12 Actionable Tips to Improve Your Google PageSpeed Insights Score ⚠️

I’ve been working with websites for years and I’ve seen firsthand how much a slow website can hurt a business.

It’s not just about frustrating visitors; it can also seriously impact your search engine ranking and ultimately your bottom line.

That’s why I’m always looking for ways to improve site speed and make sure my clients’ websites are performing at their best. Recently I discovered a tool that’s become my go-to for assessing website performance and that’s Google PageSpeed Insights (PSI).

The Importance of Page Speed: It’s Not Just About User Experience

It’s no secret that Google prioritizes websites that offer a seamless experience for users.

A fast-loading website isn’t just about keeping visitors happy; it’s also about making sure Google sees your site as valuable and worthy of a higher ranking.

Think about it this way: if you’re searching for something online and you click on a website that takes forever to load what do you do? You probably click back and try another site right? That’s what Google sees and it uses that behavior to determine how “valuable” a website is.

So while the Backlinko study you mentioned showed that there’s no direct correlation between page speed and first-page rankings it’s crucial to remember that it’s still a significant factor for Google.

The study did highlight that websites ranking on the first page generally have faster loading times.

The Power of PageSpeed Insights

PSI is a free comprehensive tool that analyzes your website and gives you a score out of 100 for both its mobile and desktop versions.

It goes beyond just telling you your score; it also offers a bunch of actionable insights and recommendations that can help you improve your performance.

Now I’ve got to say it’s not about chasing a perfect score.

You don’t need to be a 100 out of 100 to have a fast website.

What matters is focusing on the recommendations and implementing changes that make a real difference for your users.

Understanding the PageSpeed Insights Score

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of PSI’s score.

The tool uses a system of performance metrics to measure your website’s performance.

The way these metrics are weighed can affect your overall score.

• Lab Data: PSI analyzes your website in a controlled environment simulating how it would load on a real device. This data is valuable but it’s not the complete picture.
• Field Data: This data comes from real users interacting with your site providing a more realistic view of how your website performs in the real world. It reflects how users experience your website based on factors like their network connection device and location.

12 Actionable Tips to Boost Your PageSpeed Insights Score

Now let’s get into the practical stuff.

Based on my experience using PSI here are 12 action items you can implement to improve your website’s performance and give those scores a boost:

1. Use Redirects Sparingly

Redirects can be handy when you need to move or delete a page on your website.

However using too many redirects can slow down page loading times.

• Think about it: When you use a redirect the browser has to make an extra trip to the server to find the correct page. The longer it takes for the browser to receive the first byte of data the slower the page loads.
• My recommendation: Avoid unnecessary redirects and use them only when absolutely necessary to streamline your website’s loading time.

2. Minify Your Code (CSS HTML and JavaScript)

Minification is a crucial technique for optimizing webpages.

Think of it as a streamlining process that removes unnecessary characters and spaces from your code without impacting the way the browser processes it.

• Here’s the deal: By shrinking the size of your code files (CSS HTML and JavaScript) you reduce the amount of data that needs to be downloaded making your website load faster.
• My advice: Use plugins like WP Rocket HTML Minify or Autoptimize to automate the minification process making it easy to implement for your WordPress website.

3. Embrace Lazy Loading for Images

Lazy loading is one of the most effective ways to improve site performance.

It’s all about prioritizing the images that visitors see immediately on the page while deferring the loading of images that are not in the viewport.

Think of it as a strategic way of loading content as needed minimizing the initial loading time.

• Let me explain: When you lazy-load images the browser loads only the images that are visible above the fold. As the user scrolls down other images are loaded creating a smoother user experience.
• My recommendation: Use plugins like Lazy Load by WP Rocket or a3 Lazy Load to seamlessly implement lazy loading. Autoptimize also has built-in features for lazy loading.

4. Optimize Your Server Response Time (TTFB)

A fast server response time means your website is ready to deliver content quickly.

The longer it takes for the server to respond the longer visitors have to wait for the page to load.

• Here’s the key: A low TTFB doesn’t automatically translate to a super-fast website but it’s definitely a crucial factor.
• Here’s what you can do:
  • Use a reliable web host: A high-quality hosting service can significantly impact your server response time.
  • Optimize your database: A cluttered database can slow down your server. Consider using plugins like WP-Optimize or WP Super Cache to optimize your database and improve performance.
  • Use a caching plugin: Caching plugins store copies of your website’s content reducing the server load and speeding up response time.

5. Remove Render-Blocking Resources

Render-blocking resources are files like JavaScript CSS and fonts that are essential for rendering a webpage.

However when these files are loaded before the browser displays the content they can create a bottleneck.

This means the browser has to wait for those resources to be downloaded and processed before it can display the page.

• Here’s how to tackle it:
  • Inline critical CSS: Include the necessary CSS styles in the <head> section of your HTML file.
  • Defer loading of non-critical JavaScript: Use the defer attribute to load JavaScript files after the page has finished rendering. This keeps the browser from waiting for JavaScript to load before displaying the content.

