Page speed as a Google ranking factor: How to speed up your website

Page speed or ‘page load time’ is an often overlooked and somewhat daunting part of SEO if you’re not a tech-whizz, but website speed is more critical than ever.

Posted on: February 21st 2025    •    Posted in: Website Design

Not only does it impact user experience, but it’s also a confirmed ranking factor for Google. In short, if your website loads slowly, visitors are more likely to leave, and search engines may rank your site lower.

So, how can you improve your page speed and ensure your website performs at its best? Let’s explore why page speed matters and the best strategies to enhance it.

Why page speed matters for SEO

Google has been using page speed as a ranking factor for years, particularly for mobile searches. They are very upfront about this, whereas they are often more secretive about other elements they use for site ranking.

A slow website can lead to higher bounce rates, lower conversions, and reduced search visibility. Page speed is crucial for:

  • Improved User Experience: Visitors expect a site to load quickly. If it doesn’t, they’re likely to get frustrated and visit a competitor instead.
  • Higher Search Rankings: Google prioritises faster websites in its search results, making page speed essential for SEO success.
  • Better Conversion Rates: Faster websites tend to convert more visitors into customers, as users are less likely to abandon the page.
  • Reduced Bounce Rates: The longer your site takes to load, the more likely users are to leave before engaging with your content.

How to speed up your website

There are several proven strategies to improve your website’s loading time. These are some that we have found most effective:

1. Optimise images

Images are often the largest files on your website, slowing down page speed if not optimised properly. To improve load times you can use compressed image formats like WebP or JPEG instead of PNG, resize images to the appropriate dimensions before uploading and also implement lazy loading, so images only load when they’re needed.

2. Enable browser caching

Browser caching allows returning visitors to load your site faster by storing static files (such as images, CSS, and JavaScript) locally on their device. This reduces the amount of data that needs to be reloaded each time they visit.

3. Minimise HTTP requests

Every time a browser loads your site, it makes multiple HTTP requests for files like images, scripts, and stylesheets. The more requests, the longer your site takes to load. There are

4. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN stores copies of your website on multiple servers around the world. When a user visits your site, the CDN delivers content from the nearest server, significantly improving loading times.

6. Choose a fast and reliable hosting provider

Your hosting provider plays a crucial role in page speed. If your website is slow despite optimising everything else, it’s time to ensure you’re using a fast hosting provider based in the country your visitors are for lower latency.

7. Enable Gzip compression

Gzip compression reduces the size of your website’s files before they’re sent to the user’s browser, making the page load faster. Most web servers now support Gzip compression, but you have to enable it.

8. Reduce redirects

Each redirect adds additional loading time. While some redirects are necessary, try to minimise their use and ensure your website has a clean and efficient structure.

How we can help reduce your pagespeed

Improving page speed requires technical expertise and the right tools. A lot of the above might just sound like jargon to you, and time consuming. At Kall Kwik Bury St Edmunds, we are your Suffolk experts in website design, performance optimisation and SEO. We can audit your website, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes that enhance speed and overall user experience.

Whether you need help with image optimisation, caching, or a full website overhaul, our team can ensure your site runs efficiently, keeping both search engines and users happy. Get in touch with us on 01284 752266.

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