In today's fast-paced digital era, users have little patience for slow website experiences. Google has begun factoring speed optimization tactics into its algorithms as poor performing sites can negatively impact user engagement. To climb search rankings and keep visitors on your page, optimizing speed is crucial. Let's explore some best practices for increasing Google Sitespeed.
Conducting a baseline speed test using Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse exposes initial issues. Both audit on-page elements, server response times and network calls to paint a clear performance picture. Common issues include unnecessary redirects, bloated images and inefficient CSS/JavaScript. Understanding baseline metrics and opportunities frames improvement strategy.
Optimizing images remains a core target as large files drastically slow load times. Resize images to exact dimensions required, compress using lossless formats like WebP and lazy-load non-critical assets below the fold. Implementing responsive images through srcset delivers optimized photos specific to any device or connection. For rich media like videos, consider a CDN and transcoding formats.
Leveraging a content delivery network (CDN) caches static files across geographically distributed servers, serving users the fastest copies. Enable HTTP/2 protocol for multiplexed requests, minimize HTTP round trips when bundling assets. Browser caching caches responses through far-future Expires headers and ETags preventing unnecessary refetching.
Minifying JavaScript and CSS bundles code, removing whitespace to reduce payload sizes. Deferring non-critical scripts until loading completes ensures rendering is not blocked. Separate scripts can even be loaded asynchronously and non-blocking. Leverage SPA frameworks like React for on-demand loading only needed components.
Gzip compression encodes responses to shrink file sizes sent over network. Configure web server, cache plugins and CDN to compress all content types. Leverage Brotli if server supports for further reduction than Gzip. Eliminate render-blocking resources linked in <head> like critical CSS through PRPL pattern or Critical CSS tooling.
Progressive rendering strategies like CSS-above-the-fold ensures visible page portions render before full load. Set Cache-Control headers to allow caching of assets across browsing sessions. Permanently cache non-changing assets through far-future expiration. Leverage service workers to create offline-first like experiences.
Mobile-friendliness ranks highly with Google and users. Optimize interactions, avoid multiple finger taps and optimize for low-power devices with smaller screens. Fluid layouts, simplified UI and HTTPS migration all contribute towards better speed scores. Leverage Lighthouse and Pagespeed audits regularly as the web evolves, catching new opportunities for optimization.
Speed matters - with the right implementation and ongoing optimizations, outcomes include improved click-through and time on site metrics, boosted conversion rates and higher search rankings. Users appreciate faster experiences, benefiting business goals. Committing resources toward site performance strategic delivers clear competitive advantages in today's digital marketplace.
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