How does website speed affect SEO?
Google has confirmed that page speed is a ranking signal. Faster websites provide better user experiences, which search engines reward with higher rankings.
Core Web Vitals
Google's Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure real-world user experience:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading performance. Should occur within 2.5 seconds.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Measures interactivity. Should be under 200 milliseconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability. Should be less than 0.1.
How to improve page speed for SEO
Optimization strategies include using a CDN, enabling compression, optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, minimizing JavaScript, and implementing lazy loading for below-the-fold content.