SEO speed and conversion rates have a direct impact on your website. It can be a costly mistake not to take the time to improve.
Why? The likelihood of a slow website will be much higher for users and more than 100% if the load time of a page is between 1 and 6.
There is a genuine need for speed, and the Google Page Speed Insights tool is a fantastic tool to help you find and correct problems that might slow down your website.
It is hoped that the web will be quick. Google confirmed page speed as a ranking factor as early as 2010. Afterwards, “it concentrated on desktop searches” until a certain Page Speed mobile update was implemented in July 2018. Although speed is one of 200 classifications, neither of us want to lose business unnecessarily. Especially for something usually controlled by us. In fact, a 1 million Google search results were analyse led by SEO Blog Backlink and “a significant correlation between the website and the ranking of the Google system.”
Page speed is a critical factor in SEO. Search engines like Google prioritize fast-loading websites as they deliver a superior user experience. A slow website not only frustrates users but also leads to higher bounce rates and lower conversions. Moreover, Google considers page speed as a ranking factor, meaning that faster websites are more likely to rank higher in search results. Improving your Google Page Speed Insights score can positively impact your website’s visibility and organic traffic.
SEO aside, however, we have already seen how page bounces are rising as a site’s speed decreases. Indeed, in a study carried out in 2019 by the American digital marketing agency, Portent, “the conversion rates have fallen by an average of 4.42% with every other second (between 0-5 seconds).” The first 5 seconds of load time were also found to have the greatest effect on conversion rates.
Page Speed Insights is a free Google tool for analysing the performance of your website and seeing suggestions for improving it. It is probably the most popular tool for page speed analysis out there, so your time is worth it.
Probably you wonder, ‘How can I get Page Speed Insights for a 100/100 score?’ Just slow down. Slow down. First of all, you must know how to correctly use the tool and how to implement its suggestions. Otherwise, you may not see the performance gains that can affect your website in this way. It is also important to understand what and what Page Speed is.
How to improve the insight into your page speed
Try the actions (or best practical measures) recommended and start from below, which are the most frequently seen problems and have the greatest impact on improvements.
Optimize pictures
Image optimisation may be one of the most common reasons why a web page is slow to load and often the best place to begin improving, since it can be significantly increased in terms of both load and Page Speed. It is especially difficult to maintain strict standards for images when several people are responsible for uploading content or adding products, and issues can quickly be set up.
Image Size Optimisation
It is longer than a 100KB image for a 1MB image to download. Work to tackle this without losing quality to compress images. To achieve this, you can use tools like TinyPNG or look at the recommendation of Google, ImageMagick.
Display Size Images Size
Another common problem is that images are much larger than they need to be. Think of the 250 px picture on your webpage. If it is 1000 by 1000 px, but is designed to display smaller with CSS, then your loading time can be faster. In the case of this browser, the original (larger) image needs to be downloaded in the smaller format.
Use a network for content delivery (CDN)
Make sure you upload images of correct size; you will certainly have problems with speed otherwise. WordPress automatically handles this by creating several versions of an image when uploaded, but you may need to manually resize pictures if you use another CMS.
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) can significantly improve your website’s performance by delivering content from servers located closer to the user’s geographical location. This reduces the latency and ensures faster content delivery, resulting in improved page speed.
Check the images off-screen
You can also see off-screen images deferred, which means that they are only downloaded as user scrolls. Not all pictures are visible when necessary. It is often worth making a compromise to improve load times, however. A number of WordPress plugins are available for you to help, or Google has its own advice on off-screen images.
Minification
It is common to do so when writing code, using spaces to keep it readable. Minification simply removes whitespace and comments in order to optimise CSS and JS files and is possible with a simple tool like Minify copy-paste.
Browser Caching
If you use WordPress as your CMS (which is estimated at 35 per cent of the web), browser caching with popular free plugins like W3 Total Cache and WP Super Cache can’t be easier to used. Caching functions by creating a static version of your site and serving the users quickly, in lieu that every time a page is accessed, it is generated dynamically. You can still manually set up browser caching if you do not use WordPress.
Enabling browser caching allows browsers to store certain files locally, reducing the need to fetch them from the server for subsequent page visits. By setting an appropriate cache policy, you can improve page loading times for returning visitors.
Optimizing CSS and JavaScript
Optimizing CSS and JavaScript files by removing unused code, reducing file sizes, and implementing asynchronous loading techniques can greatly enhance page speed. Minifying these files and placing them in external files or at the bottom of the HTML can also contribute to faster loading times.
Minimizing Server Response Time
The time taken by the server to respond to a request significantly affects page speed. Optimizing server configurations, reducing database queries, and using caching mechanisms can help minimize server response time, leading to faster loading pages.
Reducing the Number of HTTP Requests
Each resource on a webpage requires a separate HTTP request. By reducing the number of resources, such as images, scripts, and stylesheets, you can decrease the number of requests and improve page loading speed. Techniques like CSS sprites and combining JavaScript and CSS files can help reduce HTTP requests.
Leveraging Browser Caching
By setting appropriate caching headers, you can instruct the browser to cache static resources like images, CSS, and JavaScript files. This reduces the need to re-download these resources upon subsequent visits, resulting in faster page loading times.
Prioritizing Above-the-Fold Content
Loading critical above-the-fold content first ensures that users can see and interact with the most important parts of the webpage without delay. Optimizing the loading order and deferring non-critical resources allows for faster perceived load times and improved user experience.
Mobile Optimization
Given the increasing number of mobile users, optimizing your website for mobile devices is crucial. Implement responsive design techniques, optimize images for mobile, and ensure that mobile users have a smooth browsing experience. Google also emphasizes mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor, making mobile optimization essential for page speed and SEO.
Regularly Monitoring and Testing Page Speed
Page speed optimization is an ongoing process. Regularly monitor your website’s performance using tools like Google Page Speed Insights and other performance testing tools. Continuously test and implement improvements to ensure your website maintains an optimal speed.
Conclusion
Improving your Google Page Speed Insights score is vital for enhancing user experience, increasing search engine visibility, and driving organic traffic to your website. By implementing the strategies mentioned in this article, such as optimizing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript, enabling compression, leveraging browser caching, and prioritizing above-the-fold content, you can significantly improve your website’s page speed and overall performance.
FAQs
1. What is the ideal Google Page Speed Insights score?
The ideal Google Page Speed Insights score is 90 or above. However, it’s important to remember that achieving a perfect score may not always be feasible or necessary. Focus on implementing improvements that enhance user experience and positively impact your website’s performance.
2. Does page speed only matter for SEO?
No, page speed is not only important for SEO but also for user experience. Faster-loading websites tend to have lower bounce rates, higher engagement, and better conversion rates. Prioritizing page speed benefits both search engine rankings and user satisfaction.
3. Are there any tools besides Google Page Speed Insights to measure page speed?
Yes, several tools are available to measure page speed and evaluate your website’s performance, such as GTmetrix, Pingdom, and WebPageTest. These tools provide additional insights and recommendations for optimizing your website’s speed.
4. How frequently should I monitor my website’s page speed?
It’s recommended to monitor your website’s page speed regularly, especially after implementing optimizations. Schedule periodic checks using tools like Google Page Speed Insights or set up automated monitoring to ensure your website maintains optimal performance.
5. Can improving page speed help with mobile rankings?
Yes, improving page speed can positively impact your mobile rankings. Google considers mobile-friendliness and page speed as crucial factors for mobile search rankings. Optimizing your website for mobile devices and ensuring fast-loading pages can improve your visibility in mobile search results.
