PageSpeed Checker

Why PageSpeed is a Google Ranking Factor

Since May 2021, Google's Page Experience update made Core Web Vitals a direct ranking signal. Pages that load quickly and stay visually stable now have a measurable advantage in search results. Additionally, a one-second delay in page load time reduces conversions by up to 7% (Akamai research).

Core Web Vitals Explained

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) — Time for the largest visible element to load. Good: under 2.5s. Poor: over 4.0s.
• Total Blocking Time (TBT) — How long the main thread is blocked preventing user interaction. Good: under 200ms.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) — Visual stability — how much the page layout shifts during loading. Good: under 0.1.
• First Contentful Paint (FCP) — When the browser first renders any content. Good: under 1.8s.
• Speed Index — How quickly content is visually populated. Good: under 3.4s.
• Time to Interactive (TTI) — When the page is fully interactive. Good: under 3.8s.

How to Improve Your Score

• Slow LCP? Optimise your hero image (use WebP, add fetchpriority="high"), use a CDN, and preload the LCP image.
• High TBT? Defer non-critical JavaScript, remove third-party scripts (analytics, chat widgets, ads loaded synchronously).
• Poor CLS? Always set explicit width and height on images and videos. Reserve space for ads with CSS min-height.