LESSON 81 · 2 MIN READ

How to speed up your site

Follow five steps to identify slow pages and improve Core Web Vitals. Better performance helps users; ranking and conversion outcomes still vary.

A fast site ranks better and converts more. Speed is both a ranking factor and a conversion lever.

You do not need to be a developer. The biggest gains usually come from images and a few simple settings.

1. Measure first

Run PageSpeed Insights for your Core Web Vitals and a prioritised fix list. You cannot improve what you do not measure.

2. Compress images

Resize and compress large images, and use modern formats like WebP. Images are the top cause of slow pages.

3. Cut what you can

Remove unused scripts, plugins and fonts. Every extra request adds load time.

4. Enable caching and a CDN

Let returning visitors load cached files, and serve assets from servers near them. Both cut load time fast.

5. Re-measure

Test again and confirm the numbers moved. Speed work is only done when the score proves it.

Heads up: Optimising your three largest images often does more than any code change.

Easy mistakes to make

  • Guessing, not measuring. Fix what the report flags, not what you assume.
  • Ignoring mobile. Most traffic is mobile, and it is usually the slower experience.
  • One-and-done. New images and plugins slow things again; recheck periodically.

Measure against Core Web Vitals.

One step closer.

Keep track of what you have learned in this browser.