Page Speed Insights, a free tool by Google, allows us to analyze and optimize our websites for speed.
If your website is running slow and taking too long to load, then you might be making a few simple mistakes that are costing you visitors. Check out our blog post for tips on how to improve page speed and get more traffic coming through your door!.
What is page speed?
Your website’s page speed is the amount of time it takes for your web pages to load when a visitor goes to your site. Google Page Speed Insights is a tool that Google offers that lets you check your page speed test and provides suggestions on how to improve it.
What is page speed in SEO?
In SEO, “page speed” refers to how quickly a web page loads and becomes available to the user. A slow page speed can lead to a poor user experience, and may even cause users to abandon your site altogether.
There are a number of factors that can affect page speed, including file size, server response time, and browser caching. To improve your site’s page speed, you’ll need to optimize each of these factors.
File size: The larger the files that make up your web page, the longer it will take to load. To reduce file size, you can compress images and minify CSS and JavaScript files.
Server response time: This is the time it takes for your server to process a request and send back the data required to load the page. To improve server response time, you can use a content delivery network (CDN) or cache static resources.
Browser caching: When a user visits your site, their browser will cache certain files so that they don’t have to be downloaded every time they load a new page. Caching can greatly reduce page load times, but only if the cached files are up-to-date.
Page Speed #1: Enable compression
If you want your website to load faster, one of the best things you can do is enable compression. This will reduce the size of your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, making them easier for browsers to download and process.
There are two main ways to compress your files: Gzip and Brotli. Gzip is the most common compression method, and is supported by all major browsers. Brotli is a newer compression format that offers better compression ratios than Gzip, but isn’t as widely supported.
To enable Gzip compression, you’ll need to add the following code to your .htaccess file:
## Gzip Start ##
<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/javascript
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/rss+xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/vnd.ms-fontobject
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-opentype
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-otf
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-truetype
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-ttf
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-javascript
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xhtml+xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/opentype
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/otf
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/ttf
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE image/svg+xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE image/x-icon
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/css
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/javascript
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/plain
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/xml
</IfModule>
## Gzip Ends ##Replace “text/html” with the appropriate MIME type for your files. For example, if you’re compressing CSS files, you would use “text/css” instead.
Enabling Gzip compressions should help reduce the size of your pages and make them load faster.
Page Speed #2: Enable Browser Caching
When you enable browser caching, your visitors’ browsers will save some of your website’s files locally on their hard drives. This means that when they return to your website, their browser won’t have to send another request to your server for those files; it can load them directly from the cache. Enabling browser caching is a simple way to reduce page load times and improve website performance.
To enable browser caching, you’ll need to add some code to your website’s .htaccess file. Don’t worry if you’ve never edited this file before; it’s easy to do. Just add the following lines of code:
## EXPIRES HEADER CACHING ##
<IfModule mod_expires.c>
ExpiresActive On
ExpiresByType image/jpg "access 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/png "access 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/svg "access 1 year"
ExpiresByType text/css "access 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/pdf "access 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/javascript "access 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access 1 month"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access 1 year"
ExpiresDefault "access 2 days"
</IfModule>
## EXPIRES HEADER CACHING ##Page Speed #3: Implement Lazy Loading for Ads
Lazy loading is when a web page loads content as it is needed. This is different from traditional loading where all content on a page is loaded at once.
Lazy loading can be used for ads, images, videos, and other types of content. When implemented properly, it can significantly improve the performance of a website.
There are several ways to implement lazy loading for ads. One approach is to use a JavaScript library such as Lazysizes. Another approach is to use a server-side solution such as WordPress’s Lazy Load plugin.
Whichever method you choose, make sure that your ad provider supports lazy loading. If they do not, you may need to find a new ad provider.
Once you have implemented lazy loading for ads, you should see an improvement in the performance of your website. PageSpeed Insights will likely show an improvement in your score as well.
Page Speed #4: Reduce redirects
Redirects are one of the most common ways that web pages slow down. A redirect is when a web page is accessed, but the server instead sends the user to another page. This can happen for a number of reasons, but it often happens because the original page has been moved or no longer exists. Redirects add extra time to the page load, and can also cause users to lose their place on the page if they click back too many times.
To reduce redirects, start by checking your website for any broken links. If you find any, update them so that they point to the correct page. You can also use a tool like google page speed to check for redirects and see how much time they’re adding to your page load. Once you’ve identified any problem areas, work with your web developer to fix them so that your pages load faster and users have a better experience on your site.
