Page speed
How quickly a web page loads and becomes interactive for users.
What is Page speed?
Page speed measures how fast content loads on a web page. It encompasses multiple metrics including Time to First Byte (TTFB), First Contentful Paint (FCP), Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), and Time to Interactive (TTI).
Page speed affects both user experience and search rankings. Google uses Core Web Vitals as ranking factors, making performance optimization essential for SEO.
Why Page speed matters
Slow pages have higher bounce rates and lower conversions. Page speed is a confirmed ranking factor through Core Web Vitals. Mobile users especially expect fast loading times on slower connections.
How to implement
Optimize and compress images
Enable browser caching
Minify CSS and JavaScript
Use a CDN for static assets
Reduce server response time
Eliminate render-blocking resources
Common mistakes to avoid
- Only testing on fast connections
- Ignoring mobile performance
- Adding too many third-party scripts
- Not lazy loading below-fold content
Examples
Reducing image size from 2MB to 200KB
Implementing lazy loading for images
Using WebP format instead of JPEG
Frequently asked questions
LCP under 2.5 seconds is considered good. Aim for pages to be interactive within 3 seconds on mobile connections.
Use Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or WebPageTest. Test on mobile and desktop, and monitor field data in Search Console.