How can I score 100% on Google PageSpeed Insights?

Have you ever been browsing a website and noticed that it felt a bit…slow? That’s your Google site speed in a nutshell. Site speed refers to page load times, which can influence how long it takes for the page to render on your device.

This is incredibly important for web developers because page load times carry a considerable impact on user experiences.

If a page loads quickly and efficiently, users are far more likely to stay engaged—and that’s always welcome news for marketing professionals and businesses alike.

The bottom line is: if you want your pages to be seen, take page speed seriously!

Why website page speed is important

If you’re serious about website performance, then your page speed should be one of your biggest priorities when managing your website.

Page speed is not just a vanity metric: longer loading times can lead to decreased search engine rankings, decreased conversion rates, and an overall subpar user experience.

It takes no time at all for users to be scrolling away from your page and on to the next, and a high bounce rate can be detrimental to your page’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).

The old adage, “time is money,” applies here – with website page speed being no exception.

The relationship between web page speed and bounce rate

The impact page load time has on visitor engagement definitely shouldn’t be underestimated.

When page speed is too slow, visitors will have little patience and hit the back button just a few clicks later – which is what we call a bounce.

Your page speed directly therefore clearly affects your website’s bounce rate, which impacts your overall page performance and search ranking, as it suggests that your content is not relevant to the user.

Take it from us – you want to make sure you consider page load time when measuring the success of your website.

After all, you want to start with the best foot forward and make sure visitors stick around for more than just a few clicks!

How to find your website speed on Google

There are lots of websites that can check page speed and page speed load time for you. Usually, all you need to provide is your website URL and sometimes, the location you are testing for.

For example, you could conduct your website speed test on Google Pagespeed Insights by simply pasting your URL and clicking ‘analyze.’

What is a good website loading speed?

You should aim for a site speed of around 3 seconds. And if it’s faster than that – then you’ve aced it!

However, keep in mind that average site speed tends to vary between industries, with technology and travel websites usually being the slowest to load. On the other hand, studies have suggested that pages load faster for local sites.

Tips to improve website speed

By now, you’re probably itching to find out how to improve your site’s speed. Lucky for you, your wish is our command!

Compress site elements

When it comes to website speed optimisation, compression will likely be at the top of your mind.

Compressing files reduces their size without sacrificing quality which means faster download speeds for visitors who access them.

Gzip is a popular compression format used by many websites and servers today so make sure you take advantage of it! Keep in mind, however, that Gzip is not what you should use to compress images.

Minimise HTTP requests

Every time someone visits your site, their browser makes an HTTP request for each file it needs to render the page correctly.

This includes things like images, scripts, stylesheets and other elements.

The fewer requests there are, the faster the page will load so try to reduce these as much as possible by combining multiple files into one larger file or using sprites (grouping images together into a single image file).

Image optimisation

With great visuals comes even greater responsibility!

Believe it or not, images (and videos) can eat up a lot of bandwidth when they’re not optimised properly.

Make sure your images are optimised for speed by finding the perfect balance of size, file format and compression. PNGs shine with fewer than 16 colors or for graphics with transparency while JPEGs are ideal for photos.

You can choose an option that ensures that images are only loaded when users scroll down to them.

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

CDNs are networks of servers located around the world that serve up content from points closest to the end users to speed up delivery times.

This is especially useful if you have global visitors since they won’t have to wait for content from servers located halfway around the world for your site to load quickly.

Minify HTML, CSS and JavaScript

Before you ask – nope, this has nothing to do with Minnie Mouse. At the crux of it, minification is about shortening the code by removing any elements of code that are taking up space for no reason.

For example, this process would involve removing duplicate data, unnecessary commas, spaces and characters.

To save yourself from the headache, Content Management Systems (CMS) platforms like WordPress can automatically do this all for you.

Minimise HTTP requests

Every time someone visits your site, their browser makes an HTTP request for each file it needs to render the page correctly.

This includes things like images, scripts, stylesheets, as well as other elements.

The fewer requests there are, the faster the page will load so try to reduce these as much as possible by combining multiple files into one larger file or using sprites (grouping images together into a single image file).

Employ browser caching

Caching allows browsers to store previously requested files so that if someone revisits your site, those files don’t have to be downloaded all over again.

This helps decrease loading time significantly because it takes a bunch of steps away from the process.

You can enable caching by setting expiration headers which tell browsers how long they should keep certain types of files cached before requesting them again from the server.

Regularly track your page speed

Websites, like cars, need regular maintenance and care to keep them running as quickly and efficiently as possible.

If you’re not keeping an eye on it, you could end up with a slow-as-snails loading time and waving goodbye to potential customers!

Regular performance monitoring of your page and its speed is the key, This keeps your loading times at an optimal level so you won’t lose valuable visitors due to lagging or other loading issues.

And even if you do spot issues, regular monitoring means that you can quickly act on them and prevent any further damage from being done.

Give your website the attention it deserves today

With over a decade in the industry, we’ve come to know all the tips and tricks behind improving website performance.

From content writing to landing page design and enhancing page speed, First Page can do it all.

If you want to put your best foot forward and outrank your competitors (which we’re sure you do!), then your best bet is to reach out to our team.

We will treat your website as if it were our own, constantly monitoring important metrics (including page speed) to ensure your site is performing at its best.

And with a money-back guarantee that you won’t be able to resist, you can rest easy knowing your website is in safe hands.