Page Speed

Google's Page Experience ranking signals center on Core Web Vitals — three specific metrics measured in real-world Chrome user data^[1]. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures how long the main content of a page takes to load; the target is under 2.5 seconds. Interaction to Next Paint (INP) replaced First Input Delay in 2024 — it measures how quickly pages respond to user interactions; target is under 200ms. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability — how much elements shift as the page loads; target is under 0.1. These metrics are collected from real users via Chrome, meaning your actual user population's experience matters more than lab scores. Google Search Console shows Core Web Vitals field data for your site under the Experience section.

Most slow pages share the same handful of causes^[1][2]. Image optimization is typically the highest-impact fix: uncompressed JPEG images or PNG files that should be WebP are responsible for the majority of excessive page weight. Render-blocking JavaScript (scripts in <head> that block HTML parsing) delays First Contentful Paint — defer or async load scripts that aren't needed for initial render. Unminified CSS and JavaScript add unnecessary bytes. Server response time (Time to First Byte, TTFB) affects everything; a slow host or uncached server adds 500ms or more before any content loads. Third-party scripts (chat widgets, analytics, ad scripts) are a common hidden culprit — each third-party tag adds DNS lookups and script execution time. Use Chrome DevTools Performance tab or WebPageTest.org to identify your specific bottlenecks.

Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev) provides both lab data (simulated tests) and field data (real user CrUX data) with specific fix recommendations^[2]. The 'Opportunities' section lists specific improvements sorted by estimated time savings — prioritize these. Key improvements: (1) Serve images in next-gen formats (WebP, AVIF) and properly size images to display dimensions. (2) Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to serve assets from servers geographically closer to users. (3) Enable browser caching via Cache-Control headers so returning visitors load cached assets. (4) Implement lazy loading for images below the fold (loading='lazy'). (5) Preload critical assets (hero font, hero image) that are needed immediately on page load. Track Core Web Vitals in Search Console's 'Page Experience' report to monitor real-user improvements over time.