6. Minimize Main-Thread Work

The main thread is responsible for handling everything that goes on in your browser.

It parses code executes JavaScript and manages user interactions.

When the main thread is busy working it can’t respond to user requests as quickly causing delays and a frustrating user experience.

• Here’s the approach:
  • Optimize your JavaScript: Make sure your JavaScript code is efficient and well-organized. Avoid using heavy libraries and frameworks if you don’t need them.
  • Defer non-critical JavaScript: Load scripts that aren’t essential for the initial page load later using the defer attribute. This allows the browser to display the content without waiting for JavaScript to load.

7. Embrace Next-Generation Image Formats

Modern image formats like WebP can load much faster than traditional formats like JPEG and PNG.

This means a faster loading experience for visitors and better performance scores.

• Here’s the breakdown: WebP images are usually smaller in size without compromising quality resulting in faster download times and improved overall website performance.
• My suggestion: Use plugins like Smush or Imagify to easily convert your images to WebP. These plugins are designed to make the process seamless allowing you to enjoy the benefits of WebP without any hassle.

8. Leverage Browser Caching

Browser caching is like a shortcut for repeat visitors to your site.

It stores copies of your website’s resources (images fonts CSS) on their computer.

This way the browser doesn’t have to download these resources again resulting in a much faster loading experience.

• Here’s the benefit: Think about it as a way to avoid unnecessary trips to the server making those repeated visits lightning-fast.
• My suggestion: Use plugins like W3 Total Cache WP Super Cache or WP Rocket for WordPress websites to implement browser caching. They take the guesswork out of setting up caching allowing you to focus on other aspects of your site.

9. Optimize Your Cache Expiration Policy

You want to make sure your browser cache is working efficiently but not too often.

A well-optimized cache expiration policy helps balance performance and freshness of your site’s content.

• Here’s the key: You want to strike a balance between keeping your cache fresh and minimizing the number of times your browser has to download resources.
• Here’s how to optimize:
  • Use Cache-Control and Expires headers: These headers tell the browser how long to store cached content before it needs to be refreshed.
  • Consider hosting Google Analytics locally: Plugins like Perfmatters and Complete Analytics Optimization Suite (CAOS) can help reduce the impact of loading Google Analytics scripts by hosting them locally.

10. Prevent Large Layout Shifts

Layout shifts are those sudden unexpected changes in the layout of your website.

They happen when images or other elements load after the initial page load causing the content to jump or shift around making it difficult for users to interact with the page.

• Here’s why it matters: Imagine clicking a button and suddenly finding that the page jumps causing you to miss your target. It’s frustrating and disrupts the user experience.
• Here’s how to prevent layout shifts:
  • Reserve space for images: Before images load make sure you reserve space for them using a placeholder image or by specifying the image dimensions in your HTML. This prevents the layout from shifting when the image finally loads.
  • Load fonts in the background: Loading fonts in the background using the font-display property can reduce the likelihood of layout shifts caused by font loading.
  • Use a CSS grid or flexbox: These layouts can be more predictable and less prone to layout shifts.

11. Optimize Your Images

Images are often the biggest culprits behind slow page loading times.

Optimizing images is about finding the right balance between quality and file size ensuring a fast loading experience without sacrificing visual appeal.

• Here’s the deal: The smaller the image file size the faster it downloads improving your website’s performance.
• My recommendation:
  • Use optimized image formats: Use WebP JPEG 2000 or JPEG XR formats which offer better compression ratios than traditional JPEG and PNG formats.
  • Compress your images: Use tools like Smush or Imagify to compress your images without noticeable loss of quality.
  • Resize your images: Make sure your images are the appropriate size for the page they’re displayed on. Avoid uploading oversized images as they take longer to download and consume more bandwidth.
  • Use responsive images: This technique helps deliver different versions of your images based on the user’s screen size optimizing image loading for different devices.

12. Manage Third-Party Scripts

Third-party scripts can be helpful for analytics tracking social sharing and other features but they can also significantly impact your website’s performance.

These scripts are often hosted on external servers meaning the browser has to make additional requests to load them potentially delaying the initial page load.

• Here’s the approach:
  • Use a script manager: Plugins like Perfmatters or Autoptimize can help manage your third-party scripts. They offer options to defer scripts load them asynchronously or block them entirely allowing you to control their impact on your website’s performance.
  • Choose the right scripts: Be mindful of the scripts you’re adding to your website. If you don’t need a particular script don’t include it.
  • Minify and combine scripts: Minifying and combining your third-party scripts can help reduce the number of requests and the amount of data that needs to be downloaded. This can significantly improve your website’s performance.

Beyond the Score: It’s About the User Experience

Remember PageSpeed Insights is a valuable tool but it’s not the be-all and end-all.

The ultimate goal is to create a website that loads quickly and provides a smooth experience for users regardless of their device or internet connection.

By focusing on the recommendations provided by PSI and implementing the tips I’ve shared you can significantly improve your website’s performance attract more visitors and boost your search engine rankings.