Website performance: how to increase your site’s visibility on Google through web performance

In this article, we continue exploring on-site SEO, this time from the perspective of web performance—a concept that brings together several crucial elements, especially when it comes to user experience on your web pages. These factors are more important than ever, as Google is gradually updating its ranking system based on user experience.

Your website’s performance

Did you know that 53% of mobile users leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load? According to Google, after 4 seconds, visitors are likely to leave for a competitor if they haven’t achieved their goal. Imagine how many missed opportunities that represents!

Web performance signals

To improve your website’s performance, several page experience signals must be considered. Here are the key ones you should prioritize.

Page loading speed (LCP)

When a user loads one of your pages, the largest visible element should appear within 2.5 seconds.

Several factors can slow down loading speed, including:

• Images not optimized for the web (file size)

• Videos

• Unnecessary plugins, code, or third-party scripts

• Server response time

• Unused CSS files

Interactivity (FID)

Users should be able to interact with your page in under 100 milliseconds. Interactions include actions like clicking a button or opening a tab.

Visual stability (CLS)

A good user experience requires visual stability. Elements on your page—like buttons—should not shift unexpectedly while the user is interacting with them.

Mobile usability

Today, having a mobile-friendly website is no longer optional. With a significant portion of users browsing on smartphones—especially among younger audiences—your site must be optimized for mobile devices to keep visitors engaged and prevent them from going to competitors.

Secure browsing and HTTPS connection

Beyond having an HTTPS connection, a high-performing website must also ensure secure browsing. This involves regularly monitoring your site to make sure:

• It hasn’t been hacked

• It doesn’t contain malicious code

• It’s free from harmful or deceptive practices

To check if your site is secure, look for the padlock icon in your browser’s address bar.

Tools to measure and improve your web performance

There are many free tools available to help you analyze and improve your website’s performance, such as:

• PageSpeed Insights (by Google)

• Google Search Console

• Website evaluation tools (BDC)

• TinyJPG (for image compression)

• YouTube (for hosting videos instead of uploading them directly to your site)

Final thoughts

Web performance plays a crucial role in both user experience and your visibility on Google. By optimizing loading speed, interactivity, visual stability, mobile usability, and security, you significantly improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Have questions or need help optimizing your website? The Duo team will be happy to assist you—feel free to reach out!