Website speed is not just a technical detail – it’s a critical ranking factor for SEO and a major contributor to user experience. A slow site leads to higher bounce rates, lower conversions, and poor mobile performance, all of which can hurt your visibility on Google. Follow this step-by-step guide to improve your website speed for SEO, with tips on optimising your imagery along the way.
Step 1
Measure Your Website’s Current Speed
Before making any changes, benchmark your site’s current performance.
Tools to Use:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- WebPageTest.org
These tools show load times, Core Web Vitals scores, and highlight areas to fix.
Step 2
Optimise Image File Sizes
Images are often the largest assets on a website. Unoptimised visuals drastically slow down loading time.
Use appropriate formats:
- JPG for photos
- PNG for transparent graphics
- WebP for modern browsers (offers superior compression with high quality)
Compress images without noticeable loss using tools like:
- TinyPNG
- ImageOptim
- Squoosh
Step 3
Implement Lazy Loading
Lazy loading defers off-screen images and assets until they’re about to enter the viewport, reducing initial load time.
How:
- Use the loading="lazy" attribute in img and iframe tags.
- WordPress users can enable lazy loading via plugins like a3 Lazy Load or built-in settings.
Step 4
Minimise HTTP Requests
Every file (image, script, stylesheet) adds an HTTP request. Reducing these can drastically improve load times.
What to do:
- Combine CSS and JS files where possible.
- Use SVGs instead of icon images.
- Limit third-party scripts (e.g., excessive tracking, social widgets).
Step 5
Enable Browser Caching
Browser caching allows repeat visitors to load your site faster by storing elements locally.
Implementation:
- Set cache headers via .htaccess or your hosting control panel.
- Use plugins like WP Rocket (WordPress) or enable via Cloudflare settings.
Step 6
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN stores your site assets on servers across the globe, delivering them from the closest location to your visitor.
Best options:
- Cloudflare (Free & Paid plans)
- Bunny.net
- Amazon CloudFront
Step 7
Minify CSS, JavaScript and HTML
Minification removes whitespace and comments from code files to reduce size and improve load speed.
Tools:
- Autoptimize (WordPress)
- UglifyJS, CSSNano
- Most CDNs and caching plugins offer automatic minification.
Step 8
Choose Fast, Reliable Hosting
Your site’s server response time plays a massive role in speed.
Recommendations:
- Use a managed host optimised for your CMS (e.g., SiteGround, Kinsta for WordPress).
- Choose providers with solid uptime, LiteSpeed or NGINX servers, and scalable resources.
Step 9
Reduce Redirects and Fix Broken Links
Redirect chains and 404 errors force additional server requests, slowing down the experience.
What to check:
- Limit redirects, especially mobile versions (avoid www to non-www redirects stacking with HTTP to HTTPS).
- Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs Site Audit to identify broken image links and redirects.
Step 10
Monitor Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are part of Google’s ranking signals and focus on load time (LCP), interactivity (FID/INP), and visual stability (CLS).
Maintain:
- LCP: Ensure largest element (often a hero image) loads within 2.5s.
- CLS: Avoid layout shifts by setting image dimensions with width and height attributes.
Final Thoughts
Improving site speed isn’t a one-time fix – it’s an ongoing process of refinement, especially as your site grows. By following these steps and giving special attention to image optimisation, you’ll not only please Google’s algorithms but also your users. A faster website is a better website – for everyone.
