Speed isn’t just a technical metric—it’s a business driver. A fast-loading website can improve search engine rankings, lower bounce rates, and increase conversions. On the flip side, even a one-second delay can cost you valuable traffic and revenue.
If you’ve ever run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse, you’ve probably seen a score that left you wondering: What exactly should I do next?
This guide is your step-by-step checklist for improving page speed, with practical tips you can implement today.
1. Start with Measurement
Here’s a screenshot of what this site scores on Google PageSpeed Insights.
Before you can fix anything, you need a baseline. Run your website through tools like:
- Google PageSpeed Insights – for both mobile and desktop insights.
- GTMetrix or WebPageTest – for waterfall views of resource loading.
- Lighthouse (built into Chrome DevTools) – for developer-focused diagnostics.
Pay attention to Core Web Vitals:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – how quickly main content loads.
- First Input Delay (FID)/Interaction to Next Paint (INP) – how quickly the page responds to user input.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – how stable the layout feels.
Benchmark these numbers against your competitors, then retest as you make improvements.
2. Optimize Images & Media
For most websites, images are the largest assets and the number one speed killer.
- Convert images to next-gen formats like WebP or AVIF (smaller yet higher quality).
- Scale images to the right size—don’t load a 3000px-wide hero image on a mobile screen.
- Implement lazy loading, so below-the-fold images don’t load until the user scrolls.
- Host videos externally (YouTube, Vimeo, or a CDN) instead of slowing your server.
Pro Tip: Tools like TinyPNG, Squoosh, or plugins like Imagify (for WordPress) can automate optimization.
3. Minify and Optimize Your Code
Excessive code adds weight to your pages.
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML by stripping out unnecessary spaces and comments.
- Remove unused CSS/JS with tools like PurifyCSS or UnCSS.
- Load JavaScript with async or defer to prevent blocking rendering.
- Bundle resources where possible, but avoid massive single files that block rendering.
Modern build tools like Webpack, Parcel, or Vite can streamline this process.
4. Boost Your Server & Hosting Performance
Even if your frontend is clean, slow hosting drags you down.
- Choose a fast hosting provider optimized for your CMS (e.g., Kinsta, WP Engine for WordPress).
- Enable HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, which allows multiple requests simultaneously.
- Reduce server response time (TTFB)—your hosting provider plays a big role here.
- Implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN) so users worldwide get content from the closest server.
If your audience is global, a CDN like Cloudflare, Fastly, or AWS CloudFront is essential.
5. Leverage Caching & Preloading
Caching ensures repeat visitors don’t download everything from scratch.
- Set up browser caching with proper cache-control headers.
- Use caching plugins/services like WP Rocket, Cloudflare, or Varnish.
- Preload critical assets like fonts, hero images, or above-the-fold CSS.
- Consider a service worker for advanced caching (especially for PWAs).
6. Optimize Fonts
Fonts are often overlooked but can block rendering.
- Stick to system fonts where possible for instant rendering.
- If using Google Fonts, consider self-hosting to reduce external requests.
- Add
font-display: swap;to prevent the flash of invisible text (FOIT).
A well-optimized font strategy can shave off hundreds of milliseconds.
7. Reduce Third-Party Scripts
Every external script—ads, analytics, chat widgets—slows down your site.
- Audit all third-party scripts and remove what isn’t essential.
- Delay non-critical scripts until after the page has loaded.
- Use Google Tag Manager to manage and control how scripts fire.
Less is more: each removed script improves both speed and stability.
8. Focus on Mobile Performance
With most web traffic coming from mobile, Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing.
- Ensure your design is lightweight and responsive.
- Test tap targets and UI for speed and usability.
- Consider AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) for content-heavy sites.
- Monitor mobile Core Web Vitals separately from desktop.
Remember: a site that feels “snappy” on mobile often performs better overall.
9. Clean Up Your CMS & Database
For sites running on WordPress, Drupal, or other CMS platforms, bloat adds up fast.
- Remove unused plugins, themes, and widgets.
- Regularly optimize your database (clean up post revisions, spam comments, etc.).
- Keep your CMS and plugins updated to benefit from performance improvements.
A lean CMS environment equals faster backend performance.
10. Monitor and Continuously Improve
Page speed is not a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing process.
- Set up automated monitoring (SpeedCurve, Pingdom, New Relic).
- Retest after every deployment or design update.
- Correlate improvements with business metrics: lower bounce rates, higher conversions, better SEO rankings.
Final Tip: Don’t obsess over getting a perfect 100/100 PageSpeed score. Instead, focus on real-world user experience. If your site loads in under 2 seconds, feels responsive, and passes Core Web Vitals, you’re in great shape.
Quick-Start Toolkit
- Testing: Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, GTMetrix
- Image Compression: TinyPNG, Squoosh, ImageOptim
- CDN & Caching: Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront, WP Rocket
- Monitoring: SpeedCurve, Lighthouse CI, New Relic
Wrapping Up
Improving your Page Speed Score isn’t just about pleasing Google’s algorithm—it’s about creating a frictionless experience for your visitors. By following this checklist, you’ll not only boost your SEO rankings but also keep users engaged, satisfied, and far more likely to convert.