How To Improve Your Google PageSpeed Insights Score
An essential component of having a great online presence is taking the time to use SEO in your organization.
In order to increase the number of people who visit your website when they perform keyword searches, you need implement an effective SEO plan.
Page speed has become one of the most crucial elements affecting the SEO performance and, consequently, the ranking of your website since Google’s Core Web Vitals upgrade in mid-2021.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to increase your page speed and Google PageSpeed Insights rating.
We’ll go through some of the best strategies to fix this in this article so you can rank better and maximize your online visibility.
Defining Google PageSpeed Insights
Google offers the tool Google PageSpeed Insights to assist you in assessing and enhancing the page speed of your website. It evaluates and assesses your website’s performance on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the best. Additionally, it offers advice on how to raise your score.
You can assess the page speed of both your desktop and mobile websites with Google PageSpeed Insights.
Why Does Page Speed Matter?
The Google update known as Core Web Vitals emphasizes website performance as a significant ranking element.
Midway through 2021, an update was announced, and it gradually began to be implemented. The following criteria are taken into account by Core Web Vitals:
- First Input Delay (FID)
- Total Blocking Time (TBT)
- First Contentful Paint (FDP)
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- Speed Index (SI)
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
- Time to Interactive (TTI)
All of this indicates that page speed has become an even more important SEO element after Google’s upgrade. A quick website offers a better user experience, which Google takes into account when evaluating speed.
Websites that load quickly appear at the top of search results, while those that take longer to load will appear farther down.
We’ll look at some of the numerous and diverse factors that affect website speed next.
Getting A High Google PageSpeed Insights Score
Step-by-step SEO for your website makes it more likely that it will rank higher over time.
You may increase your website’s visibility using a variety of on-page optimization strategies.
It’s also critical to understand where your website sits. You have access to a wide range of speed testing and optimization tools, particularly if it was created using WordPress.
11 Steps To Improving Google PageSpeed Insights Score
Now let’s examine the procedures required to raise your Google PageSpeed Insights score.
1. Keep Post-Click Landing Page Redirects to a Minimum
The act of transferring a user from one web page to another is known as post-click landing page redirection.
They may occur following a user’s click on a link, an advertisement, or a form submission.
Users may find redirects to be quite inconvenient, and they slow down your website. It is imperative to stay as far away from them as you can because of this.
There is a common misperception among both newcomers and seasoned web users alike that redirects will enable them to collect more data about the visitors to their website.
Even while collecting data is a wonderful idea, there are various approaches that won’t annoy your users (and lowering your Core Web Vitals score while slowing down your page speed loading time).
Redirects, in other words, are a lose-lose situation.
If you must redirect people, make the process as quick and easy as you can; if you cannot, simply don’t do it.
2. Turn on compression
Compression is the technique of shrinking data by removing extraneous characters.
A compressor or a compression technique can be used to achieve this. Page size can be significantly reduced by compressing the data on your website. Smaller images will aid in compression, as will the use of formats like WEBP.
3. Minify JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
Minification involves purging a file of all superfluous characters.
You can either accomplish this by hand or with a minification tool.
Your website will load more quickly when files are minified because the size of the file is reduced.
4. Utilize and benefit from browser caching
Every time a person sees your website, it doesn’t need to load completely from scratch.
The same idea applies to how your website is given to the user’s browser, just as your browser normally keeps particular files (ensuring they don’t have to be downloaded again the next time you visit a website or even click on a different page within the same site).
Leveraging browser caching is what this is known as, and it can significantly raise your Google PageSpeed Insights Score.
With the numerous plugins readily available, WordPress browser caching is even simpler to setup.
5. Put Above-The-Fold Content First
The content that can be seen on a user’s screen without scrolling down is known as above-the-fold content.
The user shouldn’t have to wait too long to view this content on the screen, thus it should load as quickly as possible.
Focus on having the most crucial content accessible as soon as you can, whether you have significant content that needs to be displayed initially or a carousel that has to rotate swiftly.
Users’ attention spans are also aided by this because they can immediately see what you have to offer without being diverted by other events going on in their lives.
6. Improve Server Response Time
The amount of time it takes for the server to react to the user’s browser is known as the server response time.
Numerous variables, like the kind of server you’re using, its load, and the network connection between it and the user, can influence this time.
If your website is built on the WordPress platform, this article will show you how to optimize it.
Additionally, it could be time to switch to a quicker hosting company if you now utilize a slow one.
