Are you familiar with Google's PageSpeed Insights tool? This performance test provides a detailed report and a score between 1 and 100. Split into four distinct scores, this report highlights strengths and improvements to optimize your website's loading speed on mobile and desktop.
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How does PageSpeed Insights work? What impact does your score have on SEO? How can you improve your performance? We explain everything in this article!
How does Google's PageSpeed Insights work?
It's very simple! Just go to the Google PageSpeedpage, enter your website's URL, and in a few seconds you'll get a report for both desktop and mobile versions.
To provide a detailed score between 1 and 100, PageSpeed Insights uses data from Lighthouse, another excellent SEO tool. As a result, you get an overview of technical aspects as well as the user experience on your pages.
Wondering why your page takes so long to load? It could be due to oversized images, excessive requests, or lengthy JavaScript scripts. And thanks to the color-coded system, you can immediately see where to focus your efforts to improve loading speed and your SEO.
The impact of Google PageSpeed Insights on SEO and UX
Your site's speed and performance are not only crucial for the user experience (UX); they also matter for SEO. Since PageSpeed Insights is overseen by Google, the search engine giant (a reminder!), you can see why a high score affects your visibility in the search results—at least on Google.
However, Google does not focus solely on the score displayed at the top of your PageSpeed results. Even though showing 100/100 is a nice achievement, it doesn't automatically guarantee a top position in the SERPs.
Still, making the most of PageSpeed Insights' feedback will help you boost your SEO.
The 4 PageSpeed Insights scores
The results provided by PageSpeed are divided into four categories:
Performance
Most important indicator, the “Performance” score reflects how quickly your site loads and responds to user interactions. Google measures various elements such as the time to display the first meaningful content, the visual stability of the page, and the time before the page becomes interactive.
A high score indicates your site provides a smooth, fast user experience, which is essential in the digital age where every second counts — for users… and for search engines!
Accessibility
Accessibility concerns your site’s ability to be used by everyone, including people with visual impairments. A good score means your pages are designed to work with assistive technologies, like screen readers, and follow web accessibility standards.
Best practices
This score evaluates your site against recognized standards for security and modern web development. It includes elements such as securing connections, keeping technologies up to date, and preventing vulnerable practices.
A high “Best Practices” score ensures you deliver a secure experience to your users.
SEO
The SEO score evaluates how easily search engines can discover and index your pages. It takes into account factors like your site structure, the use of appropriate tags, and content relevance. A strong SEO score means your site is properly optimized for visibility in search engines, increasing your chances of being found by new visitors.
Our tips to achieve a performance score of 100/100
Achieving a perfect score on Google PageSpeed Insights requires meticulous attention. However, if there’s one metric to prioritize, it’s the “Performance” score. It directly affects user experience, Google ranking, and conversion rates.
Here are our tips to reach (or get close to) the coveted 100/100 performance score:
Remove resources that delay page rendering
JavaScript and CSS resources can sometimes delay page loading. Inlining those codes into your HTML or deferring their execution can boost render speed.
Also, limit the number of elements loaded per page by combining CSS/JS files, using image sprites, and avoiding unnecessary redirects.
You can use lazy loading to display elements only when needed, i.e., when they enter the user’s viewport.
Avoid making too many critical requests
The Critical Rendering Path (CRP) refers to the sequence of operations the browser must perform to initially display the visible content of a web page. It covers loading, processing, and styling essential resources such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript required to render the most important part of a page.
Optimize images
Compress your images without compromising quality. Consider using modern formats like WebP, which offer better compression than traditional formats like JPEG or PNG.
Minimize JavaScript and CSS
Reduce the size of your JS and CSS files by removing whitespace and comments and by using minification tools.
Enable browser caching
Configure your server to send cache headers so browsers can locally store frequently used resources, reducing subsequent load times.
Our tip for getting a good PageSpeed score
Remember that perfection is a moving target. Even if you reach 100/100 today, site updates, changes to Google's algorithm, or technological developments could affect that score in the future. So always keep an eye on your performance via PageSpeed Insights.
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