In recent years we keep hearing and reading that one of the most important factors for SEO is a website’s loading time. And it is true: Google measures it and takes it into account. In this article I explain what loading speed is, which metrics matter today and how to measure a website’s loading speed with the best tools.
What does the loading speed of a web page mean?
It is the time a page takes to load and be ready to use. But be careful, today a single number is not enough: Google measures real user experience with the so-called Core Web Vitals.
With the arrival of mobile devices with internet (a long time ago now!), mobile visits have grown and completely changed the paradigm of websites and online marketing. When we travel by metro or bus and want to look something up, we use the phone. And with an unstable connection, every second counts. However…
How long are we willing to wait for a website to load?
The truth is, not very long. As a reference, a website should load its main content in under 2.5 seconds. Beyond that, users start to think it is not working properly and look for that information or product somewhere else.
The metrics that matter: Core Web Vitals
Google sums up the loading experience in three metrics:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): how long it takes for the main element of the page (a large image or a block of text) to appear. Target: under 2.5 seconds.
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): how quickly the website responds when the user clicks, taps or types. Target: under 200 milliseconds. It replaced the old FID metric in 2024.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): visual stability, meaning elements do not “jump” around while the page loads. Target: under 0.1.
How do we know the speed of our website?
There is no need to start a stopwatch. There are very well-built tools that tell us exactly how long our page takes and what we can improve. These are the ones I use.
Tools to measure website loading time
PageSpeed Insights
Although it is the one most of us like least and understand least, it is Google itself, so we must listen to it and see exactly where we are failing. If we do not listen to the boss, the boss will punish us! It shows Core Web Vitals with real user data (when there is enough traffic) and lab data, plus specific recommendations. It is the first one you should look at.
GTmetrix
For me, my favorite. Besides offering a good list of improvements, it lets us see our website from several places in the world, and choose a location close to our visitors. With a free account we can save the metrics and see how they evolve over time, which is very useful after making changes.
Pingdom Tools
It is a very similar tool and a bit nicer to look at. It is still useful for seeing the page weight and which resources take longest, although today it is less complete than the previous ones when it comes to Core Web Vitals.
WebPageTest and the Search Console report
If you want to go one step further (for the real geeks), WebPageTest offers very detailed analysis. And in Google Search Console, the “Experience > Core Web Vitals” report shows which URLs on your website have problems, using real user data.
How to interpret the results (without going crazy)
- Do not obsess over 100: a score of 90 with green Core Web Vitals is better than a lab 100 on a website that feels slow.
- Measure several times and on mobile: results vary, and most of your visits probably come from mobile.
- Measure the important pages, not just the homepage: service pages, product pages and blog posts.
And now, how do I improve it?
Once we know the loading time we will know whether we need to work on improving it. The changes that usually have the most impact:
- A good hosting and a caching plugin.
- Optimized images (modern format like WebP and the right size). There is a guide in image optimization for WordPress.
- Lazy loading of images and videos.
- Fewer unnecessary plugins and scripts, and a lightweight page builder and theme.
- Avoid heavy third-party fonts and resources.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good loading speed?
As a reference, an LCP under 2.5 seconds, an INP under 200 ms and a CLS under 0.1. If you meet all three, Google considers the experience good.
Why does each tool give me a different result?
Because they measure from different locations, devices and network conditions. What matters is not the exact number, but the trend and the recommendations.
Does loading speed affect SEO?
Yes. It is a page experience factor that Google takes into account, and it also directly affects bounce rate and conversions.
In the meantime, you can visit my Digital Marketing Services page or, if you prefer, the WordPress Web Designer one.