Resources may occasionally be shared among several websites when hosting is shared.
Your website may have a delayed server response time as a result.
Instead, think about switching to a VPS or employing a dedicated hosting company.
7. Render-blocking JavaScript and CSS must go
JavaScript and CSS render-blocking scripts and styles prevent the page from being rendered.
This means that until the scripts and styles have loaded, the user cannot view any content.
Use the relevant tags in your HTML document, minify your scripts and styles, or load them asynchronously to get rid of JavaScript and CSS that render-blocks your website.
There are numerous approaches to take, so do your study to find the one that will work best for you.
8. Render-Blocking Resources must be removed
You should halt all render-blocking resources in addition to removing render-blocking JavaScript and CSS.
Images, movies, and other files that prevent the rendering of the page prevent the user from seeing any content until the files have loaded are known as render-blocking resources.
There is no fixed method for fixing this issue, but you can figure out which resources are to blame by using the Core Web Vitals reports and the PageSpeed Insights tool.
Once the resources have been located, you can optimize or asynchronously load them.
9. Take advantage of a CDN
A network of servers known as a content delivery network (CDN) is used to store and deliver content to users.
Static items like photos, infographics, and videos as well as dynamic information like scripts and styles can both be included in this content.
By caching static files and delivering them from a nearby server, a CDN can enhance the functionality and speed of your website.
Consider employing a CDN if you aren’t already to enhance your website’s performance.
Find out which WordPress CDN will work best for you among the many that are available.
10. Utilize AMP
The open-source project AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) attempts to enhance the functionality of websites on mobile devices.
On top of already-used web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, AMP is constructed.
This implies that using AMP won’t require modifying your website.
Mobile devices can load websites swiftly and effectively thanks to AMP pages, which are created specifically for them.
In most cases, it makes sense to use AMP on your website.
11. Utilize WordPress themes with rapid loading
WordPress themes are not all made equally.
While some WordPress themes are created to be quick and effective, some aren’t.
You should choose a WordPress theme that satisfies your requirements and offers a fantastic user experience in terms of page loading speed since there are a wide variety of themes accessible.
As a result, some of the quickest WordPress themes on the market can greatly enhance the functionality of your website.
Long-Term Factors To Consider
Here are a few additional things to think about in addition to the previously mentioned ones when it comes to long-term SEO performance.
Track The Performance Of Your Website And Raise Your CWV
To make sure your website is operating efficiently, this should be done on a frequent basis.
The performance of your website can be tracked using a variety of tools and services.
Running routine Google PageSpeed Insights audits is an useful approach to keep track of your website’s performance.
Don’t forget about the other Core Web Vitals as well (CWV). They cooperate to present a comprehensive performance picture.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and First Input Delay (FID) are three factors that are very helpful in identifying and fixing potential website problems.
The goal is to comprehend the components of each component and how it might be enhanced. For instance, you should be aware of and work to enhance some aspects of cumulative layout shift (CLS). Your page’s overall speed will increase as a result of these factors.
More information on raising your overall Core Web Vitals can be found here. A holistic evaluation of your website’s performance will assist make sure that all elements cooperate to deliver the greatest user experience possible.
Conduct Regular Website Audits
Regular website audits are a great method to make sure your website is operating efficiently.
Additionally, it’s a wonderful technique to identify and address any potential performance problems.
Following these simple five-step instructions will complete a website audit:
Getting Website Information
This entails compiling information about your website, like the size of the page, the quantity of queries, and the response time.
Several programs, like WebPageTest and Google PageSpeed Insights, can be used to collect this information.
Finding Website Problems
After compiling all the information, you must determine whether your website has any problems.
Malware, render-blocking resources, sluggish pages, missed chances, and caching difficulties are a few examples of these.
Fixing Website Problems
Images can be optimized, scripts and styles can be minified, files can be loaded asynchronously, your WordPress theme can be changed, or a CDN can be used to fix website issues.
Verifying That Website Issues Have Been Solved
Rerunning a website audit will show whether any issues with the website have been resolved.
Making A Findings Report
You may monitor your website’s development over time by creating a report of your findings.
You should be able to find and resolve any performance issues on your website using the procedures listed above.
Conclusion
You may raise your website’s Google PageSpeed Insights score and make it run more quickly by taking the actions outlined in this article.
Keep in mind to periodically check the performance of your website and make adjustments as necessary.
This will ensure that your website functions without a hitch, that users have a positive browsing experience, and that your SEO efforts are not in vain.
Source: Cloudways
