Page speed refers to the amount of time it takes for a web page to load and become usable for the user. It is a critical factor in user experience, as well as search engine optimization (SEO). A fast-loading page provides a better user experience and is more likely to keep users engaged, while a slow-loading page can cause users to abandon the page, leading to a high bounce rate.
Page speed is determined by several factors, including the size of the web page, the complexity of the code, the number of images and other media, and the server response time. There are several tools available for measuring page speed, such as Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and Pingdom.
Improving page speed is important for both user experience and SEO. A fast-loading page can improve the user experience and reduce the bounce rate, while also improving the visibility of the page in search engine results. Some common ways to improve page speed include reducing the size of images and other media, using a content delivery network (CDN), optimizing the code, and using caching.
It’s worth noting that in 2018, Google announced mobile-first indexing, meaning that the mobile version of a website is used to rank the website in search results. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the mobile version of a website is optimized for page speed, as a slow-loading page can have a negative impact on search engine ranking.