justgivemethe.recipes — Fast, structured recipe platform

Problem

Recipe sites are notorious for poor user experience—slow loading times, intrusive ads, and content buried under lengthy stories. Our client needed a fast, clean platform that prioritized the actual recipes while achieving strong search engine visibility through structured data.

Key challenges included:

• Creating a content model that supports Recipe schema markup
• Achieving sub-2-second load times on mobile devices
• Building an editor-friendly workflow for non-technical users
• Implementing rich results for better search visibility
• Designing for print-friendly layouts

Approach

We built a modern Next.js application with a focus on performance and structured data from the ground up.

Performance-First Architecture

• Next.js 13 with App Router for optimal loading and routing
• Static generation with ISR for dynamic content updates
• Contentlayer for type-safe MDX processing and fast builds
• Optimized images with next/image and responsive breakpoints
• Minimal JavaScript bundle with tree-shaking

Structured Data Implementation

• Complete Recipe schema markup for every recipe page
• JSON-LD implementation covering ingredients, instructions, nutrition
• HowTo schema for cooking techniques and preparation methods
• Organization schema for brand consistency

Content Management

• MDX-based workflow with frontmatter validation
• Custom components for recipe cards, ingredient lists, and nutrition facts
• Image optimization pipeline with automatic WebP conversion
• Git-based content versioning for collaboration

Outcome

The new platform exceeded performance targets and achieved immediate search engine success:

Performance Improvements

• LCP reduced from 4.2s to 1.8s (57% improvement)
• CLS improved from 0.18 to 0.01 (94% improvement)
• PageSpeed Score increased from 45 to 94
• Core Web Vitals: All metrics now in "Good" range

SEO Results

• Rich results appeared within 2 weeks of launch
• Featured snippets for recipe searches increased by 200%
• Organic traffic increased 45% in first 3 months
• Average session duration increased by 30%

User Experience

• Print-friendly layouts that work without JavaScript
• Mobile-first design optimized for kitchen use
• Fast search with client-side filtering
• Accessibility compliance with keyboard navigation

The combination of performance optimization and structured data created a recipe platform that serves both users and search engines effectively.