Why is page speed so important for SEO?
- Jul 16
- 5 min read
In the age of ‘TikTok attention spans’ page speed has never been more important. With the internet filled with 21-34 second clips, instant gratification and limited patience, web page load speeds really can make or break your website.
Users won’t wait for your site to load, instead they’ll just leave and more than likely find your competitor. Every click counts, page speed is the difference between making a sale and annoying potential customers.
So let’s delve into the impact page speed has on not only user experience but AI search and SEO rankings too. We’ll also share strategies you can adopt to improve page speed.
In this post we’ll explore:
What is page speed?
Page speed is the time it takes for a web page to fully load its content. This includes text, images, scripts, and other elements. It's not just about the first impression. It’s about how quickly someone can interact with your website.
Essentially, page speed represents your customer’s experience not just on your website but with your brand as a whole. We’re in an era where users expect instant gratification. And we know that no one is waiting for a slow page to load. They'll leave your website and probably head straight to your competitor’s site!
Is page speed a ranking factor for SEO?
Yes, making the web faster is one of Google’s key goals and page speed is a vital part of their ranking factors. Google cares about user experience and speed is a big part of that. If your site takes forever to load, people leave and search engines notice. Search engines and LLMs (large language models) like ChatGPT favour fast websites. Whether you’re ranking for your target keywords or being cited in AI overviews or not showing up at all is impacted by site speed.
Slow sites = frustrated users + higher bounce rates = lower rankings
Your website isn’t just graded on how fast it is, speed is also part of your overall E-E-A-T (experience, trustworthiness, expertise, and authoritativeness) score from Google. So while page speed is still very important, the overall page experience needs to be helpful, high-quality and user friendly to help boost your rankings in SERPs and AI overviews.
What is the target for page speed?
While there isn't a strict one-size-fits-all target for page speed, industry standards and user expectations give us general benchmarks. The ideal load time is under 3 seconds. Aiming for less than 2 seconds is even better.
Page speed is based on how complex your website is. Sites with loads of videos and images may have slightly longer load times. The key is to find a balance between performance without compromising good user experience.
How do I check the speed of a web page?
If you’re not sure how fast your website is loading you can check your website's performance with tools such as PageSpeed Insights.
Learn about other tools we use to test website load times.
Why is my website slow?
Sorry… It's about to get a little bit technical, but we’ll try and keep things simple.
If your website is slow it can be due to multiple things. Common reasons for slow website speed include:
Large media files: High-resolution images and videos that aren’t optimised for the web can slow down your site.
Excessive HTTP requests: Each element on a web page, whether it’s an image, script, or stylesheet, requires a separate HTTP request. A large number of requests can overwhelm the server and lead to slower page loading speeds.
Server response time: The time it takes for a server to respond to a request also influences page speed. Factors such as hosting quality, server location, and server configuration all play a part.
Unoptimised code: Inefficient or unoptimised code, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, can affect page speed.
Lack of browser caching: Browser caching allows frequently accessed resources to be stored on a user's device, reducing the need for repeated downloads.
External embedded media: Embedding media from slow-loading external sources can impact your website's performance.
Finding out what is causing the issue is the first step to fixing it. Working with your web development team or a digital marketing agency (cough cough) can help you figure out what is going on with your website.
How to improve page speed
Once the potential culprits causing slow page speed have been identified you can explore different ways to make improvements, such as:
Optimising images: Compress and resize images without compromising quality. Utilise image formats like WebP, which offer high compression without sacrificing visual quality. Compressing and appropriately sizing media files can make a substantial difference.
Implement browser caching: Leverage browser caching to store static resources on a user's device, reducing the need for repeated downloads. Specify appropriate expiration dates for cached content.
Prioritise critical rendering path: Streamline the critical rendering path by prioritising the loading of essential resources. This involves optimising HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to ensure crucial elements are loaded swiftly.
Minify and Combine Files: Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files to remove unnecessary characters and whitespace. Additionally, combine multiple files into a single file where feasible to reduce the number of HTTP requests.
Utilise content delivery networks (CDNs): CDNs distribute your website's static content across servers worldwide, reducing the physical distance between the server and the user. This results in faster load times, especially for users geographically distant from your server.
Upgrade hosting services: Evaluate your hosting provider and consider upgrading to a plan that aligns with your website's requirements. Opt for hosting services that offer features such as SSD storage and content delivery network integration.
Minimise redirects: Excessive redirects can contribute to longer page load times. Limit the use of redirects where possible and ensure they are efficiently implemented.
Enable compression: Use compression algorithms such as Gzip to reduce the size of your website's files, allowing them to be transmitted more quickly.
Review and optimise third-party scripts: Assess the impact of third-party scripts on your website's performance. Limit the use of unnecessary scripts and choose efficient alternatives.
Carrying out these updates can boost your website’s speed. So your business can deliver a faster and more responsive experience for your customers. If you’re not sure where to start, a digital marketing agency can lend a helping hand. Chat to us about your page speed concerns and we can take a look under the hood of your website.
What tools can be used for testing page speed?
Remembering to regularly monitor and test your website is a must. It helps you find areas you can improve to keep pages loading quickly. Testing page speed before and after you’ve made website improvements usually involves some specialised web development tools.
At ADA Digital we like to use:
Google PageSpeed Insights: Google's PageSpeed Insights analyses your website's performance across mobile and desktop. It gives specific actional recommendations to boost page speed.
GTmetrix: GTmetrix reviews your website's speed performance including fully load time while offering recommendations. It’s a great tool for monitoring changes over time.
Lighthouse: Can be run in Google Chrome's DevTools to look at your webpage's performance, accessibility, SEO, and more. You’ll get reports showing you how you can optimise your website.
Accelerating your page load speeds
Ultimately a slow-loading web page can lead to frustration, increased bounce rates, and more than likely losing valuable visitors. Understanding what page speed is and how important it is for SEO (and AEO) is the first step to:
Being shown in SERPs and AI overviews
Keeping potential customers on your site
Diagnosing the reasons behind sluggish website
Making sure your website is performing how it should
At ADA Digital, we prioritise page speed optimisation. We know that every second counts, a fast website isn’t a luxury it’s a necessity. We help businesses accelerate website performance.
Written by:
Rosie Hurr, SEO and Content Manager
Approved by:
Scarlett Hanlon, Digital Marketing Executive
Published:
16th July 2026
