Hello everyone, an expert on a site increased my site speed from 19 to 89. The situation looks very good in both Google Speed Test and GTmetrix. But then I read forum posts about a hack code and got scared. I couldn’t tell if something was unusual for my site or if an action was taken that would result in future blocking from Google Ads and possible SEO issues.
I need your help.
My site URL: https://nowshopfun.com/
Regards.
Ok, so your developer did some hacky solutions, but it isn’t the speedhack code you’ll see other people complain about
He did two things:
He wrapped your script tags in code that stopped them from loading right away, then will load when a user interacts with the page (scrolls, clicks, hovers over something)
This way, Pagespeed insights, which doesn’t interact with the page, won’t register these scripts, but in most cases, real users won’t see any issue
This is the script here that handles that:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0483/1546/5894/t/1/assets/optimizer.js
They used a trick, that we at devisedlabs first shared with the public:
https://www.devisedlabs.com/blog/largest-contentful-paint-lcp-hack
Now I’m sure you’re wondering, will these hacky solutions affect my results with Google Ads and SEO?
The answer is: We do not know, google does not reveal its secret sauce, people report bad results after having speed hack code installed, but those are subjective reports.
Delaying the load of scripts untill user interaction isn’t inherently bad like if you have a popup that is none vital for users to see right away, then delaying the pop up script from loading untill user intereraction is a good idea. I just wouldn’t reccomend a blanket applicaion to every script, becuase there would a chance of having vital things, like color swatches on the product page, that would be delayed from loading, and might make a bad user expierence.
For the LCP image, you should try make the real LCP image load faster, for a better user expierence.
I’d say, do not do performance improvment for Page Speed Insights scores, but do it to make a better expierence for your customer, and be aware that improving your performance requires real effort, it’s going to be challenging to find someone who can do it for $50 unless they’re a skilled developer whos just starting out on a freelance platform and needs to charge less to get reviews
@958139 ,
I have checked your store on the Page insight chrome tool.
Maybe this is not a real speed score, there can be one hacking code to increase the score.
check the screenshot, on the right-hand side, there is no content so the score goes to 89% score.
Let us share the access so that I can confirm you about the score.
We have solved it may times.
Can you give me the store access? So that I can solve it.
Have a Good Day!!
Hello @958139 ,
We have checked your store, and the images on your home page are not loading properly. Your home page seems blank, it is because of the code your developer has used for improving your website speed. This issue occurs on all pages.
All the best,
CedCommerce
Well, as a result, can Google ban me from the search engine, ads and merchants?
No one knows for a fact, if some tells you they know, they’re guessing or lieing.
People report that they have a drop in sales, after the pagespeed hack is added, but this doesn’t mean that the speedhack code is the cause.
Your not improving your user’s expierence, you might as well just remove the code.
PageSpeed Insights tool: https://pagespeed.web.dev/report?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnowshopfun.com%2F
Hi there, I just re-checked your speed score and it is slow now, you can check the link above for more information. They are using cheat codes to increase your speed score but not your speed performance. You may see that your speed score is high, but the real speed performance is very slow and it may cause some bad effect to your site ( error in layout, functions, etc)
Therefore, you can get those solutions to resolve those problems
Hello! I think I’ve been a victim of SEO Speed scam. I hired a young man on Fiverr to help with some SEO work. The speed optimization was one. He did it and sent a link to check and it appeared as if the page was really fast but when I went on Shopify, it says that the speed score is at 38. Can you please tell me if the script has the hack code in it? The website is: www.technowaggs.com. Thank you!
I fear that my store’s web speed is fake. I had a contractor optimize the speed of my site. Is there anyone that can look at my store and tell me if my Page Speed scores are real?
Share the link to your store.
Totally get your concern I actually checked out your site, and yeah, the speed bump is impressive! But you’re right to be cautious, especially when outside help is involved.
Here’s what I’d recommend to be safe and make sure everything’s legit:
First, scan your site for malware. Use free tools like VirusTotal . They’ll flag any hidden or suspicious code.
Then, ask exactly what was changed. If it was normal stuff like caching, image compression, or lazy loading, that’s great. But if they added unfamiliar scripts or redirects, that’s worth digging into.
Check your Google Search Console account for any security alerts or manual actions. If there’s nothing there, that’s a good sign.
Run your site through GTmetrix and Google PageSpeed Insights. It’ll show where the speed improvements came from legit fixes vs. quick hacks.
Also, check out The Carbon Footprint AI. It’s a cool tool that helps you understand whether your performance gains are actually efficient and sustainable not just fast, but also clean.
Finally, make a habit of regular backups and monitoring going forward. That way, you can catch anything unusual early.