PageSpeed #5: Optimize Images
Images are an important part of any website, but they can also be a major source of slow loading times. There are a few things you can do to optimize your images and speed up your website:
1. Use a tool like Photoshop or GIMP to reduce the file size of your images without compromising quality.
2. Avoid using large, high-resolution images unless they’re absolutely necessary. Stick to smaller sizes that will load faster.
3. Use a content delivery network (CDN) to host your images and serve them to visitors from around the world. This can speed up loading times by reducing latency.
4. Make sure you’re using the right image format for each situation. JPEG is best for photos, while PNG is better for graphics with fewer colors.
5. Always compress your images before uploading them to your website. This will help reduce file sizes and improve loading times.”
#6: Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a system of distributed servers that deliver pages and other web content to users based on their geographic location. The main benefit of using a CDN is that it can help reduce latency and improve performance by making sure that content is delivered from the server closest to the user.
There are many different CDN providers to choose from, so it’s important to do your research and select the one that best meets your needs. Once you’ve selected a provider, setting up your CDN is usually a simple process.
If you’re looking to improve your website’s speed, a CDN is definitely worth considering.
#7: Choose the right hosting
There are a number of things to consider when choosing a hosting provider for your website. Here are some tips to help you choose the right hosting provider for your needs:
– Consider your website’s needs. What kind of website do you have? How much traffic do you expect to receive? What are your specific page speed goals?
– Do some research. Read reviews of different hosting providers and compare features and pricing.
– Ask around. Talk to other businesses or web developers and get their recommendations.
– Make sure the provider offers good customer support. You should be able to contact them easily if you have any questions or problems.
By following these tips, you can be sure to find a hosting provider that will help you achieve your page speed goals.
#8: Improve Server Response Time
One of the most important aspects of website speed is server response time. This is the time it takes for your server to receive and process a request from a visitor. A fast server response time is essential to providing a good user experience.
There are a number of ways you can improve your server response time:
1. Use a content delivery network (CDN).
A CDN can help reduce the load on your server by caching your static content and delivering it to visitors from locations around the world. This reduces the distance that data has to travel, and can therefore improve server response times.
2. Optimize your database queries.
Database queries can be a significant bottleneck, particularly if they are not optimized. If you are using WordPress, there are plugins available that can help optimize your database queries. Alternatively, you could hire a developer to help optimize your database for better performance.
3. Use caching mechanisms.
Caching can help reduce the load on your server by storing frequently accessed data in memory or on disk so that it can be quickly retrieved when needed. There are many different caching mechanisms available, so it’s worth doing some research to find one that will work well for your particular setup.
#9: Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
When it comes to making your website faster, one of the key things to focus on is minimizing your CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. By minifying these files, you can reduce the size of your pages and improve loading times.
To minify CSS, you can use a tool like CSS Minifier. Simply enter your CSS code into the tool and it will compress it for you. For JavaScript, you can use a tool like JSMin. Again, simply enter your JS code into the tool and it will compress it for you.
As for HTML, there are a few different ways to minify it. One is to use a tool like HTMLMinifier. Another is to remove any whitespace from your code. This can be done by running your code through a text editor like Notepad++ and then selecting all the text and running the “Remove Extra Whitespace” function.
Once you’ve minified your CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, you’ll notice a significant difference in your page loading times. So if you’re looking to speed up your website, be sure to give this method a try!
#10: Reduce external scripts
If your website relies heavily on external scripts, you may be able to improve its loading speed by reducing the number of scripts it uses. This can be done by minifying and concatenating your scripts, or by using a content delivery network (CDN) to load them more efficiently.
In general, it is best to keep your website as lean as possible, with as few external dependencies as possible. However, if you do need to use external scripts, there are ways to minimize their impact on your page loading speed.
Minifying and concatenating your scripts can help reduce the number of HTTP requests that need to be made, and thus improve loading speed. You can also use a CDN to load external scripts more efficiently.
When using a CDN, make sure to use a reputable service that offers good customer support in case anything goes wrong.
Finnal Word
If you’re looking for ways to make your website faster, Page Speed Insights is a great tool to use. By following the tips in this article, you can improve your Page Speed score and make your website load faster for your visitors. In turn, this can lead to improved conversions and higher search engine rankings. So, if you’re serious about making your website as fast as possible, start by using Page Speed Insights today!