least one Core Web Vital, did not have a mobile viewport set and were failing FID. As a result, the Lighthouse performance section will now recommend adding a viewport like the following if none is found:

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width">"

Lighthouse 8.4.0 is Live

Lighthouse 8.4.0 is now live in PageSpeed Insights and will trigger the new LCP warning if it finds a lazy loaded element in the Largest Contentful Paint viewport.

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Chrome Dev Tools will feature Lighthouse 8.4.0 in Chrome 95, which is currently scheduled for release on October 19, 2021.

Citations

Read the Chrome Developer Page for Lighthouse 8.4.0

What’s new in Lighthouse 8.4

The Performance Effects of Too Much Lazy-Loading

Lighthouse v8.4 GitHub Page

Searchenginejournal.com

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NEWS

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

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OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.

Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.

Why Fine-Tuning Matters

GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.

Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.

Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning

The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:

  • Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
  • Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
  • Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.

Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.

Implications for the Future

The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.

By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.

OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.

As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.

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GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

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This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

  • Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
  • Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
  • Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

  • Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
  • Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

  • Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
  • Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

  • Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
  • Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

  • Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
  • Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
  • tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
  • WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

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FACEBOOK

Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again

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Facebook Problem Again

Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.

Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.

Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.

When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.

Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.

During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.

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