On-site SEO & Page Speed Optimization

Page Speed as a Vital Google Ranking Factor

The loading speed of your website plays a crucial role in securing a higher position in Google’s search results. When a user clicks on a search engine link, the speed at which your web pages load is evaluated. Google even considers loading time, interactivity, and visual stability through Core Web Vitals.

To measure the loading time of your pages, you can utilize Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. This reinforces the idea that speed significantly influences search engine rankings.

These claims stem from the understanding that Google prioritizes pages that offer an excellent user experience. By ensuring your website loads quickly, you increase the chances of ranking higher in search results.

For instance, imagine a blog post that takes 10 seconds to load entirely. At first glance, this might seem like a significant duration. However, solely focusing on the complete loading time may not accurately reflect user interaction during the loading process.

On the other hand, paying attention to the First Meaningful Paint often provides a better representation of user experience. Let’s revisit the example of a page taking 10 seconds to load all its resources. Although the entire page loads slowly, users can witness the “First Meaningful Paint” after just 1.5 seconds of landing on the page. As a result, users can quickly engage with your page, perceiving it as fast.

Why does page speed matter for SEO?

A slow-loading website can negatively impact your Google rankings.

Now, you might wonder how Google evaluates the loading speed of your site. Do they consider the time it takes for the entire page to load or the TTFB?

While Google has not made any official statements on this matter, their inclusion of these metrics in their PageSpeed Insights tool suggests that they likely employ a combination of different measurements to assess page speed.