Low website performance speed can be a problem for businesses. It results in customers turning away, costing the business big bucks in money and reputation. Fortunately, developers and website owners can take several measures to improve their website’s loading speed for a better online experience for their customers. Not only that, but over time, this can lead to higher rankings in organic search results, thus improving visitors and conversion rates.
Understanding why website speed matters for SEO
There are four key metrics for website speed.
Time to first byte (TTFB)
This is the time it takes to receive the first byte from the server; it should be under 0.8 seconds.
First contentful paint (FCP)
This is the time it takes to load the first text or image; it should be under 1.8 seconds.
Largest contentful paint (LCP)
This is the time it takes to load the largest element of the site; it should be under 2.5 seconds.
Page load time (PLT)
This is the time it takes to display the full page of content; it should be under 3 seconds.
According to some experts, website speed directly affects user experience, making it one of the purest SEO factors. A slower loading time often results in higher bounce rates, which leads to negative search rankings. On the other hand, a faster site is more likely to keep visitors on the page and result in more engagement, as this will help improve SEO performance and conversions. Additionally, maintaining good website speed is crucial, as people’s attention spans are becoming shorter.
Tips to optimize website performance
There is no single way in which individuals and businesses can improve website performance. That said, utilizing a mix of strategies can help them improve their website performance and SEO rankings.
Optimize images
Due to their sheer size, media files like images and videos often take the longest to load. These need to be optimized to reduce website loading speed. The process involves reducing the resolution and size of the images or compressing them into the smallest possible file, which can be achieved using tools such as ImageOptim, JPEGmini, or Kraken.
Minimize HTTP requests
Sites require the browser to make multiple HTTP requests to load the assets on the web page, such as images and scripts. This can significantly increase the website load time. So, it is recommended that HTTP requests be minimized and GZIP file compression implemented. Alternatively, users can try other compression methods like Brotli and Deflate to optimize their web pages for faster loading.
Use browser caching
Some sites experience a lot of traffic. Since servers can be quite slow in delivering the page to each user, they display a cached version, the current version of the website, until it is updated. This reduces the need for repeated rendering, offering faster loading times for the users.
Limit external scripts
Often, websites make use of elements, including external commenting systems, CTA buttons, CMS plug-ins, and pop-ups, that need to be pulled from somewhere else. This can make the wait a rather frustrating experience for users, so limiting them is best.
Move the website to a better host
Businesses can choose one of three routes—shared hosting, a virtual private server (VPS), or a dedicated server—to host their site. While shared hosting tends to be the cheapest of the lot, it requires sharing disk space with other sites, making it much slower than others.
For a more isolated experience, VPS hosting may be a better option. This is recommended for sites with average traffic and/or short-term spikes in traffic.
On the last tier is a dedicated server. Here, businesses must pay server rent and hire a system administrator to manage their website. Since all resources now belong to the business, this has the potential to be the fastest host.
Based on the business and its needs, one must pick an appropriate server capable of handling the traffic without slowing down.
Reduce redirects
Every time the web page redirects to another page, the site’s loading time slows down. This is because the user now has to wait for the HTTP response cycle to complete. While redirects are unavoidable, keeping them to a minimum can improve the website’s speed and performance.
Minify CSS and JavaScript files
Too many active CSS and JavaScript files on the web page increase the HTTP requests, thus slowing down the page performance. Reducing or minifying these files using tools such as WillPeavy, Script Minifier, Grunt, and others will help boost the site’s loading speed.
Use a content delivery network (CDN)
This is a network of web servers across various geographical locations. When the website is hosted on a single server, all the requests are redirected to the same place, which can slow the website down. The CDN sends the requests to the nearest server, thus minimizing loading time.
Monitor and improve continuously
Web pages, servers, traffic, and search engines are dynamic. So, it is necessary to keep a close eye on it to ensure that the site is performing at optimal speeds. This can be done by implementing continual monitoring and improvement. Tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Semrush Site Audit, and Pingdom Website Speed Test can be used to test website speed and performance via insights like page load time, server response time, and core web vitals. They may also offer advice on improving these speeds for better SEO rankings.